Because Moloch. If at least one major manufacturer add extra lifespan, that forces the others to compete. But the real profit-maximizing move for major manufacturers as a whole is to conspire into selling short-lived stoves.
Why would Moloch (the metaphorical God for “coordination problems are hard”) be the appropriate metaphor for conspiracy?
Right, “conspire” was the wrong word (as others have noted, information asymmetry is enough, and I don’t think that manufacturers literally gather in smoke-filled rooms to adjust the lifespan of their products). But I still think Moloch to be a valid metaphor for a situation where:
customers are forced to buy short-lived products
manufacturers could unilaterally prolong the lifespan of their products at a small cost (or even a small gain), but they choose not to because they want to sell more now
long-lived products could be sold at higher prices
Why would Moloch (the metaphorical God for “coordination problems are hard”) be the appropriate metaphor for conspiracy?
Right, “conspire” was the wrong word (as others have noted, information asymmetry is enough, and I don’t think that manufacturers literally gather in smoke-filled rooms to adjust the lifespan of their products). But I still think Moloch to be a valid metaphor for a situation where:
customers are forced to buy short-lived products
manufacturers could unilaterally prolong the lifespan of their products at a small cost (or even a small gain), but they choose not to because they want to sell more now
long-lived products could be sold at higher prices