The launch of Battlefield 3 and The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, two games with very large PC fanbases.
FORBES: Connect
2.
Smaller markets tend to breed more loyal and rabid fanbases (especially with favorable history and frequent success on your side).
FORBES: Lesson From Steelers, Packers In Building An Avid Fan Base
3.
Many developers, slowly but surely, are getting the hint that their fanbases are diverse, not just in gender, but in race, age, and sexual orientation.