I want to bring to light one factor that is almost never considered in screen shot comparisons: The source image format and compression.
All SDK's and debut units have a built in image capture system for publishers to send out screenshots. Nintendo was notorious for using an image capture system that automatically compressed the hell out of the images. They did this because print media and early online media needed the lower resolution and small file size images.
Sony's SDK's and debug kits didn't have a built in file compression system.
MS took it one step further by having the Xbox SDK and debug unit output in their proprietary .bmp format. So images were pristine.
But because of the latter two systems looking so clear, it also made graphic flaws very obvious. Publishers began touching up the images to hide those flaws and that eventually lead to the "bullshots" problem.
So anytime you compare pre-Wii U (they finally fixed the issue even though most publishers started using their own direct video feeds to grab screenshots with the Wii) screens with competitor systems, you may not only be getting a comparison of bullshots, as most of us are already familiar with, but a comparison of image file types and compression systems.
The rEVOLution is not being televised
