A History of evidence: is Gametrailers really biased against the PS3, in favor of Xbox 360?
By Mike Ferro
The Internet was ablaze with news that Gametrailers is biased towards the PS3 and in favor of the Xbox 360 after their Grid comparison video debacle where they showed a stunning crash video for Xbox 360 and a very lackluster crash video for PS3, when in fact both videos turned out to have originated from the PS3.
No one might have known that the two video clips were indeed PS3 versions if not for the keen eyes of PS3 fanboys who spotted the PS3 signature controller button “X” and “O” in the corner of the screen. After the comments section became flooded with angry comments, Gametrailers quickly yanked the video off their site and closed the page.
However as luck would have it a user was able to download the video and upload it onto Youtube as reported by Joystiq.
Gametrailers in a matter of days responded that the video comparison debacle was an honest mistake to Joystiq and the PS3 video was put in the Xbox 360 video bin by accident.
So this begs several key questions, so what happened to the Xbox 360 video footages? Why did the person who is responsible for compiling the comparison videos select the “accidentally” placed PS3 video over the actual XBox 360 videos already in the Xbox 360 bin? Finally, why did the person who is responsible for compiling the video pick such a lackluster crash video for the PS3 version?
All of these questions do raise an interesting point, at some point someone decided to use the lackluster video for the PS3 version and use the best crash video for the Xbox 360 version. The situation that led to the “mistake” may in fact be true, but the clear biased used in compiling these videos are truly evident.
This wasn’t the first time Gametrailers came under fire for their alleged bias against the PS3, other comparison videos were criticized for not setting the PS3 RGB video setting equally to the Xbox 360 settings. Thus resulting in a more washed out and faded look on the PS3 in contrast to the Xbox 360 version. Gametrailers themselves admitted on their blog after much backlash that they do not change the PS3 to use full range RGB when in contrast the Xbox 360 has this set as the default.
How can that be a fair comparison of video quality when these two versions are not using the same settings? Also why was this not disclosed to the public instead of misleading them into thinking the PS3 version was inferior?
Another issue Gametrailers have come under fire for was their practice of using the Xbox 360 box art on majority of the multiplatform titles such as Call of Duty 4, Turok, Gran Theft Auto IV, Darksector, just to name a few. Apparently that must be the console of choice for whoever is in charge of adding those box art thumbnails.
I don’t believe Gametrailers as a whole is biased against the PS3 but possible a few who work there, as majority of the users on the site are PS3 fans as well as Editor in Chief of Gametrailers Shane Satterfield have publicly on a numerous occasion voiced his anticipation as 2008 as the year for the PS3.
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Tips N4G
May 19th, 2008
interesting… but before you get your panties in a bunch, remember that GT5 prologue was caught using pics from PGR4 in their online adds.
you could be right about the “few who work there”. this site alone proves fanboys can take many forms.
May 19th, 2008
game trailers is owned by mtv, which is owned by viocom which works together with microshaft so the get paid by microsoft to do these things.
expect more of them
they did the same with gta4 aswell. on the 360 version they shown the getalife building with now popins and on the ps3 version they shown it with popins.
May 19th, 2008
This is a HUGE conspiracy perpetrated by Gametrailers… this will be dealt with SEVERELY if our demands are not met…
1. A fair comparison of Preview/Screenshots of games that are released on both consoles.
2. Box art of both consoles should be shown (side by side) when the game’s box art is published on the website.
3. Publicly apologize to Sony president (whatever his name is) and Sony GOD Takezo Kensei… I mean Shigeru Miyamoto…
4. A completely unbiased jury is to be used when rating and reviewing games… I suggest you use Amish people who have never even seen a TV… and then let them rate it… based on “Coolness” “Replayablilty” “Graphics” “Gangstaness” and “Time you can kill a hooker without getting caught by the Five-oh… the popo… the fat beer belly men in blue….”
5. Re-Review every single PS3 game and give them all “SUPER AWESOME COOL” rating… (yes even Lair) and comment “This amazing PS3 game (insert Lair) kicks every single 360 game in the butt… till they fly off into space… crash land in a Halo ring… exploding the Halo ring and killing all the 360 franchises…”
6. Replace all the names of the future 360 games their characters and their character model with the image and the name… Snake… instead of Master Chief… it will be Master Snake… instead of Bioshock… it will be Biosnake… and Too Human will be renamed Too Snake : Step up 2 the Streets….
