Video game developers are not trying to scam us, they're trying to cover their rising costs.  AAA games are more expensive to make nowadays because they need more money for graphics artists and sometimes celebrity voice actors.  If game developers were willing to roll back to 90s-era graphics, then I bet costs would plummet, and they could then put more effort into "content".  You're not paying the same for less, you're paying the same for something different.