> Mostly the price of the typical 10 hour single player AAA game tends to be $60 + additional DLCs or special preorder things making up go up to the $80+ range.
You pay for the graphics and the voice acting. If you can handle having more limited graphics and simpler/no voice acting, you will get games that are better in other aspects (balance, story, development, replayability) for way less.
True and I agree, but those games aren't considered AAA (since the definition of AAA is based on money spent as the sole criteria). Plenty of games have been AAA, of above average quality, and longer than 10 hours in the past 4-5 years (though I don't rush through games and like to enjoy the little details). When they are, I gladly pay for them[1] (probably more than I will ever be able to play lol). As I get older, I find time is harder to come by so I maybe I'm just more picky about what games I'll buy and then invest time in than I was when I was a kid.
You pay for the graphics and the voice acting. If you can handle having more limited graphics and simpler/no voice acting, you will get games that are better in other aspects (balance, story, development, replayability) for way less.