Are we doing this again?
Who out here is running, or has even seen a 3x11 or 3x12? Show of hands.
Bueller?...... Bueller?
1x11 or x12 with the giant 48t cassette cogs you guys are so scared of is the MTB configuration. On a bike with full suspension and 29x2.3" wheels (that's 700x60) it makes total sense, especially from an engineering and packaging standpoint. If you were following MTB tech in the 1990s, the array of suspension designs was staggering, as mfgrs tried to make a bike that worked going uphill as well as down, while carrying the 3x7/8 drivetrain of the era.
Top-flight road racing favors more gears, too, in the "Marginal Gains" era, where efficiency rules, and no watt is wasted.
But then pro road racing doesn't really apply to how most people (who aren't on BikeForums) actually use bicycles.
I do think you're going to see more 1x9/-10/-11 in the 'sport / fitness' market, since FD shifting is a dark art to the average consumer. 1x would provide adequate performance for the'typical' user. It also has the follow-on effect of making the bike simpler and cheaper to build (lower part count), although they probably won't cost any less to buy.