| kowenicki said: how stupid do you think people are? |
I think my OP answers that question. You can fool some (enough) of the people all of the time... The mere existence of a "console war" in the minds of many also answers your question.
Let's not get bogged down in the logistical detail too much. Sony sells the PS3 to retailers for the "base price" and Sony takes all the PSN subscription money for itself (i.e. Sony wears all the cost and inconvenience), whether the fee is paid through the PSN or at the time of purchase at the store. Sony incentivises retailers to sell at the full price (least hassle for Sony) by letting retailers keep some of the "PSN subscription fee" on consoles sold at full price.
Free PSN is only something PS3 devotees make a big deal of. It probably sounded like a major selling point for a console, and was probably necessary for such an expensive console. But I wonder how many people made their 360 or PS3 decision based on free PSN vs pay to play XBL. People are mostly price driven in terms of how much they need to pay today.
“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” - Bertrand Russell
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."
Jimi Hendrix
