I actually think there are a couple of dynamics at work here.
First off, let me make my opinion on what developers/publishers and game journalists should and should not say clear: DON'T INSULT YOUR CUSTOMERS!
I think that about sums it up (seriously, this is business 101).
Anyway, the dynamics I talked about earlier. The first dynamic we're seeing is related to PR. Marketing and PR is the art of making other people see things the way you want them to see them. If your marketing/PR is alienating a large section of your consumer base, you're doing it wrong. There is a very good reason that many large companies are highly restrictive about who can represent their company publicly. Anyone visible to the public eye will reflect their actions and words on the whole company. This why people are continually being fired/reprimanded for their twitter/blog/etc. The public sees this, knows they are part of x organization and it reflects on the organization.
This is why companies have PR departments. It's their job to manage the company's public image. The saying that there is no such thing as bad press is demonstrably wrong. Ask Bank of America about its Debit Fees. Bad PR can ruin a company.
The trouble is many game companies are not being careful enough with their public image. If you work in a restaurant, it doesn't matter how rude the customer is, you keep your mouth shut. A lot of game companies, however, don't seem capable of doing this. When an outcry occurs, rather than trying to pacify the vocal parties (this doesn't mean changing the game, simply influencing public perception), game company representatives strike back. This in turn make the rage greater and gives the company even more bad PR.
So, why are game companies so bad about this? Well, that has to do with the other dynamic I talked about. Gamers are wising up. Historically, publishers and developers didn't need to worry about what core gamers thought. For AAA titles, they could count on them buying the game anyway. This was especially true for a longstanding franchise, or a popular developer (see BioWare). With that setup, these companies could focus their marketing on non-core gamers. In the case of franchises, you didn't need to sell to the people that liked the last game, you just had to sell to the people who didn't (see Dragon Age 2).
That's starting to change, it seems (FINALLY!). With all the options gamers have, it's becoming less and less unthinkable to not buy the next game in your favorite franchise. Why spend money on a game that doesn't provide the engagement you want, when you can buy a game that does instead. Why be loyal to a franchise if you don't like it anymore.
Gamers are also starting to recognize and fight back against bad PR. BioWare is a PERFECT example of this. Most people I talk to who are no longer BioWare customers didn't abandon it because of their games (there's an element of that, though), it's because of how abysmal their PR has been. Former fans have gotten tired of their opinions being marginalized. Tired of being called names. Tired of a company that is no longer making games for them, but expects them to buy them anyway.
These dynamics, taken together, are going to start having serious repercussions in the games industry. It used to be the games industry only sold to the core gamers since few others were likely to buy the games. That changed when gaming started becoming more popular. Then, in the transition, the industry discovered that many/most core gamers would buy a AAA title even if it wasn't really marketed towards them, so the industry started to ignore them. We're currently experiencing the blow-back from that. Core gamers are realizing they're being ignored and are striking back against it. The industry, meanwhile, is starting to see a market share that was previously guaranteed falling away. Not knowing how to deal with that, they are striking back in response, which is just making the rift greater. I'm interested to see how this plays out in the long run.
TL;DR The industry has been trying to have it's cake and eat it. Rather than placating angry customers, they're lashing back, which never works. Gamers, meanwhile are finally starting to speak with they're wallets. Combined we're seeing an interesting conflict in the industry as the companies abandon their traditional customer base for a deeper, but more fickle popular market.
Oh and:
I have no words. Fans owe a franchise nothing. It doesn't matter how you alienate fans, or what it's about. They are under no obligation to buy anything. If you want to ignore fan feedback, more power to you, but you don't get to complain when they don't buy the game. That's just how economics works. The games industry has to follow the same rules as everyone else.