What happened to paying a reasonable fee for a console and then purchasing a game to play? Today gaming has become far more expensive. XBOX Live Gold fees, DLC, highly priced consoles, higher priced games, and expensive peripherals are all common expenses in today's gaming. Is it all really necessary? It just feels silly that in the previous generations, consoles started at $200 instead of $400, games weren't more then $50 at launch, and with only a couple of exceptions peripherals were not required. Wii-mote attachments, Kinect, Move, guitars, mics, drums, keyboards, turntables, keyboards, headsets, etc etc. I understand the benefits of a lot of these things but doesn't feel like developers are often making games that involve extra requirements for the whole package? 
  You don't have to play Gears of War online, but single player is only a small fraction of the game. So much work goes into the online that players on a tight paycheck may never get to enjoy despite paying the same amount for the game as everyone else. Sure Sony's system doesn't require online fees to play games which is better however this only applies to PS3 games. Furthermore if one wishes to communicate they require a headset which are very expensive. While DLC is a nice option, it makes the core game feel like its missing something. Sometimes the DLC is just unlock codes of content already on disc which was the controversy over Disgaea 3. 
  These are just some things to consider when looking forward to the future of gaming. What we purchase says a lot to the developers about what people are willing to pay for. Microsoft is increasing the price for Gold by $10. Many developers are producing DLC even before launch to be sold later at an added profit. Next time you see a game overpriced or ridiculous DLC or online fees, consider putting your money elsewhere. Maybe the money you save could go to a whole new game instead of shallow bonus content or enabling yourself to play online for a limited time.