Usually, and I’ll forgo the use of “we” and just talk to you directly this time, I make the Media Watch articles with a sense of sarcasm. Levels of comedy in order to poke fun of things most people would think would be somewhat idiotic to say. Mostly, a grain of salt is to be had on alot of the articles in Media Watch (even the one on Ars Technica had some humorous instances in it). This is not to trash a site, per se, but to show that an article isn’t as unbiased and as in-depth or as truthful (or as fair) as it may seem or how it should be. Usually, if you can laugh at it, it’s usually stupid enough to see that more work should’ve been done in each of those aforementioned areas.

But this is one of those rare instances that there is no room for humor. The one percent that the other ninety-nine excludes. That article that you try and try to find something that you can laugh at, but it’s too damaging, too bias, and too dangerous (and too revealing) to have anything funny about it at all. Ladies and gentlemen, Dblock of GameTrailers, a video editor, decided to write a blog that basically does this and then some.

First, the entire article, as it can be seen at http://dblock.gametrailers.com/gamepad/index.php?action=viewblog&id=399161, complete with the disclaimer that tries to clear GT of any wrong doing (it doesn’t, more on that in a minute):

Look, I’m sick of all the kerfluffle about how GT is biased towards 360 and how GT favors 360 and how GT hates on PS3. That ends now! The fact remains that 360 has just released better content than PS3. Period. See what I did there? I put a period after Period. That means conclusion; the end of discussion. The reason why GT gives 360 games better scores in the reviews is because the games are simply better experiences. The main reason for this–and it is often an overlooked and underestimated one–is because the 360 controller is a far superior gaming device than the Sony controller. This is to be said within the context that we are talking about influential, significant, market moving franchises–eg. Gears of War 2, Call of Duty, GTA 4, Halo 3 for crying out loud! Have you tried playing any of the previously mentioned multi-platformed titles on the PS3 with that awkward, unintuitive Sony controller? It simply cannot compete. The 360 controller’s design is sleeker, more form fitting, and lends itself to a much more instinctual gaming experience. That Sony controller has been around for how many years now? It’s time to update, reinvent, and innovate, and that’s exactly how Microsoft has managed to stay ahead of the curve. Killzone 2 promises to deliver, but I promise you all that it will deliver is a very awkward first person shooting escapade. I had posted a forum about this very topic and got reported for inciting a flamewar as they call it. Before the forum could evolve into a discussion it was taken down, but I did receive a very constructive critique about my thoughts from a fellow GT member who claimed that the PS3’s D-pad was superior to the 360’s, especially in fighter games, to which I give him credit and agreement. However, this goes without noting that I was focusing on major blockbuster titles like the Halos and the Gears and the Call of Duty’s; titles that move consoles and market share. Sony not only needs to update its controller, but it also needs to incorporate it with an enjoyable, story-driven exclusive franchise to rival the mind-blowing Microsoft heavyweights Gears of War and Halo franchises. Do this, and you shall live. Do it not, and every one of you will die today.

***DISCLAIMER, 11-21-08, 17:42

I am a video editor not a writer/editorial staff therefore the views expressed in this entry do not represent those of Gametrailers.com.

Never mind the fact that no one has PLAYED Halo 3 or GoW2 with a Sony controller because it is an EXCLUSIVE to the 360 (thus should’ve never been included with the multiplatform games), the only ones that I have ever seen complain about the Sony controller are fanboys that are looking for a reason to flame. Will the 360 feel more comfortable to some? Sure. Do they have every right to express it? Absolutely, just as much as people who prefer Sony’s controller have every right to express their own opinions. However, his reasoning for saying that his forum on the controller issue was taken down because it might start a flame war was awkward because, due to the fact that it WAS taken down, no one will know exactly what he tried to start, or what he said to get the conversation going. Probably the same thing that he was saying here, if not similar. It’s a wonder as to why he would bring that up NOW after the fact, since he knows no one can go about looking up what he exactly said, thus calling him for what he said, not the discussion he started (which is actually a very good subject to discuss).

