If you have a job, online subscriptions aren't really a thing. I always like that people point the finger at Microsoft for this, but Sony also does this. Do people not complain about services like Hulu, Netflix, and Spotify because they've always been subscription based services? People also seem to fail to realize that these subscriptions come with perquisites. Microsoft's and Sony's services give users free games every month. You get other (meaningless bullshit to me) bonuses as well, but if you can't afford $60 a year ($25 in Nintendo's case), I have to wonder why you even put forth the money for the initial cost of the console.
Edit: "in a cardboard box"
Oops.