I think the sale price of a game is intimately connected to its quality actually, I wouldn't be as harsh on a game for being short or having shallow gameplay if it didn't cost me 60 big ones, I mean 60 bungles that's blockbuster money, for 60 chonkies I want something big and meaningful that will stick with me, 60 whammies should not result in something I play for 2 days and put away
Elden Ring is the obvious shoo-in for GOTY not because it's a AAA game but because it's the only AAA game so far this year that really earned its 60 moneys price tag
i live by the 1 dollar should equal one hour of enjoyed content philosophy. a $60 should have a minimum of 60 hours of fun content.