Is the issue maybe the intensity and intimacy of RPGs? I feel like asking me to watch The Wire is different from asking me to play a game like Cartel or Steal Away Jordan. The former is a passive experience; I can immerse myself in the show, but I’m not necessarily identifying with any of the characters. But with the latter, I have to take an active role; I have to engage with the subject matter, and I likely identify — in some way — with my avatar. Add in the “reality” of the subject matter — its immediacy — and i can see being reluctant. E.g., I remember when Afghanistan d20 came out and being really repulsed by the idea of roleplaying a war that was happening concurrently.

It could be that fantasy genre bits also provide a certain amount of insulation; I don’t want to play Cartel, but I could play a supernatural drug-lord in Urban Shadows. It lets me address a similar premise, but there’s sort of a safety net, or reminder that “it’s just make-believe”. Historical distance can work similarly; I would do a Napoleonic military game, but not one set in present-day Iraq.

Aside w/r/t the RPG.net essay: How does the gaming landscape look to you now? I feel like a lot of what you described has been achieved by indie games.