At least it's an option in order to get a cheaper console. If Sony followed the same strategy, maybe they'd sell more consoles (not that they're doing bad, just making a point). Saying the hard drive is a "tax" is discounting the greater options it gives to consumers.
It's ludicrous to sell a console without a hard drive these days, and it's ludicrous to buy one without a hard drive. Yeah, it's great to have a $200 price point instead of a $300 one, but the handicaps far outweigh the financial gains.
What i find hilarious is that Microsoft didn't offer an XBox without a hard drive, but they somehow thought it would be great to take a step backwards with the 360 and offer one. Obviously a money grab, and it worked, people buy these HD-less 360s in droves, and then a week later regret it because they can't use Netflix, disc load times suck, and online features are locked out because of the lack of a hard drive.
Great for Microsoft, tacky for the general public who didn't understand the limitations going in and then end up paying more than they would initially when they have to go out and pick up a hard drive for their 360 later.
Of course then you have the PS3, which always has a hard drive, but rarely comes with the option for a full Hard Drive install off of the disc. Valkyrie Chronicles is an AWESOME game and comes with an option right in the main menu to install the game to the HD. It should be a requirement for every PS3 game to offer the same thing.
The Wii? Well, what Nintendo couldn't or wouldn't do on their own the modding community came up with themselves, and loading a game off of the HD on the Wii is a good 4-5 times faster than loading off of the DVD.
Don't get me started on the Dreamcast!
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