I think you're right, also, Alrik most of the time. I can't speak for the genres I don't play much, like shooters or hardcore RTS, but I know that, for instance, NWN2 is easier than Icewind Dale, and really, even more linear(!) which is hard to believe since IWD was basically a dungeon crawler.

Diablo2 is way way easier than the original Diablo, which was an uncompromising, difficult game.

Heroes V started out on par with Heroes of Might and Magic II-IV, but was dumbed down to a boredom-enducing sleepfest in the Hammers of Fate expansion after too many people complained it was "insanely hard."

Morrowind was easier than what little I played of Daggerfall.

Gothic 2 doesn't seem to be too much easier than Gothic 1, but maybe a little.

In some ways, difficulty can be a bad thing, especially when it is due to unfair stacking or cheating on the part of the AI, but making a game so easy that it is merely a progression of pats on the back as you whizz through trampling all in your path is not fun either.
I admit it— I don't have a mathematical, analytical mind or outstanding twitch skills, but I can beat almost any game made these days. I can't even get past the first fifteen minutes in say, Rage of Mages or Deus X. (—some might say I play like a girl, but I know males as inept )