Sunk cost fallacy
Also said as Sunk cost, Already paid, In too deep
Carrying on with something because of what you have already put in, even though that is gone whatever you do next. Only what comes from here on should count.
Arkes and Blumer showed it in 1985 with theatre season tickets: people who paid full price went to more shows than those given a discount. Many people have played a game they stopped enjoying because of the hours already logged, and games can lean on this, which is why it is worth knowing.
Say it
“Show players what they would still need to do, not what they have put in. "12 hours left" helps someone decide. "You have invested 200 hours" is only there to stop them.”
Where you’ve seen it
Genshin Impact's pity counter carries over between banners of the same type. A player 70 pulls in has a reason to stay that a new player does not, and part of it is real because the odds really will improve, which makes it a hard case to reason through.
Not to be confused with loss aversion
Loss aversion is about feeling a future loss too strongly. Sunk cost is about counting a past cost that cannot be recovered.