well indies aren’t going anywhere so it’s not the indiepocalypse
however steam as a tool for exposure just doesn’t exist anymore. the time where simply appearing on steam would make a game sell 10k copies are long gone, and now having your game on steam is almost as meaningful as having your own website as far as discovery goes.
so I agree. unless you can gain some massive traction on social media and build a big fanbase beforehand, or you can pour a lot of money into marketing… you better make games for passion and not for money