> Match-3 games and microtransactions and season passes and skinner boxes make billions of dollars.

Only if they have a cool interface.

What make people play a match-3 game over another match-3 game that has the exact same gameplay? It is the way it is presented.

What are the most popular microtransactions? Cosmetics.

Why are people buying season passes instead of just content DLCs? Again, mostly cosmetics.

Cool interfaces make money. I don't know why they stopped doing it for the console itself, they have their reasons, I guess.