I've written this blog in an attempt to rationalise my belief in online gaming.

Ok so my first taste of online gaming was with the PC. Back in 1994/5 when the internet first started in games. I played classics such as Age of Empires online. At the time i was paying for dial-up and the cost of online gaming was minimal. This is about the only time I've ever paid for online gaming.

And so the PS2 and GC came around. I refused to play them online because I knew it was only for 2-3 years when their network adaptor came out and by then I would only have a few years worth of play. The Xbox is a bit different and I'll talk about it later.

So you might assume that I'm tight and dont like to pay for online gaming. True, but I'm certainly not tight with money. I've got 200-300 games and every major console, I just dont wish to buy additional stuff for a small amount of online gaming. You may think I'm missing out, and I too certainly feel that. But thats what I choose to do.

By this time I became a regular of PC gaming. Always online, playing the like of Tiberium Sun, Battlefield, Medal of Honor, Age of Empires 2 etc. I didnt feel like I was missing out. Even now I dont feel that. I feel like I'm sensible, because I'm not stuck with a network adaptor that doesnt offer online gaming.

Now the Xbox. Yes their online system offers a wide variety of things, and they certainly allow you to buy games for free from them. But to play online? £40 a year. Now If i had been playing xbox games online from xbox to 360, I would have paid them £200 over 5 years. Yes £200. I know its obviously got the better online gaming system, but I dont feel thats right. Sure their losing money over xboxs breaking down, but surely with Halo 3 they can decrease that cost? Even if it was £10 a year I MIGHT be interested.

But then came along Nintendo and Sony. They saw sense. They saw how PC games had huge followings, and that online gaming should be free. I thank Nintendo for seeing this, as they allowed the DS to have a wireless connection. Even today I can sit in bed or the bath playing 42 All Time Classics. It may sound stupid but its not. Playing games online should be free. We have to pay monthly for broadband, so why cant we play any console on it?

The PSP, Wii and PS3 all saw sense in the online gaming revoultion. They saw that online gaming was meant to be FREE. Each of them had wireless, free to connect systems. Even today I can play these games and not worry about my financial situation. I firmly believe that when you pay for a system and games, thats it. You shouldnt have to pay more.

So I'm currently missing out on Xbox games. Or am i? Today I saw that Gears of War was finally going to be released on PC in early November. And it should be free to play on the pc. Yes thats right FREE. An amazing sight for gamers like me, who feel that Microsoft shouldnt put money on online gaming. I can finally play Gears of War online. That and several other games such as Halo 2, Lost Planet and maybe Bioshock soon.

Before I end this blog, I just wana say that i am a PSwii60 owner (yes I own all 3), so dont judge me as anti-xbox. The xbox has some great games. My deal against it is that online gaming should be free. You never know, Bill Gates might actually see that Xbox might make more money if it had free online gaming.