When sales slump, manufacturers will drum up anything to move product.
I don't think bears have gotten any bigger or badder, maybe hunters on the whole have gotten, dare I say it, less manly!
Used to be a hunter would venture off with a 30-06 and a pocket knife to hunt bear, now, well, you don't dare go to field without at least a 375 H&H and 50 rounds of premium projectile ammo, a pocket knife, a sheath knife, at least a 454 Casull on your side with a 44 Mag. for back-up and $2000 worth of support equipment such as camel backs, GPS, weather monitoring radio, and lets not forget the satellite phones and laser rangefinders.
Whatever happened to grabbing a handfull of whatever ammo shot well from the ol' rifle, a can of coke and a moon pie and maybe a compass, after that, you were off.
I think our exposure to these magnificent creatures is becoming more limited than the days of old, so imagination plays a big part. And well, you just have to have a magnum of some sort to hunt with, nowadays anyway, right?
More power...good eh?