The reason you feel it's all Nintendo users/mods is cos you're Playstation, just like when you're right wing it feels like the world is left wing. ;)

Seriously though, the banning of several active users over the last few years was primarily because a select few just had to go out of their way to troll Nintendo and Nintendo gamers at every opportunity. They were given many, many warnings, told countless times to lay off the trolling, and refused to stop violating forum rules. Their banning may have reduced site traffic, but it made the site a better place. More discussion isn't a good thing if that "discussion" is toxic.

This place seems fine in my opinion. 7th Gen console war era was when discussions were at their most interesting, for better or worse.
I've noticed that life generally seems less interesting the older I've gotten, perhaps that's something to consider, who knows.

I've been called both a Nintendo hater and a Nintendo fanboy in my time on VGChartz. Must be doing something right.

You're just bipolar 

Not everything is toxic. There's nothing wrong with healthy disagreement and mature discussions. 

The ones I'm referring to are those who would just drop into pretty much every Nintendo related thread to make a snarky driveby troll post on par with a youtube comment that added nothing of value or substance to the discourse.

Here I am without pants! Who's boring now?!

Just one disclaimer here, my post had 4 or 5 points and they were in no particular order. I would say the lack of focus on Sales threads is the most important point I raised. If we were to run a survey I'd say its the main reason most older users have joined.

Also i mistakenly have pointed out "Nation" threads, but what im really referring to is an over reliance on any and all "Mega" threads. This was not a target on the Xbox nation thread.

Its quite simple for me....I see an update on the Xbox Nation thread, I'm interested, I go in I am lost. I see an update on the PS Nation thread, I'm interested, I go in I am lost. I see an update on the PC thread, I go in and im lost. I see an update on CGI's mega graphics thread and I'm pretty lost there too. We have a few of them and its really hard to navigate, it definitely limits threads on the forum, because the guys who maintain nation threads are generally the most active on the site. I know a lot of people on the forum will not participate in and become a part of a mega thread. There are parameters within these threads, whether unspoken or spoken that are separate from outside of these threads.

"obviously if your first post in the thread is a negative one, it's going to look a little suspect? Lol."

I think the above line pretty much sums it up. No issue with it, it is just the reality. 

There is a place for these threads, especially for smaller news articles that don't warrant a thread, but given the lack of news threads on the forum I would say its gotten to a point where these threads are imperative. Also in my post im not saying it must be removed or anything like that, just giving my opinion on why the Forum seems boring.

Having threads about water has nothing to do why you think the site has changed, I've always seen these type of threads and if they're bothering you, maybe you're the negative energy here? As for Sales and numbers, they are generating less interest because everyone is a winner these days, less fans feel the need to be defensive or aggressive, i.e., console warz are over.

- PS is the healthiest it's been since inception, seems to have good management for once. Growing number of long-running franchises, seems un-phased by MS growing influence in the gaming scene (eventually this will change). But as it is, PS fans seem happy.
- Xbox continues to lose most battles but MS deep pockets mean they're winning the war, in other words, the brand losses and mismanagement mean nothing in the long run, Xbox fans need only to point out to the X number of studios Phil has bought and will buy to justify their allegiance. The Xbox empire thread recent posts are mostly about salivating over which Studio Phil should buy next, which is funny, but Xbox fans seem happy.
- Nintendo is in a league of its own, so much so that no one seems to know which generation the Switch fits into. The more Switches sold, the less interest there is in discussing its sales numbers. Wii U sales used to attract more attention, haters left with nothing to discuss and Nintendo fans seem happy.

As for long term plans for this website, I know the mods do a lot, but ultimately the power lies somewhere else, which always seemed unfair to me and I did suggest migrating to the userbase to a website in which they have more creative control. Either way, I am happy this place exists and hasn't turned into echo chambers like neogaf and resetera. I certainly have no interest in Twitter/Facebook or instagram, so I am grateful and less bothered by perceived "change".

The thread about which gen Switch is in contained simultanously three posts that claimed Switch was basically the same as WiiU, the same as Nvidia Shield or the a handheld. That despite sales data show clearly that Switch is perceived differently by consumers. And that stuff happens again and again and again.