The current situation regarding the game industry and their lack of reaction to critics reminds me a little of the state of tabletop RPG's such as Dungeons and Dragons in the 80's. At that time, D&D was getting a bad rap as a game about Satanism and witchcraft, and that those who played it were being led down a path to hell, paved with the blood of babies and the like. Much of this was because of the efforts of a very few people, especially one Pat Pulling (now deceased), who made it her personal goal to destroy RPG's. She didn't do this with reasoned debate, she did this with lies and deceit, by poisoning the well with police and educators with so-called "expert" papers regarding the subject. In short, childishness.
Scary part is, she nearly succeeded in some ways. Many authorities did develop concerns regarding RPG's, due in no small part to her efforts. And TSR during the entire time this was happening did nothing. They had a policy of ignoring the criticism, I guess under the theory guidance counselors have that the bully will go away if you ignore them. Much like the gaming industry is doing today, and I think that's a big mistake on their part. They could, and should, be leading the efforts to educate the public on what gaming really is all about. It's their business, for crying out loud, what the hell are they waiting for? Ignoring Pulling didn't make her go away, it was the efforts of fans and independents that disarmed her, and only her death made her actually stop.
What made her efforts ineffectual in the long run wasn't childish diatribes against her, but rather reasoned efforts to actually educate authorities and the public in the truth. Mike Stackpole helped a lot with The Pulling Report, a long and well researched counter to anti-gaming hysteria.
Childish railing at the enemy can get results in the short term. As Jim said, people notice that kind of behavior, it attracts attention and causes a spectacle. But in the long run, tactics like that will fail if they aren't backed up by reason and debate. You act like a screaming idiot long enough, eventually people are going to stop being amused by you, and will take steps to ignore you, or shut you up (such as what happened to Jack Thompson, the poster child for childish insanity in public). They will notice the screaming child, but they will remember the calm statesman long after that child is gone from their minds forever.