DCS is not battlefield or Aces High. Battlefield 3 in my opinion was a failure and maps are so small... but that's not the point. Battlefield 3 is an arcade game, DCS is a simulation. Things like 3D cockpits, flight avionics, models etc. require time and money.
And same for Aces High. What counts is the QUALITY not the quantity. Otherwise you could just buy HAWX and you'd be done.