So an online multiplayer game is only meaningfully playable when online servers are available. When official servers go offline console versions of games die and become unplayable. Therefore when you buy a console version of a online MP only game you are buying a game that will become unplayable as and when the publisher decides to take servers offline.

PC versions typically have the benefit of such games being playable on a LAN or even on private servers. And with recent regulatory decisions about jailbreaking games being legal and fair practice PC version of online MP only games have a theoretical unlimited lifespan.

So, when a console server is about to go off line should owners of the console version of a game have to option of getting afree copy of the PC version so as to be able to continue to play the game after the official support for the game has ended?

The phenomenon of online MP only games is becomming part of the mainstream, and while this is a legitimate market segment if the industry can find enough willing buyers, there are risks of publishers shafting consumers of long term value with these games. Perhaps it's better for these games to be pay as you play or subscriptionbased streaming games than traditional $60 pay up front games.

Would definitely be nice to have, but I don't really see why companies would bother doing this..

Definitely would please customers, but that means you are basically giving out 2 games for the price of 1..

At the very least it would be cool if they could switch us over to p2p when they want to nuke a server on an old game.