True, we shouldn’t be ‘backing’ them.

Consumerism and capitalism essentially dictate that large-scale gaming can’t exist without publishers. Studios need to get funded, and most developers struggle with tasks like publishing, marketing, analytics, and handling payments. While a company could theoretically manage all of this itself, it demands a lot of specialized talent, which schools only teach to a limited extent in a manner relevant to the gaming industry.

Publishers (almost) can’t help but be somewhat offensive to the public. They are there to make money and (the good ones, at least) put money back into the market so they can make more money.

Valve is less offensive than many/most. Gabe was an underdog story. Valve released some damn fine games before they primarily became publishers.