IMHO, this will hurt SRAM in the longer term. The end effect will be making SRAM much more expensive to the DIY crowd and to custom builders. If Shimano follows suit, then they are only helping SRAM, and leaving an opening for Microshift to come in below, and perhaps FSA with their forthcoming Electronic Groupset, or perhaps another player. Microshift is already increasingly showing up on spec sheets on the lower to midrange. So IHMO, very unlikely Shimano will follow. SRAM is shooting themselves in the foot with this policy.