Okay, as funny as it is, I don't think the people who are complaining are the ones who are actually purchasing. I am pretty sure that the people who are the majority spenders are not even aware of the hatred on the internet for microtransactions, or even if they are aware, they do not see it as worthwhile concern.

It is easy to get lost in the noise, as many things on internet, everything becomes an echo chamber. But in reality there are a lot of people who thinks it is justified. That somebody is asking for money to deliver a product or a service and they don't care how the equation of "what is worth what " is derived.

For them, its just inflation or expense to cover the cost (basically they take publishers counterpoint at face value, can't blame them honestly), and since it has become the norm, they have given up on taking a moral stance om this and following through

Meanwhile, in Star Trek Online...

This can only read as hypocrisy when you portray "everyone who plays video games" as a single character

...

I used to be an avid Plants Vs. Zombies player and I won the Jade League No. 1 spot and earned almost every plant that could be earned and I did it without paying a single dime in real life money. I eventually quit because after you finish the main game and win the Jade League (even once) there really isn't much else for you to do, and when you grind up your plants' exp to the level I got them the games become a sinch.

Yeah where's Ahab when we need him?