He also brought up the GT member who said that the PS controller is superior in fighting games, and his response was that he was talking about major blockbuster titles LIKE Halo or GoW (which, again, are only for the 360, which make this puzzling that he mentioned this twice as if you could somehow use a PS3 controller for the 360). Why shouldn’t every game be considered, and why is this guy continuing to act like Halo and GoW2 are multiplatform games? This is highly unfair to the PS3 and the controller since the PS3 controller is not allowed to even ENTER into the contest there, much, MUCH less compete. Hell, the guy even went about saying, “This is to be said within the context that we are talking about influential, significant, market moving franchises–eg. Gears of War 2, Call of Duty, GTA 4, Halo 3 for crying out loud! Have you tried playing any of the previously mentioned multi-platformed titles on the PS3 with that awkward, unintuitive Sony controller? It simply cannot compete.” He can’t even figure out which of these are actually multiplatform games and which are actually exclusives to a certain system, so why should ANYONE entrust in his opinion if he can’t even get THAT right?  Or maybe he intentionally did that in the belief that every gamer that reads this won’t ever catch this and believe that it’s four games that the PS3 controller can actually be judged on instead of two, so he could throw two other titles out there to confuse people. Plus, keep in mind that the GTA series had been a PS2 exclusive through three separate games, thus such familiarity must be taken into account. Not saying that the final verdict would be any different because of this, but failure to add that into the equation is baffling.

But then comes the disgusting part. Here’s a guy that is a video editor for GT. He has the word “staff” to the side of that sidebar right above the blog, meaning that GT recognizes him as officially a part of the site. Thus, he has the ability to make a video go however he desires. Now, he had made the disclaimer (as you saw). However, the following two lines in this just kill this feeble attempt:

Look, I’m sick of all the kerfluffle about how GT is biased towards 360 and how GT favors 360 and how GT hates on PS3. That ends now! The fact remains that 360 has just released better content than PS3. Period. See what I did there? I put a period after Period. That means conclusion; the end of discussion. The reason why GT gives 360 games better scores in the reviews is because the games are simply better experiences.

However, this goes without noting that I was focusing on major blockbuster titles like the Halos and the Gears and the Call of Duty’s; titles that move consoles and market share. Sony not only needs to update its controller, but it also needs to incorporate it with an enjoyable, story-driven exclusive franchise to rival the mind-blowing Microsof
t heavyweights Gears of War and Halo franchises. Do this, and you shall live. Do it not, and every one of you will die today.

Never mind that one of the Sony-exclusives is Metal Gear Solid 4, which some people complain about that being an “interactive movie”, which already fails his feeble point. But to this issue: This was kind of blunt and really blasting Sony. The guy has the right to his opinion. However, he made it seem as if this opinion WAS shared among alot of the GT staff, and the disclaimer was more of a CYA (cover your ass) move. If this guy is a part of the staff (he is), he has enough power to:

• Edit any video in order to provide the viewpoint that he sees fits his own in which videos are the center point of the site (hence their name of “Game TRAILERS”), even if the video would’ve otherwise not giving any viewpoint at all.
• Persuade other GT staff to make opinions based upon his own opinions stated here.

As a STAFF of GT, regardless of whether or not what position he holds, he must display a sense of responsibility when posting things like this, especially when he gets some things wrong in which he should’ve never got wrong, and get people to believe that certain games were multiplatform when they weren’t. If this is something that he has done here, what’s stopping him from doing similar acts in other areas that may prove harmful to GT and it’s reputation.

Now, does this mean I’m only going after him because he provided a pro-360/anti-PS3 viewpoint? Of course not. This is an issue that transcends any brand-loyalty, fanboyism, other opinions, anything. Personally, I believe that, based upon it’s handling in Metroid Prime 3, the Nintendo Wii controller can trump both in first person shooters (which is what 3/4ths of the games Dblock mentioned were). Metroid Prime 3, with the way it used the nunchuck and the remote to perfection, made me not want to go back to the Gamecube Metroid Primes because I was too spoiled with how perfect Prime 3 was in that aspect, and I wish those that have first person shooters would look at how easy it was to control Samus in that game and go on that template when and if they support the Wii for that genre. However, that is only my opinion, and I’m sure you have your own opinions on the subject. GTA4, I do think, is better on the Sony controller because I’m more familiar with the controller scheme of that particular controller when it came to past GTA games. Whether or not one controller style would fit above another is, to me, on a case by case, game by game basis.

However, while my opinion is clearly listed as my own, Dblocks isn’t, and he words it in such a way that he KNOWS that GT thought the same way as he did, which projects his own views onto everyone there. This was highly irresponsible, and GT should act immediately to make sure this won’t be viewed the same as the Kane & Lynch Gamespot issue. I don’t want to see anyone get fired, but I wouldn’t blame GT if they did such to this guy here.