Micro transactions
I agree about the original Empires release that happened 3 years ago.
But GameClub, Apple Arcade, and Google play are trying to remove the need for micro transactions for profitably.
Just because a business model is profitable, does not mean another model cannot become profitable with the right situation and infrastructure.
Similar to what Netflix did with physical DVD rental stores and cable mega bundle subscriptions.
Or what Apple did with 1x hit, 13x song albums.
Government regulation
While theoretically customer spending can drive ethically changes, see plastic straws for a current debate, in the past it has not worked that way.
Marketplaces only care about profits. A classic example is product dumping ( see notes ).
In the past child labor, and unpaid overtime were common, and still are in parts of the world.
It was not customers SPENDING that changed this. Instead journalistic exposure of the situation leading to population pressure, including non spenders, leading to government regulation.
Government regulation imposes ethics on the marketplace.
Once it is illegal, or properly regulated, then consumers have a choice between companies that follow the law and those that do not.
And sometimes the government regulation has to deal with very murky ethics, see plastic straws and disabled customers.
Ethical Gacha
Venan Entertainment ran a semi ethical gacha MMO model for 5 years.
So it can be semi ethical and profitable.
Niantic is working the semi ethical due to gacha and legal minors problem.
In a bit of bad karma, when Venan tried to ethical copy the Clash of Clans business model, the copy ( Space Miner Wars ) bankrupted the company.
Not the original Space Miner: Space ORE Bust which failed due to lack of micro transactions but is now available through GameClub. SGG should put Oddwings on GameClub, I would love to try it.
So mobile games are tricky.