As someone who is not a developer, I think you've got a few things publishers can be, but it is never as cut and dry as this (boss having different goal to workers, etc).
You have group A. Group A can net you 20K a release at best. You have to work hard, as they are well informed and news of you not making something good will drive them away. It is a big risk, but keep releasing good titles and you'll always get around 15K.
You now have Group B. Group B is basically "the main stream" except not really. You have posers who buy things that are advertised so they fit in, and cauals who do the same, but want genuine fun; albeit some of them don't have the patience to get good. This group is NOT as well informed- instead relying on adverts and reviews from places that are easy to pay off. Unless you sold a broken or outright bad game, they would get some enjoyment (not knowing that 10 years ago someone did it better with half the technology and none of the budget), and wouldn't discourage people from buying it. You could release a mediocre game over and over, and no amount of complaining from group A would do anything. Group B will make you 2 Mil at minimum.
Pile on top of that shareholders (who can have the best publisher or developer in the world by the bollocks, and demand they make maximum profit), and it's not hard to see why it happens. Then you've got old boys clubs- where like minded people get into positions of power- and soon everyone at the top (developers, publishers, advertizes, even reviewers) unofficially declare to work together to make sure everyone makes maximum profit. Fuck the hobby- make it Hollywood. Which in turn means another form of media is heavily controlled over what messages come out of it while allowing smaller studios to exist but are never heard of, but that's another matter entirely
Now, what Mr. Shecklestien forgot (or never learned from business school) is that people talk. And memetic information on the internet spreads.
Kotaku is in the toilet because Group A pointed out the elephant in the room: Aren't they preachy and shit? Kotaku then went damage control throwing up and even WORSE image of themselves. This allowed Group B to talk more openly about Kotaku, not fearing they're the only one who thinks like it.
So, if you see a bad release- keep talking about how bad it is outside of Holla Forums.
We grew tired of SJW and poor taste so we stayed on halfchan, that only gave the rest of the internet to them.
Go to the dev's or publisher's own forums and (calmly) explain why the game is shit. Don't let those places be a hug-box. When people see your post- then see you banned, they'll start pointing out the elephant in the room, then more will notice as the publisher's melt down and spite future customers over someone offering a negative opinion on the game while citing fact. Combine that with the net allowing you to find the oldest or most obscure game, and suddenly the AAA clique that was sitting pretty now has to make an effort when people realize a schmuck in his bedroom can do it better (and for better value).
Always speak up.