Yep: every group cares because others care and because they don't want to make things easier for others later (that would not be fair). Academics care because they need to get grants and promotions, granting agencies value the papers because they need to justify their grants to the public/Congress/academics, etc.

If you could get them to all drop caring at once, that would work. However, if any critical mass of any majority of groups sticks with it, those who try to ignore the high-profile publication wheel will just get squeeeeezed out. Simple game theory.