Should the value of a game, or the value the game provides, increase over time? I certainly don't see why not, and I know it's possible because there are several examples of games that I feel have increased in value the longer they've been out.
Examples of Games that Increased in Value Over Time
Stardew Valley
I'm pretty sure I paid $15 for Stardew Valley on the PC almost two years ago, and today I am shocked to see it's still listed at $15. Since its release, Stardew Valley continues to add content and value. There are new farm layouts, items, and multiplayer coming. I feel like ever couple of months I hear about a new awesome improvement to the game at no extra cost.
Terraria
Another example of a game that keeps releasing more and more improvements, but I've never had to spend more than a few bucks total. I was talking with a friend on Discord last night who has over 300 hours in Terraria. He even bought the game for a few of our community members because it's such an awesome game and there was a bundle. It's that good, and it keeps getting better.
Minecraft
Thanks to mod support, an active community, and a game that wasn't designed to die off, Minecraft continues to be the game that keeps on giving. Even the vanilla version of the game -- if you never modded or bought expansions to it -- continues to offer more. I think a revamp for water stuff is coming soon.
Skyrim & Elder Scrolls Games
Skyrim is another game that improved over time and due to mods for PC has immense value. I can almost go back and play Skyrim and have a completely different experience (even after multiple play-throughs) because of mods and how the game has evolved.
To a lesser degree, there's a category for games like Diablo 3, Overwatch, Hearthstone, (I realize I'm naming a bunch of Blizzard games), etc., where there are still elements of "pay for more" present, but so much is also created. I often think about the really good MMOs this way too, even though I'm paying a sub the game 6 months later feels so much more valuable to me than it did on day 1.
In a world where we've become entrenched in arguments over microtransactions and DLC, it's intriguing to think about games that sell over 12 million copies and continue to focus on making a better game and experience for the players and no extra cost. Many of these games just do their own thing, focus on their own experience, and take care of the players.
Wouldn't it be cool to live in a world where all of the games were like that? Where all of the games we buy felt like they were worth even more to us than the price we paid for them when they came out? I think so.
Can you think of any other games that have increase in value over time?
Flight Sims. DCS (Digital Combat Simulation) World is a free game, with a giant chunk of map (free) with thousands of square miles, and 2 free aircraft, a ‘modern’ soviet air-to-ground aircraft and a P-51 Mustang with modern controls.
What you pay for is each aircraft and module after that. So if you want to fly an F-15 over Las Vegas, you buy the plane (sometimes available as packs of 4 jets) and the map pack. What I love about it as well is there is no pay2win. A jet I bought 3 years ago is the same ‘power level’ it was.. if I want to get better, I need to practice, practice practice. But I can still fly on multiplayer servers with the ‘free’ Sukhoi-25 Frogfoot (and since it is the best anti-SAM platform in the game, isn’t a welfare aircraft at all) if I like.
It’s honestly hard to really think of many games this generation with the semi-recent inclusion of “early access” and micro-transactions. The latter, being obvious, but early access has certainly made it feel even weirder. A game you may play early might ‘increase’ in value over time, but where was the true start? What was truly added to the game that wasn’t already planned?
Most of everything that I have been able to grab out of the back of my mind stopped me short because they ended up selling me DLC rather than adding anything additional to game. Games like ‘Guild of Dungeoneering,’ ‘Craft the World,’ and ‘Don’t Starve’ all have expansions that cost $10-15.
However, Planet Coaster is a great example – although they did add paid-DLC. Steam Workshop is just a phenomenal idea for developers to include. The effort the community has put in for Planet Coaster is just jaw-dropping. The sad part, at least to some extent, is when you find a very cool blueprint for a roller coaster, vendor, or just some decorations; if they used any item/doodad from the DLC you cannot use it.
The games you listed, though, are games I tend to return to on a regular basis. It’s like logging into an MMORPG after going on a hiatus for several months: all the changes and new content feel fresh and fun. Terraria, for example, has had me return for each major patch only to play the entire game over again because of how fun it is.
I thought of a game that has been around forever and never gets much thought, but Dwarf Fortress created its own genre of sim. That they have continued to work on, and if I don’t recall recently they added Linux support.
Train Simulator is a great example…certainly the games that emulate hobbies the best…Hearthstone, Total Warhammer, Stamp Collector Pro…