I think part of it is the industry got itself into a mini-bubble over the promises of the Games as Services model.

Its the same bubble they got into with MMOs. This isn't a new approach to selling software (particularly gaming software). But we're at the point where hardware isn't improving fast enough to demand radical new changes in the platform/engine. And there's an expanded workforce abroad who will do the grunt-work of game production far cheaper, particularly now that all the hard work of engine design is done and you're just rolling out new shapes and colors for the hogs.

It isn't as though EA or Activism/Blizzard can't bring in tons of new revenue every year (particularly with the glut of sales post-COVID). Its just that they need less labor and from less-skilled professionals, while they are far more invested in sales and marketing in order to move units after go-live.

Not every game needs to sell like Fortnite to turn a profit. And even Fortnite doesn't need to work too hard to keep the wheel spinning, now that the underlying mechanics of the game are in place. So all that excess labor can be dumped, while investors vacuum up the profits.