I think the "PSN+ vs XBLG" argument is pretty much the crux of what makes Playstation and Xbox fundamentally different: Parent Company business ethics.
Microsoft sets the precedent by demanding money for a service that was (and in some cases still is) free elsewhere.
Sony just basically follows suit with whatever's popular/succcessful (Move, PS Eye, PSN+) to make their stuff great
The key here is what appears to be the parent company's intentions. When Microsoft added Gold to their system back on the original Xbox, it was to nickel-and-dime us. Why else would they put shit behind pay walls and basically FORCE their users to pay for it? Sony, on the other hand, was just following suit. They saw that Microsoft 'got away with' selling a premium service, so they added PS+. Thing is, at least Sony seemed to have a bit of compassion for the consumer; why else would they give us free games? "Well, we want this money that Microsoft tapped into, but we think it's kinda shitty to force users to pay for online, so we're gonna make it worth their while by giving a bunch of free shit as well."
Don't kid yourself, both companies are greedy; they're businesses, not charities, but at least Sony seems to care about value and consumer relations, whereas microsoft basically says "Fuck you, pay it or enjoy your useless console that can't do any of the multimedia features without it."
Malice and Greed vs Compassion and greed.
My Console Library:
PS5, Switch, XSX
PS4, PS3, PS2, PS1, WiiU, Wii, GCN, N64 SNES, XBO, 360
3DS, DS, GBA, Vita, PSP, Android
