This is the question posed by the lengthy Ars editorial. The author opens it up with the angle on the current console race and how it differs from generations in the past. The big difference this time is, of course, the medium and formats.But the big picture here is simple: should Sony have made their Blu-ray component an option for the PS3? Much in the same way Microsoft planned to make HD-DVD an add-on to the Xbox 360, Sony could have gotten away with doing the exact same with Blu-ray. Costs would have been lower and delays would have been shorter.
We all know how hard they're pushing for the adopting of the format though, so that would have essentially changed the console's very strategy. The article also suggests that by bundling the player with the system, Sony could have secured a spot in the future with stronger sales. But the issue rears its ugly head when faced with the reality that time will be the only way to tell if that move will pay off. Read on for more, including a hypothetical analysis of how much the PS3 would be without it.
