Should Nintendo play the "free online" card?

[Scoobes]

NightDragon83 said:

Scoobes said:
They absolutely should. Keep improving their online system whilst marketing it as the only console where you can play all your games for free. If they get the new Call of Duty games then they should absolutely push the free online aspect with those games and maybe even have a Wii Sports type game for both online and offline play.

I'm still slightly annoyed Sony have decided to go with a pay to play online system for PS4, although the free games make it a bit easier to stomach.

The "pay for play" online system helps subsidize the costs of both the PS4 and running PSN.  This is why M$ charging for XBL from day 1 was a smart decision and one of the major reasons why the 360 has been so successful in the west.

Sony fans took pleasure in mocking Xbox gamers for paying to play online, but for most of the gen the 360 clearly had the superior online infrastructure, and in fact they still do if you put aside the deep Steam-like discounts offered by PSN Plus, which was only implemented in the first place as consolation for the PR disaster that resulted from the network getting hacked and millions of people having their personal info stolen.

I see it as uneccessary considering they would have gotten a great number of subscribers for PS+ by offering the great discounts (as on PS3), free games and Gaikai. That's a great value package, but unless every game is going to have dedicated servers, it leaves a sour taste. At least apps and free 2 play titles will be accessible to non-subscribers, but I still see it as wholly uneccessary.

Also, if Steam can be both profitable and free, what exactly have Valve done and why are both MS and Sony not managing to do it?