Everyone always mentions pricing and buses for the reason for the reduction in bus use but is it just me who thinks the bus network is just outdated completely.

Most routes have barely changed since the 80's however where people actually want to be have massively and unless you drive some of them are just impossible to get to. Some examples:

Metro Centre - Bar the 6/7 there's absolutely no service from the whole of the West End of Newcastle unless you travel the wrong direction and back on yourself.
Silverlink - No service at all bar the 19/22. 306/308 too far and the A19 roundabout isn't a walk you want to do.
Team Valley - No service bar the Loop
Arnison Centre - No service to the North or West.
Durham Dragonville - No service to North, East or South.
Teeside Park - One bus every 30 minutes, miles from the shops.
Cleveland Retail / Tesco Eston - One bus every 30 minutes.

Yet places like North Shields, Durham City Centre, South Shields, Stockton etc have loads of buses going into them from all over where sadly people don't really want to be nowadays as there's nothing left anymore. It's no wonder bus usage is decreasing.