Not everyone has a PC to game on (or likes to play on PC).  Are you really claiming that people WANT to pay for online gaming?      

As a full Nintendo supporter I do wish they would introduce a plus type subscription service for free games each month. But I do think the subscription requirement for online is insane and very anti-consumer. You already pay your electric bill, your internet bill, the system itself, the game itself and your Netflix and. Until recently you had to pay more to watch the Netflix you already paid for. Not to mention the marketplaces are filled with non gaming ads. Thank you NFL I know its football season no need to shove it down my throat with ads. I will be playing all the big games this generation on PC where the amount of additional fees are less.

But it wasn't "free" before... as i stated in my post, it never really was save for the PS2 (which required you to spend another $100 for the broadband adapter if you did want to play online, and another $100 for the HDD + subscription fee on top of that if you wanted to play FFXI).  And if M$ were just being greedy and charging for online because they can and Sony is so great and noble to the gaming community, then why did Sony switch to a subscription based paywall for online gaming this gen for the PS4 when it had been free for the previous two generations?

Answer:  Because maintaining a proprietary online network infrastructure IS F'ING EXPENSIVE!!!

But I know I know... it should be free.  Just like everything else in life.  And we shouldn't be paying $60 a game either, and all DLC should be included in our initial purchases instead of costing extra.

Well no one is forcing anyone to play online in the first place. If you're online gaming its because you want to play online. Nothing wrong with playing single player or local co-op.

Yes, I know that nintendo's online ecosystem is clearly lacking alot when compared to sony and microsoft. But you know what, it offers enough, it offers a means to play online with friends and strangers alike easily. That's what many people want. I don't care about being able to browse the web for free, deals on dlc's and so on. Why do you think that Microsoft and sony allow you to do that but not play online for free. It's because that's what's important to consumers.

1. The ps2 slim which was a released in 2004 did not need the broadband adapter.

2. In my first post I already had an answer to your last sentence in the first paragraph.

3. You honestly think that mantaining an online network infratructure is alot for a compony worth billions.

4. I never said anything about games,I'm talking about something which was free and now costs money. Dlc's are fine if they don't start becoming a need for games which at this rate mark my words is gonna happean.

I almost never play online and I've been paying for PS+ for about two years now. I find the value to be worth well over the subscription price and I would continue to subscribe even if it had nothing to do with playing online. That value is why PS+ membership was rising well before the PS4 was released.

As for paying for "online", it's going to be interesting to watch Nintendo's long-term strategy. Games keep getting bigger, which means the related costs for online games will continue to rise. Obviously, maintaining a high quality network means a hell of a lot more investment than when video-game consoles were just unconnected boxes. I'm sure Sony realized that the overhead from this will only continue to grow, thus leaving them with dwindling profit margins, as the consumer price for games has remained the same.

As I see it, Nintendo's possible routes are, A) build a high-quality network with free access and eat the rising overhead costs themselves, B) build a high-quality network and charge extra in some shape or form, 3) continue forward with a bare-bones network while attempting to de-emphasis online play. The last one seems to be their chosen path but I'm not sure it's going to meet the needs of the future all that well.

The money from subscribers pays for all of that stuff. Including monthly software updates, stability, dedicated servers and the ability to give out several free games every month.

Right, that was the original point.  People WANT to play online.  They NEED to pay for the access (on consoles).  The fee is a requirement, it's not something gamers desire.  Anyone arguing that gamers want to pay fees, simply because they are willing to pay them, is deluding themselves.

People paid for PS+ before it was even required for online so yeah I'd say they want to pay the fees if it gives them all the things I mentioned in the post above.