I have considered it and may end up doing that, as it would be less expensive than buying an extra copy of the game or inducing a friend to purchase another copy.

Yeah, I'm not opposed to bonus levels per se. And I don't mind certain items being hard to get (like the FFXII Zodiac Spear). I mean it's great if you have local friends with the game already. But it's tougher for those that don't.