The unfortunate part is that what the journalists got to see was undoubtedly better than what we got to see, simply because they could see the screen while we had to look at the bloody audience. From an outside perspective, I think it would have been MUCH better if the camera direction hadn't sucked.
But, yeah, right now we're seeing something which has taken everyone by surprise, which is that Sony seems to have their act completely together. They're not making major mistakes, they're listening to developers and gamers, and they aren't just focused on Activision and EA like in years past. I don't think anyone really envisioned things turning out this way, not after the PS3 launch. The key, in my opinion, is that they've finally got guys in charge who care about and understand gaming. Having Yoshida and Cerny in charge of software and hardware, respectively, has made all the difference in the world.
The other surprise is Microsoft. I think everyone, including myself, expected them to be locked-in and prepared, ready to launch a blitzkrieg at Sony that might change the face of gaming. Instead, though they've actually improved the most important aspect of their product, namely their gaming properties, they've made PR and policy mistakes one after another. It's been something of a shock, to be honest.
Did anyone seriously expect Playstation leadership to beat Xbox leadership (to this point)? I'm betting that the upper level management at Microsoft isn't really happy about how things have gone down. Mattrick left at a good time. There have been too many screw-ups. My guess is that after the turmoil of launch is over, there will be changes made.
