I can’t even tell most of you people apart.
Have you ever considered maybe that’s the point? Maybe people want to be judged for what they say instead of what image they had on hand when they signed up?
I uploaded a pic while playing with all the shiny features over here, but I was faceless on reddit for years after their introduction of profile pics, because I was there to have discussions, not build a profile. And the one I picked here? It tells you almost nothing about me unless you already know the character in the image, which only people who have a similar niche interest might.
This is like whining about women who don’t wear makeup, because “If you have the option why not just snazzy it up with a couple of images tiny bit of eyeshadow. I think it’s shows a bit of personality.” Sometimes the active decision not to bother with cosmetic features IS the personality you’re looking for.
While absolutely too many things are charged for in gaming today (exp boosts? skip potions? cheat armor that was already fully developed at launch? all ways to get your company on my high seas list)… in the specific case where (1) new content is continuously being developed AND (2) the game is not asking for mandatory spending to continue playing (e.g. no expansion pack to purchase, no subscription fees), I don’t think the concept of charging for in-game content at all is abusive.
If I buy once and then a year later some optional paid cosmetics or other goodies are added, I think that’s permissible. And if I’m in a free to play live service game, I recognize the ongoing dev costs need to get covered somewhere.
I do vastly prefer those companies that give their games TLC and updates for free, and I’m not saying the standard pricing for optional purchases in the modern market are reasonable. But I think the existence of in-game purchases, if not their current state, can make sense sometimes.