Here is a few reasons big publishers will be failing if they don't get their shit together.
1. Companies expecting games to sell 10 million+ and if they don't they are failures: See Square-Enix.
2. The over hyping press conferences: The biggest offender IMO is Ubisoft and Activision.
3. Taking content away for future DLC
4. Pre-order DLC content. What you want to wait for a review before you get a game? Let's bribe you! I actually liked this when they gave out PHYSICAL goods, but DLC? Shady as hell.: Everyone does this shit.
Things get worse when critics also aren't doing their job. See how Titanfall got great reviews even tho the game didn't have a single player story, bad customization, and lacking in content.
I think companies need to look at what indies are doing and try smaller risk projects that are just... you know... fun to play? I'm tired of every game needing to be a online shooter with a grim dark story that is completely crap. If you are going to 'hype the story' at least write decent characters that feel human and not like it was written by Samurai Cops writer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvni9KbZfooSeriously tired of 'HD games are expensive' so we have to 'pay the cost' by buying DLC and shit, all that is horse shit. They have been doing PC gaming in HD for years before console gaming. You know why your games costs so much? Because you guys are paying 100 people who you mismanage to make a game, overpay for celebrity voice actors and spend a huge chunk on overhyping a game you never finished because the publisher wants it out by fall.
I don't know how Square-Enix could sell 1.5 million units of Sleeping Dogs and not make a profit. You know what they said? It should have sold 2 to 2.5 million because of the metacritic ratings... wtf. Yet SEGA can keep Yakuza alive for almost a decade (yes the franchise is turning 10 in 2015).
Its time for smaller teams that deliver good games at a great price. Honestly shocked that a publisher hasn't followed indies success. Look, Minecraft sold 50 million units and only had a couple of developers...
Surely your brilliant developers can make a fun and engaging game that doesn't need hours of shitty dialogue and cutscenes. I mean, Nintendo sold 3 million units in a month of Mario Kart, you think people bought it for the engaging story?