Eh. I see it more as gamers are something like what most consumers are going to be like in a generation or two.
The Industrial Era "passive consumer of centrally produce content" is somewhat of a fading star. They will grow more and more niche in the future (though they probably won't be totally eliminated, ever).
You will have vocal, opinionated, impossible-to-please consumers who arbitrarily decide that they don't like the CEO's haircut, so no, they are not going to make a purchase of your Whatsit.
Consumers are more and more interested and engaged with what they consume, and who they consume it from. Foodies and Makers and Remixers and YouTubers and Ben & Jerry's. Christopher Nolan and Joss Whedon.
Engaged and interested customers are also going to be, generally, vocal, opinionated, impossible-to-please customers.
It is part of what transmedia is actually starting to get at: there is no mass market, there are millions and millions of mini-markets, and consumers will travel across them if the reward is right.
Gamers are there already. Learning how to engage with and work within the limits imposed by your target audience in the RPG industry (and industries like it) will educate the people who are going to lead the large companies of the future.
"I never read this book but it sucks and you should steal it" is actually
constructive, and should telling you at least two things: #1: Your distribution model might need to be different; #2: You might need people reading your stuff before you start charging them.
That's what a lot of Gareth-Michael Skarka's posts about transmedia RPGing address: build the fanbase, then charge them.
It's something that I bet even a WotC-sized company could benefit from.
I mean, who wouldn't want a big picture of the 1e
Deities and Demigods cover hanging over their living room couch?