Do you really think that Paradox hasn't done this calculation? This is their business.
This isn't my first time discussing this, including with PDX staff, and so far I have never been led to believe they have given a serious thought about this.
It's not an easy sell to higher ups and share holders, definitely, but if PDX wants to put this topic to rest, all they can do is be transparent about it and disclose if they have indeed done a study on this case, or reveal sales numbers for old DLCs showing that they still sell very well.
Of course, PDX doesn't actually own us any transparency, but if they want trust on this issue, that's what they should offer.
So with all that said, I now ask you, what makes you think they have done this calculation? Is it because "it's their business", and so you trust them to uphold it?
Well then, that's up to you, but I'm not willing to give my trust without a counterpart, in this case, transparency.
PDX devs are very transparent and accessible, that's why I'm almost always willing to trust them fully, and think they are a role model in this industry, but the business side is another deal altogether, not even composed by the same people.
Just to clarify, I'm not advocating for this because I want "free stuff".
I'm the type of consumer far more likely to buy stuff not too long after launch, very likely within a year or so on normal circumstances, so this proposal would have no impact on me whatsoever.
In fact, I love how the continued support allows these games to reach heights they could never do otherwise, and am more than happy to keep supporting them myself.
However, given how many people I've tried and failed to get into these games, I'm fairly certain PDX is ultimately hurting themselves with this model, and it's very frustrating to me the difficulty I find to spread the word about these games I enjoy so much.