.

As long as its optional, no problem. But I think sub based gaming could actually take over traditional gaming(buy a console at ONE price in the beginning). It's similar to why things are priced at $399 or $299 instead of $400 OR $300...to make you think that your getting a better deal. If people haven't bitched about this before, don't see why people are bitching now. Thats what companies do, trick you into buying something. This is the way its been for ages.

Know this will only be taken as a fanboy comment, but is XBL truly optional when many popular games require online? And the whole point over the $99 Xbox is that its has a two year subscription contract.

At one point everyone was making subscription based MMO for the very reason they created a consistent stream of income. That many are F2P is largely only because there are so many of them.

The warranty scheme Gamestop and many department stores were running a while back, that at one time gift cards had expiration dates, should say that like most, if a company can get money for nothing, it'll at least try while giving no option to the sucker willing to fall for it.

I think the "fear" is that if Microsoft is successful with this model...then it will be the ONLY option to buy a console. This would mean that everyone would have to pay a small premium long term(for the $99 360 deal, your paying $50 extra than you would have if you purchased a 360/Kinect bundle normally)

But then again, if the 720 and PS4 follow this model and ONLY this model...how would you know your getting ripped off? Everyones in the same boat.

The only difference would be that Sony and Microsoft would be able to capture the market of consumers that won't spend anything over $200 for a console. Personally, I'd do it for the PS4. For $15 a month(including PS Plus membership), I'll do it.

I think a lot of people will. There are a lot of people out there that can't save up to slap down $300 right off the bat. Plus it's only $50 more than what it would cost if you paid for the Xbox bundle and 2 years of XBLG anyway ($299 + $120).

And because its a cost as applied over two years that many will. Just as some wont even see that.

More to the point will people be looking at the HDD, which I guess is also $99, and not consider it because of its price. Will those people also be looking more at the used game market since they sure as heck wont be downloading anything w/o a HDD.

As I keep saying, some people are going to buy this thinking of it only as a toy for their kids, not really thinking at all which will lead them towards spending more to keep their kids happy, or they're on the South end of the poverty line, might have cable but no internet, and think this will give them internet access.

BinaryMind, it would be pretty much the same if you put it on your creditcard. MS just replacing that part.

Underrated comment. I used to hate that game so much that any time my siblings asked me to play it, I just picked Hom and shut myself down mid-match.