Drakan, we don't know how things are in Lionhead and what they have been doing since Fable 3, but I am quite sure they are bound within contract to Microsoft as their publisher and Microsoft itself grants some money to Lionhead. Ratings don't matter until in later stages, as long Lionhead presents a game that Microsoft is willing to publish within the contract.
They do bother such studios quite often with visits and trying to figure out how's the development going - in many different stages of the game and sometimes they even drop "suggestions" that affect the game as it is.
Check some of the videos about the development of Fable, I am quite sure sometimes it is hinted about how development works in Lionhead and their relations with the publisher at times.
Also Fable III has decent ratings;
http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/fable-iii so Lionhead isn't exactly bad in the eyes of
video game critics buffoons.