Yeah, the start of the new gen was probably the gnarliest of all time in terms of scandal and outrage etc.
When 360 and PS3 launched we didn't have social media connected to EVERYTHING, journos tweeting from trade shows and press conferences, trying to out hyperbole each other. Every damn crappy rumour has started a Twitter shitstorm and the worst knee jerk reactions.
I think its become endemic to all news media on the internet, not just gaming. Every scandal and story needs to be bigger and more explosive than the last, to get peoples attention. Truly a symptom of the Information Age.