Best example is DASH, for DASH you need 1000 coins = 83.000 US$.
See why I keep saying that 25M ESP for a masternode is not enough?

At this point, $83.000 of ESP would be 1.9 BILLION. Per masternode. Of course this is not comparable, but you get the point. It doesn't have to be "affordable" for the average Joe.
You are so right on point. A masternode is no toy.
I understand the people who would like to afford it and votes for a low coin ammount but unfortunatelly it does not work in such a way in the wild.