[AlexandrB]

> We have a lot more innovation and design exploration, it's just that the major categories have been explored heavily.

The RTS genre is a perfect counter-example because RTSes arguably peaked with Homeworld in 1999 and since then we have had nothing but sequels and re-treads of fundamentally the same concepts[1]. We went from a game that had fully three-dimensional battlefields and complex formations to, basically, rehashes of StarCraft/Warcraft with differing mixes of micro/macro. There have been a few[2] cool indie games, but the concepts they presented never gained traction in the mainstream.

With mobile gaming on the rise, the genre seems to be devolving to Clash Royale-likes.

[1] Honorable mentions for Company of Heroes (2006), which had a lot of cool ideas as well.

[2] http://www.achrongame.com/site/