This isn't anything new to be fair. Marketing books from the early 1900s talk about the strategy of attracting your flock of customers with a product but then cutting costs by offering a substandard product after you've created a reputation with the initial quality product.
It's like the Lord of the Rings.... the power of the ring (greed in the system) is too powerful for most (companies) to bare. The world needs more Frodos.
