Companies are in the business of making money. Hardware companies are in the business of making hardware that they sell to make money. All other decisions are based on how to maximize the money that is made. There are lots of marketing games that get played to make that happen.
One thing that continues to make me smile is the smartphone app ecosystem. The conversation goes something like this:
Customer: I just dropped big money on this smart device. Please give me a free app so I can get it to do something useful.
Vendor: No. I didn't make any money when you bought your smart thingy. You can buy my app.
Customer: Fine. I will go to some other vendor then.
Vendor: Here's your free app. Now please buy something from me so we can feed the people that made the app.
Customer: No. I already got your free app, which is excellent BTW, and found some cheaper thing that will work with it.
Vendor: Will you buy something from our "Going out of business" sale?
Customer: Nope. I can get it cheaper from the liquidator after you close your doors.
There's really no such thing as a free lunch. Somebody somewhere is getting screwed.
And that's why I roll my eyes at everyone who has cobbled together a "hack-MA" out of an MA node and a bunch of midi controllers.