As I said, the article is very poorly written. I’m unsure if they mean that there’s a Strat’ coming that’ll cost “SC” or if they are referring to the Warbond. Because Warbonds have always cost 1000SC. Zero change.
And no, it’s only your responsibility whether or not you engage with a specific game. There’s tons of great games out there, not every single one has to cater to your specific needs.
Add into it that a game can offer much of the same as a movie and given that it’s an interactive experience, you’re not just cheering on the hero, you are the hero.
And the social experience was risky before, but with smartphones being so prevalent, it has skewed the chances heavily towards a negative experience.