"Because people pay that much for games." Well, enough people do, anyway. I'm not a big fan of cost-per-hour metrics for entertainment: all things being equal is a short-but-enjoyable game (or book, or film) better value than a long-but-dull game? I believe it is. Instead, my metrics are a) a pint of beer in a pub: about £4 and I'll get about 30 minutes of enjoyment out of it, and won't worry too much if it wasn't my favourite beer ever - I'll just remember not to buy it again, and b) a music CD at £12-16, which lasts about an hour, but good ones have great replay value. Again, if it doesn't immediately grab me, that doesn't worry me - I might not be in the right frame of mind to enjoy it, and if I hang onto it, it might catch me in the right frame of mind to become a favourite later (this has happened on several occasions). My metrics are probably also anchored by the (nominal!) prices I remember paying when I started buying games: £5-6 for a typical game, £10-15 for what we'd now call a "triple A game". And, later, £1.99-2.99 for budget games.