What many people are also overlooking is that while a gap of $18 at console launch doesn't leave much profit margin, over the length of the console's life they

What many people are also overlooking is that while a gap of $18 at console launch doesn't leave much profit margin, over the length of the console's life they may become much cheaper (more profitable) to produce and sell, so maybe they are offering a future-adjusted-yet-still-profitable-if-all-goes-according-to-plan price point?