<ul><li>Gaming industry saw a rise in popularity with more mainstream appeal, but lost touch with its core audience who craved depth and challenge.</li><li>Developers shifted towards casual-friendly games, focusing on instant gratification and monetization strategies like battle passes.</li><li>However, in the pursuit of mass appeal and injecting politics, they alienated the original audience that valued gaming as an art form and a means of escapism.</li><li>The disconnect between developers and core gamers led to a scenario where developers blamed the audience for not appreciating their games, failing to understand the market's desire for depth and respect for the gaming art.</li></ul>

From Basement Dwellers to Billion-Dollar Industry: The Rise and Fall of the “Mainstream” Gamer

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