IGN - Why RPGs Dominated 2011

I'm not sure Why Role-Playing Games Dominated 2011 actually proves the point made but it does give a summary of the year in AAA RPGs, with some good observations along the way:

Dragon Age II shared a lot of similarities, but didn't endure the transition to a streamlined gameplay style nearly as well. BioWare offered heaps of items but simultaneously deemphasized Item acquisition by locking out the ability to equip armor on your party outside of preset upgrades, and in the process destroyed the thrill of item discovery. It was like trying to pick something to wear to a wedding out of a closet with three nice suits and thousands of ragged t-shirts. Eventually the entire game felt like one long backtracking mission. There was plenty of decision points and a handful of memorable moments, but those couldn't allay my fear that Dragon Age II was a sign that big budget role-playing was becoming too diluted and concerned with mass appeal for its own good. I was even more concerned after playing the PC version of Fable III, a game too terrified of confusing players to do anything interesting. Then the Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings came out, and I felt stupid for worrying.