"I find it hard to believe that anybody actually thought that Microsoft was going to build a console with a built-in PR disaster"

Gaming sites have been in a feedback loop of rumor and fanboi/gurlism ever since the new consoles were announced.

Granted, after the EA DRM debacles I can have some sympathy for the fears, but people have been taking rumor VERY seriously and it's made for poor entertainment and shoddy journalism.