This is the first step to divide the market into hardware clients and software clients.
Of course for now it will be just about PS3 games, so PS3 is the only platform that could be damaged (sales wise) by such move. But this will encourage some people (even if it's only a small niche) to stop buying consoles and to become "software-only" clients.
But there is a trick here. Some gamers will become a hybrid of these 2 type of clients I've just described. They will buy a Nintendo or an Xbox (hardware clients of either of them) and they will also buy PlayStation games (Sony's software clients). Ultimately, this 3rd niche can be as big as WiiU + XOne sales and eventually PC gamers will join too. And, since software is the profit maker for everyone now, Sony seems to be doing the right thing.
However, I'm still thinking about whether this will make them 3rd-party and lose the relevance they have at the console business in the long-term.
Prediction made in 14/01/2014 for 31/12/2020: PS4: 100M XOne: 70M WiiU: 25M
Prediction made in 01/04/2016 for 31/12/2020: PS4: 100M XOne: 50M WiiU: 18M
Prediction made in 15/04/2017 for 31/12/2020: PS4: 90M XOne: 40M WiiU: 15M Switch: 20M
Prediction made in 24/03/2018 for 31/12/2020: PS4: 110M XOne: 50M WiiU: 14M Switch: 65M