7. Give the Writers Guild of America a fair share of Royalty money… (It takes real talent to write a script of Classic movies as Daredevil… Barb Wire… Brokeback Mountain… John Tucker must Die… George Bush must Die…)
If our demands are not met… we will boycott your site Gametrailers… we will also fill up your forum with Spam…
(eg. SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM!!!). We will crown you “Biggest Douche in the Universe” and that will make you cry…and we will laugh… and we will call you a big fat poo poo head-farty pants…
Do not lose hope my fellow brothers in arms… I mean brothers with a SIXAXIS in their hands… (wheres your Rumble fanboys??) this is just the tip of the iceberg…
I believe this conspiracy is linked with some of the biggest conspiracies in the world… and once we find out this secret… the rest will follow… (like a Domino set that people stack up cus they don’t know how to play the proper game…)
We will use this conspiracy to understand the true mysteries of our world… like the JFK Assassination… the asshole who took my Twix candy bar from my desk …the UFOs… Area 51… and the brutal and gory and heinous murder of Roger Rabbit…
The truth is out there my brothas… all we need is… wait.. my moms calling… gotta go now…
May 19th, 2008
@kevin
That GT5p adds on PSN was accident, it was not official and it’s not a GAMEPLAY video or shitty pre rendered it’s just a picture of PGR that mistakenly add by some dumb person who work there (got fired btw), but this gametrailer issue is about comparison of gameplay and graphics (which have seen a lot of times), ps3 vs 360, and they try to make the ps3 bad compare to the 360, video comparison is more worst than that mistakenly added picture you know, and for seeing you on about every Ps3 probalem agains 360 i can tell your a 360 fanboy that tried to win on every argument on every people that talks crap about 360, i feel sorry for you.
May 19th, 2008
Thankfully, I don’t need any sights, I have a PS3 and my roommate has a 360. Our eyes are better at telling the truth than the multitude of people who’d be involved in approval at Gametrailers.
And that PGR vs GT5P issue was amusing, especially given that GT5P bests PGR in every avenue of visual quality (frames per second and native resolution).
Morne
May 19th, 2008
Gametrailers is now losing a major user fan base from the PlayStation world the biggest. I no longer watch any video from that sleazy crap of website.
Xbox 360 fanboys belong only on this websites
1.G4TV
2.GameTrailers
3.GameSpot
4.EGM
5.Videogamer
6.EB Games
7.GameStop
In the end the PLAYSTATION 3 games will always look perfect so i don’t really cared about this fvck!ng dumb useless biased comparison against are most belove video game system PLAYSTATION 3…
May 19th, 2008
yeah..TAKE THAT, GAMETRAILERS… the ps3 fans won’t visit your site anymore….. all 5 of them…lmao…
May 19th, 2008
thats interesting considering the bulk of the users on Gametrailers are PS3 fans.
May 19th, 2008
thats interesting considering the bulk of the users on Gametrailers are PS3 fans.
May 19th, 2008
ohh yes siry,they get paid by M$ to make fake videos trailers and in other sites they show the ps3 looks better and i got both sytems and ps3 is actualy better,
May 19th, 2008
BRad
your actually wrong.
May 19th, 2008
kevin people have more ps3 in the world than 360s,so please shut up.
May 19th, 2008
haha Kevin.
biach, can you please pass the doobie? You’re obviously high if you think that.
Ivan_PSP…. you’re a douche. haha
May 19th, 2008
what do you mean Im wrong, goto that site look on the forum, PS3 forum more than double the users in the Xbox 360 forum or the Wii forum.
Gametrailers is PS3 territory as far as users are concerned.
May 19th, 2008
yea but that doesnt mean sony owns this,this people just join the forums just like any forum and there are more PS3 users than 360 users in the world.
May 19th, 2008
retard,stay in school kiD.
May 19th, 2008
Maybe there are more PS3 owners in the forums because there aren’t as many good games out yet on that platform? I.e they have more time on their hands to go on the internet, whereas the 360 owners are playing their games?
Or maybe a lot 360 owners don’t feel the need to go onto forums and defend their system.
Or maybe there aren’t as many 360 fanboys as there are PS3 fanboys?
Basing your assumption of how many PS3 vs 360 owners are on forum entries is assinine. Pure assinine.
May 19th, 2008
Well Gametrailers and the rest Xbox 360 fanboy crew can go to hell for all i care those website are dying by the second defunct site soon. PS3 will always be and have better games not just FPS like Xbox 360. I love when Xbox 360 owner get mad beside me obviously. I love my Xbox but not more than my PlayStations. My Gamertag Ivan PSP My PSN ID Ivan- ready to get own?
May 19th, 2008
A game site’s employees biased? Say it isn’t so! Want to learn more? Read Freakonomics.
Ivan, bitter much? Grow up and learn how to write English. You do a disservice to your fellow PS3 fans by sounding so idiotic.
