Gaming can be cheap or expensive considering how you go about it.

For me, I get a lot of games on release day, for purposes of avoiding spoilers and any kind of enjoyable pre order bonus.

I don't like the Idea of renting, but there are a lot of games out there I want to play.

I've also payed for all 3 of the current gen systems, a DS, a DS light, and a slim PSP.

I almost never have less then 10 games on pre-order, and I pick up games I still need to play that have been out for a while fairly often, ModNation Racers most recently.

It may not be the most expensive hobby, and there may be cheaper ways to go about it, but it can add up in price fairly fast depending on the circumstances.