They had their issues, sure. But most studios will have burned bridges in their wake. Not a hard and fast rule of course.

When I refer to downhill I'm looking directly at the slippery slope that is changing from profit as a target to profit above all else. When you sell a company regardless of who you retain - there will be a value shift as the head drives the body. The existing cracks got worse and new ones formed. People that care the most generally give up, leave, or both and the whole thing falls in on the void left by those support's absences.

You may be right that a shift in ideal started then. I'm not terribly familiar with the story so I'll defer to you on that.