Casual games don't want a casual game that is mixed with strategy, because it is not casual enough. Serious gamers don't want a strategy game that is mixed with casual gaming bull because it is too casual. CA is shooting itself in the foot with what it is doing, and the state of these forums is proof of that
Probably true enough, but I would guess their marketing gurus have statistics at the ready to show who is likely to buy their games. I'm not sure though, that you can draw the conclusion that interest in this forum has suffered as a result of CA's marketing strategy.

I still contend that weak multi-player support, and downgrading the ability to mod their games in a significant way in favor of DLC lies at the root. Back in the day of S1/M1, there was a huge following at the .org of folks that craved the challenges of multi-player. Playing other humans is always more challenging/fun than playing vs the AI. Spending hours and hours slogging through a campaign wasn't necessary...you fought a single battle, whether 1vs1, 2vs2, etc., and you moved on to another battle.

Through my own personal experiences, and what I've seen from other game developers, being able to significantly modify a game keeps interest fresh, and modders happy. Some of my favorite NWN games were done by modders (some of which were extensive 4 or 5 part series). Bioware actually encouraged modding by hosting competitions The venerable Baldurs Gate still has a significant following (as evidenced by the activity at the G3 Forum) more than 15 years after its' initial release because of the extensive mods and character development.

Just my 2cents....