Microsoft’s decision to stop charging for "premium" online features in Games for Windows - Live titles, including cross-platform gameplay, appears to have enabled Xbox Live Silver members to play cross-platform online games for free.

According to numerous user reports on the official Xbox forums, it appears that Silver Xbox Live members - who don’t usually have access to free online gaming - can now play cross-platform titles including Shadowrun, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition and Universe at War: Earth Assault for free over Xbox Live.

Some forum users are even claiming that free online gaming isn’t restricted to cross-platform titles – two posts suggest XBL Silver members can now also play unranked matches for free on games including Halo 3.

The news is somewhat muddied by the fact that Microsoft offered free online gaming to all Xbox Live subscribers over the weekend as part of its Live Weekend initiative, but reports that Silver XBL members were playing online for free both before and since the weekend appear to indicate there’s something more to this story – is this perhaps the beginning of a free Xbox Live service, or could it just be some sort of knock-on-effect from the dropping of Games for Windows – Live charges?

We’ve contacted Microsoft for comment.