Publishers aren't evil, at least not inherently. They allow devs to release their games in other regions, or even sometimes their own, if they lack the means to do so on their own. Fans of Japanese games are thankful for publishers, because without them, a lot of great games wouldn't have come over here. I'm less fond of bigger publishers, like Scamco, but I admit that I'm thankful they're around to publish great games like Ni no Kuni. Publishers don't just deal with worldwide releases though. EA published some of Bioware's ips, such as Mass Effect. I believe EA was also responsible for the servers for those games.
As for THQ, I can't say I ever really got into any of their ips. I kind of enjoyed Drawn to Life, but it's nowhere near my list of top 100 favorite games of all time, let alone my top 10. They did make a lot of big statements about the industry, but never had the means to back any of it up. I agree that all games should be $40, not $60, but only if that's possible from the standpoint of most AAA devs. That said, it's always sad to see a game company go, regardless of if it's a dev or publisher. I've seen my share of devs and publishers close their doors, or get bought out over the years, and there have been occasions when it has made me sad. So, my condolences to fans of THQ.