Now, the aficionados are a stable market, but they are relatively few in number. A big hit with them, such as Civilization, might sell some hundreds of thousands of units. Those are impressive numbers, but compared to the installed base of home computers, they leave much to be desired. Most of the sales of entertainment software go to beginners who buy a few games in their first year of ownership, and then appear to refrain from further purchases. Now, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with these cultural values.
All values are a response to environmental conditions.
For example, Genghis Khan strictly banned the washing of clothes during rain, an apparent eccentricity until one realizes that the Mongols' deep-seated fear of lightning led to many drownings. The ban was a reasonable response to environmental conditions. Our values, fundamentally based on the historical experience of continuing change, will fail us badly if and when change ebbs. Technological optimists point to the future with pride, noting that the fundamental physical constraints on microprocessor development have not been approached, that there is no reason why RAM costs cannot continue to plunge as they have been doing for two decades. The issue has less to do with technological capability than with human need and convenience.