The whole XBOX Live subscription system is a wonderful thing. Between the infrequent influxes of vaguely interesting demos, and the impossible amount of things Bill Gates forces you to pay for via his much prized, non-existent currency: Microsoft Points, you could be forgiven for thinking you were being overwhelmed with spoils. But then the thought adorns your brain like a rubber glove that this isn't, after all, why you're here. At the end of the day you can forgive the 360 team for their shortcomings because the true nature of XBOX Live is its community, and the allowance for building one; a social environment you can sprawl in. You pay for this service to play games online, be that with friends or not. XBOX Live Gold is your ticket to the chocolate factory, but what then happens when the Gold suddenly, tragically slips away?

Only a matter of weeks ago I lost touch with Gold, and was relegated to the realms of Silver. A harsh, cold place. A place that, with its sheer existence, taunts your every moment on the 360 Dashboard. You can see it all; the latest demos, videos, e.t.c., and all of the games your friends are busily hammering away at together... But that's all you're getting; a glimpse of that happiness that could well be yours, if only you weren't such a disgusting peasant! You are now a gaming leper. Sure, you may have had friends before, but they're gone now! You're now the infected, and they are the survivors. The circle has joined, and you're on the outside, so what now? I was left feverishly scurrying from site to site looking for some sort of access to this world, and fortunately I found a way. In what seemed like the 360 equivelant of dressing up like a police officer and following the force around I had acquired a 48-hour trial; you're a part of the team for now, Lou, but it's a matter of time before the truth catches up again.

Fortunately my brother rescued me from the depths of this inner turmoil and despair, buying me an XBOX Live Gold subscription for Christmas. No longer will I spend each night crouched in the bath tub, scrubbing my skin away with a steel scourer. I am now cured, and when confronting members of my friend list they no longer grimace with disgust. I hear everyone is welcome on PSN? Sounds beautiful, but right now it's more of a cult than a community. I'm waiting to see if PSN release a statement in encouragement of a mass suicide event, if they don't then I guess its safe to assume they're shooting for the right stars, and I may be swayed on a Playstation 3.