Other than getting the word out about upcoming games and contributing to the formation/reinforcement of opinions that gamers have about any of a number of industry issues, I'm not sure. But those are pretty substantial contributions.
Nintendo has to figure a way around these clowns. Even if it takes baby steps over a few generations. I'm convinced that there is no winning with this crowd.
Getting the word out about upcoming games is easy. "Hey, we know you like this cuz you played it, here's a trailer of this game coming out later this year."
Done.
Like I said, the only thing left is their opinion. And well.... considering what we see from them in this regard, no loss. I don't think the industry press should disappear, but it doesn't need to exist at the level it does now. One or two writers at currently established news agencies is all we'd need if such a thing comes to pass, and I'm all for it.
Also, a thought on the EA being ripe for a buyout thing....
Does anyone think that the publisher-developer dynamic will change? With smartphone game development in full force and taking a LOT of talent that was bound for this industry and placing it outside the current business model, I have this feeling that the publishing powerhouses will end up in the future just being the middleman, with developers holding IPs and getting most of the gross revenue. It's really the only way for the industry to keep its talent, and when and if EA tanks, that future will become a lot more present. There will still be internal developers at certain publishers, but I think the creators of content will hold more power, just like you see in certain aspects of the movie industry.