There’s only 2 sources I’ve properly trusted and i think they count as influencers

Yahtzee from zero punctuation and the guy from penny arcade.

Server browsers are the better experience for me. Jump in a game and its already going, less pressure to stay because there’s no matchmaking ban/penalties. Everyone is there primarily to have fun because KD WL MMR ELO isnt being logged. If im desperately outclassed, or life gets in the way, I can just quit with no guilt or punishment. If im having a good time i can stay with mostly the same people for a long time.

Thats before you even get into the technicalities and longevity considerations.

Cronus Zen has entered the chat

My new gaming Chair has entered the chat

you don’t want to be told to kill yourself and have children tracking down where you live and threatening to call the police to your house

you just cant handle the bants

dweeb confirmed

Its not that we cant afford them necessarily, its that we cant justify them. The main reason you needed to get the new game was because all your friends were getting it. Only nerds and dweebs and losers play single player games. CoD is where its at bro. When everyone moves to the new game you can lose social time with friends or you can spend another £50. Now that everyone is poor, enough people aren’t migrating to the newest shiniest edition immediately and people are playing games they already have.

Couple that with desperately working every opportunity you can every hour and adults just don’t game together any more.

Tl;dr they are not feeling the social pressure to buy any more.