This is my feeling as well. The console shenanigans feel odd to me simply because it feels like it should already be there. There is a coolness to it, though, since it clearly demonstrates how effectively the interface can be modded from just a "simple" command.
No doubt there are perfectly reasonable business explanations for why Sublime doesn't ship with it, but I wouldn't consider upgrading from 2 until 3 was supported.
Anecdote on why the console code is bad and good: by coincidence this afternoon I decided to try ST3, and before using it spent about an hour trying to get Package Control working via the git repo route [1] (Sublime was already inside a local repo, so I had to RTFM git submodule stuff to appease the git_binary error); that went... poorly. I [ab]use Git's functionality, but don't grok it's inner workings well enough to feel like I can use submodules without contaminating the super repo, and eventually gave up when I accidentally came across the page that has the new command [2]. Bam it's working without trouble (after modifying it for the corporate proxy). Like magic it just worked, which was awesome, but silly that something so useful would have any barrier to entry at all.
TL;DR: Package Control is an essential element of the joy of Sublime Text, so it's a little mystifying why it's not just built in.
The idea of bundling Package Control with Sublime Text has been proposed many times, and more than once directly to Jon. If I recall correctly, I don't think he replied directly to the suggestion.
My guess is that he would prefer to keep them separate for support purposes. If they are bundled then users may have the expectation that Sublime HQ Pty Ltd will support it.
No doubt there are perfectly reasonable business explanations for why Sublime doesn't ship with it, but I wouldn't consider upgrading from 2 until 3 was supported.
Anecdote on why the console code is bad and good: by coincidence this afternoon I decided to try ST3, and before using it spent about an hour trying to get Package Control working via the git repo route [1] (Sublime was already inside a local repo, so I had to RTFM git submodule stuff to appease the git_binary error); that went... poorly. I [ab]use Git's functionality, but don't grok it's inner workings well enough to feel like I can use submodules without contaminating the super repo, and eventually gave up when I accidentally came across the page that has the new command [2]. Bam it's working without trouble (after modifying it for the corporate proxy). Like magic it just worked, which was awesome, but silly that something so useful would have any barrier to entry at all.
TL;DR: Package Control is an essential element of the joy of Sublime Text, so it's a little mystifying why it's not just built in.
[1] I can't find the page at the moment. Hopefully I haven't simply hallucinated it somehow. [2] https://sublime.wbond.net/installation