Navagon: Yeah, I suppose that if the revenue spiked the moment the price started to drop then there would be reason for them to pay attention to that. But I wouldn't bank on it. They're so honed in on the sales of the first few months that even day one sales can be seen as make or break. They really don't give a toss 6 months down the line, and when you're faced with that kind of attitude then there's no reason to assume that buying a game at a cheaper price tells the publisher anything at all.
It most certainly does tell them something; whether they choose to listen is an entirely different matter, and frankly that's
their problem. Ultimately the developers and publishers that do listen to what people are saying with their money will be able to get more of that money, while those who don't listen will continue in a downward spiral. In other words, it will work exactly how voting with your dollars should work.