Homebrew Kit For PS3 Will Baffle Mainstream

Word is starting to circulate that the Sony PlayStation 3 will ship with "a functional Linux Operating System as well as compilers and other tools."  Opening the door for homebrew developers is a great thing and Sony should be encouraged for actually shipping these tools with the console.  However, it really confuses me as to why Sony would spend the money to put these tools on every PS3 that comes out of the factory.  Most mainstream consumers don't even know what "homebrew" means and even less know how to make use of the included tools.  Is it financially worth it to ship them to everyone instead of offering them separately for those who are interested?  Or is it just a talking point to slap on the box as something the competition doesn't offer?

Moreover, what does Sony hope to see happen by offering these tools?  If they're assuming people will make their own little simple games to run on the console then they may be sadly mistaken.  I can guarantee that within the first few weeks of release that we'll see plenty of classic console emulators and other kinds of software that Sony would rather we not create.  Time will tell how these tools are used in the mainstream, but in the meantime it's just plain odd for Sony to plan such a thing.  Still, as a knowledgeable consumer you gotta love homebrew opportunities.

(via Joystiq)