May 20th, 2008
IGN just reviewed Haze and gave it a 4.5 out of 10.
“While their previous work was quite excellent, Haze is anything but, coming across as a middling, generic first-person shooter with bland visuals, a weak plot and laughable characters.”
May 20th, 2008
4.5? wow, Glad you brought that up winner, I’m definitely not gettting that game, looks like GTA4 and MGS4 will have to tie me over until summer.
May 20th, 2008
Gametrailers has just one guy running all review and reviewing the games also. So Gametrailers is just an Army of One. PLAYSTATION 3 users just go to the PlayStation we don’t bother with useless fanboy website. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots might not sell as well Grand Theft Auto IV did but it sure will be hell of a completion i will be getting my second PLAYSTATION 3 with that game bundle.
May 20th, 2008
Okay, where are all those fanboys that said Haze would be one of the PS3 “teh hotness” exclusives to rule the 360 later this year?
May 20th, 2008
BIACH - sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but apparently you didn’t get the memo. The ps3 is in faaar last place, way behind the 360 in sales. just fyi so you don’t make another ill informed post.
May 20th, 2008
wow…. the ps3 owners REALLY needed Haze to be something special. one more bites the dust.
May 20th, 2008
damn… didnt think Haze would get this bad a review… Im gonna try to get my stupid friend to buy it.. so I can save up for my MGS 4…
May 20th, 2008
darkwhitehair, is your friend Ivan_PSP?
May 20th, 2008
biach?
May 20th, 2008
@ Carl, here’s my appraisal of the situation:
Ivan = rabid Sony Fanboy
kevin = rabid Microsoft Fanboy
biach = Fakeboy
dwh = one confused person if you check their posts from previous articles.
May 20th, 2008
LMFAO @ OWNS ALL 3.
I own all this:
5 PS1
6 PS2
3 PSP
1 PS3
3 Xbox 1
1 Xbox 360
3 PC
1 Dreamcast
So call me a fanboy like i care that’s why i play LIVE GTA IV every week day for 8 hours non stop. And Resistance the remaining hours with Warhawk. All i know everything i said is %100 you beleive what you want to like i care WTF you think or said…
May 20th, 2008
dammit OWNs… you didnt get my “Kevin-isms” and “Fat Hillbilly-isms” and “Stupid nerdy PS3 fanboy terrorist-ism” from my previous posts… oh well…
Damn Ivan… if you own all those… then where do you get the time to log into this site and argue with Kevin all day??
Why 5 PS1s and 6PS2s?? was my prophecy of “Japanese Anti-American Ring of Hideo Kojima Death” true??
May 20th, 2008
will you be my friend Carl?? First I need your credit card number… social security number… and a urine sample…
May 20th, 2008
oa3 - fanboy? me? what have i said that isn’t true? ps3 fanboys lie every day. just ONE thing i’ve said that’s untrue. thanks.
it’s sad when someone speaking from facts, data and history is labeled a “fanboy”. i guess the ps3 is more trouble thqn i thought.
May 20th, 2008
@ Carl
‘darkwhitehair, is your friend Ivan_PSP?’
Haha nice one. I don’t think Ivan_PSP has any friends though.
May 20th, 2008
Gamespot wasn’t as brutal as IGN, it gave it 6.0.
May 20th, 2008
LoL, Don’t get mad cuzz you don’t have what i have. I bet you the one in need of a friend definitely not me.
May 21st, 2008
kevin
why you say crap?
everybody know ps3 is doing better in the world,why would people trust M$ shitty devices.
USA buys the 360 cuz they just dont want to let there country down,but still ps3 is kicking 360’s ass in hte USA lately.
IT TRUE U DUMB KID.
May 21st, 2008
Finaly some one that understands what I’m saying Xbox 360 sucks i just got my first Red Light of Death today it got fixed but until when? PS3 was my best choice no fear of my system ever dying feels good. Kevin just STF^ Noob amateur…
May 21st, 2008
Ivan,
I seem to remember you saying something about getting your “first” RRoD months ago on another forum somewhere out there in the internet.
How many “firsts” can you have?
-Arvis
May 21st, 2008
Depends on how well you did in high school, let alone with the barely legal set.
May 21st, 2008
Carl,
Was… was that a DIRTY joke? *shock* *awe*
Wow. You’re usually so cut and dry. I always pictured you as a slightly balding 30-something with modest eyeglasses, a lovely wife, and at least two kids. Now… now I don’t know WHAT to think…
-Arvis
May 21st, 2008
I must be going blind. I thought you asked Ivan how many fists he could take.
June 11th, 2008
Arvis:
You a fvck!ng lier get a life loser…