genshin is fun on its own but a friend of mine spends so much money on it that it's honestly terrifying, puts me off of playing it all that much. i would love it if it were $60 and everything was unlockable with a reasonable time investment, or even if it were a sub model like a lot of MMOs

... which is exactly what I was saying.

i misread your intent then, to me at least "gambling apps with game skins" and "fun games with predatory monetisation" are distinct :>