Comment by TOMDM

This is besides your point on anti-consumer practices, but games aren't solely for "fun".

Art is about experiencing something, a sad documentary, a tragic movie, a horror movie aren't "fun" in the candy and rollercoaster sense, games are the same.

One that speaks to me, I really enjoy factorio, but I wouldn't call it "fun".

For the core of your point though, getting locked into something because it's how you socialise, (whether directly with friends, or indirectly with a community), or via abusing addictive characteristics in consumers, games can still retain a base even without providing value like my other examples.