What if Sony had released Playstation 3 without a Blu-Ray Player

[Reasonable]

markers said:
where would all the $ spent on R&D for blu-ray have gone to (money hatting i would assume)? or would be see add-on style blu-ray for the ps3?

Assuming PS3 launched with only DVD then I assume add-on.  Given the likely uptake for a much cheaper PS3 early on, you do wonder whether a core unti with DVD and BR as an add-on wouldn't have enabled them to get both much higher PS3 sales and help BR (although not as much as with it mandatory I guess).

I do kind of admire Sony for taking such a flat out crazy risk as sticking BR in PS3 as standard, even though its surely cost them 10 Million plus PS3 sales so far (if not more) and enabled 360 to gain enough traction and install base to remain firmly in 2nd place.