This approach stagnates innovation. It sounds like a balding, middle-aged marketing guy talking about gathering data about target audiences. You gathered data from S2 and Steam? How will that make a good TW game? You see how people like to play under that framework. If you just cater to their current playstyle and expectations you will just give them more of the same over and over. You will make Call of Total War basically.

Games that redefine how we play and enjoy gaming used to come by small studios who created someting THEY were passionate about. Games like Thief: The Dark Project for example. If LGS had relied on data and steam sales figures, and thought mainly how many DLCs they can cram out before their players start mass rioting on the streets, we would not get a game that took the FPS concept and turned it into a stealth "shooter" masterpiece.

So... Basically CA is headed to the comfortable zone of secure sales and milking the players until right below the point of utter disgust...