Micrsoft/Sony could give out Xbox One/PS4 units for free and make money on them in the long term.

-The 40 dollars a year subscription would match the full price of the console in a matter of years

-Imagine if there are 500 million+ systems out there given out for free instead of the ~ 35 million expensive systems out there this gen. Imagine how many more games and subscriptions would be sold!

-if PS4/Xbox One were free people would have 350-400 more money to spend on games/downloads so the money will be made up in another way

-Like comcast tv boxes, devices can be given out for free and result in huge profits through subscriptions.

-Devs would love this as there will be a much larger userbase to sell to.

-More devs = more games = more competition = better quality games!

Videogame systems should be free!

No...considering piracy it's possible that people wouldn't pay a dime for their habit. Also, how much are they going to charge for hard drives, extra controllers, power cables you lose, etc. And, btw, comcast boxes aren't free. They charge a surcharge and tax on your monthly bill.

I really am bothered by a generation raised to believe that they are entitled to everything.  The value of creativity has dropped.  You see this when playing music.  People have so much access to whatever that they fail to realize the practice, skill, and heart that goes into constructing art. Sad days.

Free, god no. But on a subscription plan like mobile phones, sure.

No, I don't like this model..

Now you don't really even own the console since if you don't play for your subscription, you can't play it. I see is as a type of DRM for consoles... :/

Not so sure if this would work as well as you think. Not everyone likes the subscription on PS4/Xbox ONE; I know a few guys who refuse to buy such a console just because of this and prefer playing on PC instead.

Also, 40$ a year would be too low to finance a console. That would mean at least 10 years just to finance the consoles of early adopters, and that's if the console is not very low power/tech. A price of 80-100$ a year would be much more realistic, but that price would probably drive most non-core gamers away

No.

Um, no. They would sooner exit the console market, than just give them away.

If that's the case then cell phones, computers, TVs should be free too.

Technically there's already Playstation Now which in a sense you don't need to buy a system.

They would try to gouge more money out of us than they already do in games with DLC, subscriptions and microtransactions. I rather just buy the console and buy my games then be done with anymore expenses if I want.

One word. Repo work aint cheap. And its not viable.