No. You see, that's the problem. You haven't quoted a single iota of evidence. Not one. And that's the problem; all we have is conjecture.
You cannot possibly hope to prove that. Ever. What "gamers" are you referring to? Some? All? A percentage? What percentage?... players in 2017 prefer gaming on smaller intervals.
That's just not how objective evidence works.
I could say "gamers prefer gaming on smaller intervals in 2005" and be correct, depending on what demographic I'm describing.
No MMORPG was a "cash cow" prior to World of Warcraft - not a single one of them.
It's now up to you to prove me wrong, in the comparative terms that you've drawn.