Sony promotes GTA4 as 'meant to be played on the PS3' [update]
[Update 10:25PM: The PS3-promoting message on the Amazon site has been changed to the more neutral "Experience Grand Theft Auto IV on the PS3." This matches the Xbox 360-promoting message almost exactly.]
[Update 7:36PM: Amazon PR Manager Tammy Hovey confirmed to Joystiq that the Sony wording was in fact "a campaign paid for by Sony" and that Microsoft will be "doing something similar next week." Stay tuned ...]
Video game retailers don't often take explicit sides in the console wars, and why should they? A retailer makes largely the same money selling a copy of a PS3 game as selling the same game on the Xbox 360. So it struck us as a little odd that Amazon is currently promoting the questionable proposition that Grand Theft Auto IV is "meant to be played on the PS3" on the front page of its Video Games section.
To be fair, the page does seem to randomly toggle between the PS3 message and an entreaty to "Experience Grand Theft Auto on Xbox 360" with reloads. But this still leaves the question as to why Sony's system is the one that the game is "meant to be played on." Is this an effort by Amazon to boost sales of the PS3 version of the game? A promotional consideration purchased by Sony? The work of an overzealous Amazon database jockey? We're not sure, but we'll let you know if and when we find out. [See update above for the answer.]
Regardless of why Amazon printed the quote, the question remains: Is it true? While Rockstar's Dan Houser did say last year that the Xbox 360 was creating "limitations" for the game, Rockstar's Jeronimo Barrera said the PS3 was a "contributing factor" in the game's delay. Regardless, most Joystiq readers say they'll be taking advantage of the Xbox 360 version 's Achievements and Xbox Live integration next week ... despite what Amazon says is "meant" to be.
