What people don't get is that hardcore gaming will never die because hard core gamers will always want good hard core games and there will be enough of you to make it worth deves while
Let me give you an example:
I am pretending all games still cost $50 to make math easier.
Lets say their are 5 million hard core gamers who get 15 games a year (1 a month 3 extra during the holidays) that works out to $3.75 billion from 5 million people.
Meanwhile lets say there are 50 million casuals that buy 6 games a year (1 game a quarter 2 extra for holidays) that works out to $15 billion in revenue.
Now it might look like the casuals are a much bigger catch and they are but if everybody went after them it would be simple for a company to com in release a few excellent games for the hard core crowd and rake in the full $3.75 billion per year while well over 15 companies fight for the casuals meaning the company that went for the hard core crowd would be able to steal market from the others by converting them.
Hardcore gaming can't die while there are people wanting hardcore games. It is called supply and demand.
And for those of you who say the company would go after the casual market, they would, but they would relize that they would need the hardcore as a life line to stay alive in a battle which they came to power in.