Is this data for US or global (looks like US to me). And was the article particularly looking at US market or global PC market?
I ask because the games market as a whole has fragmented to cover different tastes and pace of change. So we have some countries (not US) where PC gaming remains huge - for example didn't I see Crysis jad reached 1M? Most of those sales weren't in US that's for sure. We have a massive swing to handhelds and portable pleasures - I mean, all current consoles sales are pretty small next to the DS and PSP. We have a move in US from PC to consoles for FPS and MP gaming. We have Europre balanced between the two, etc. etc.
As for steam - I haven't seen sources but I'd be surprised, based on comments from Value and the eagerness with which others are putting their games on the service, if it wasn't delivering pretty good sales which aren't being shared. Valve is clearly showing these comapnies something which makes putting their games on the service attractive.
I also wonder how many households have multiple devices - that's something I've never seen looked at. For example I have a PC used for gaming, a PS3, a PS2, a PSP and 2 DSs in the house. What's the impact of these kinds of changes to the market?
The one thing I do agree with is that the industry (particularly from US/Europe standpoint) has rapidly followed Hollywood in favouring safe bets, big budgets and sequels over risk and innovation, which will surely result in some crashes in the near future - no doubt with the same nasty impact when a big summer blockbuster crashes and burns because they're too many big sequels, the audience is too full from the same meal served again and again, and sooner or later something has to give resulting in big losses for the title in question.
Try to be reasonable... its easier than you think...
