Gaming is going towards the MMO in my opinion. World of Warcraft has become so popular that it outshines most console games these days, to the point where even there are primetime TV spots like this one:
Game Fuel
I work for a marketing company that is even doing a campaign with Mountain Dew for their WoW themed drinks, Horde Red, and Alliance Blue which is a pretty big sign that the game is very mainstream. I myself have played for 4 years and it amazes me that my professional life can intersect with a game, much less one for the PC market.
Little things like free trials like the one offered at their microsite, accessibility, and the sociability of the game indicate that this is the direction of gaming.