If not for MMORPG's my PC would probably never get used for gaming.. I got Bioshock on both the PC and 360 and while the graphics on the PC were remarkably better than the 360 it wasnt enough to get me to play on the PC.. I dunno.. hunching over my keyboard and mouse looking at a 30" screen just isn't "immersing"(?) enough for me.. I'd rather sit on my couch with just a joypad and play on my 50" Plasma.. The graphics on the 360 are good enough to get the point across..

I think what sealed it was playing on my PC I found the Xbox Controller to be better playing it.. so at that point I figured whats the point?

CONFORM.

That's about the last hurdle though, isn't it?

I know for me that if I have a choice, I'll pick the console version over the PC version any day of the week... unless it's an RTS or MMO.

What interests me is some of the input creativity coming out of the console industry lately (take the wiimote for example). I really think it's just a matter of time until someone decides to solve the console RTS/FPS/MMO control problem for good. If we can invent a control scheme that makes the console versions just as robust and easy to play as the PC versions, I believe that will be the beginning of the end for PC gaming.

Very well put. I nearly went ahead and bought a 360 for Bioshock, and after one of the new components was DOA, I even regretted not going the 360 route. But the real decision maker was that Civ 4, Dawn of War or Company of Heroes aren't available on the 360. So if I have to choose one and not both, then it remains the PC.

Good topic. Recently I faced the choice of whether or not to get a new PC that could handle the latest games and if GameGuru hadn't put one of his 'older' computers up on the trading post, I might have abandoned PC gaming already. The strength of the PC (as Parallax mentioned) are its niche genres and MMOs for now. I don't think we'll ever see genres like realistic flight sims or detailed turn based strategy games on consoles (not necessarily for technical reasons but the audience isn't there.)

Also, while consoles have a good selection of games, PCs have a lot more when you consider the fact that it's much easier to develop and distribute games on the PC hence the indy market.

When my new computer is technologically obsolete, I really don't know if I'll get another or just... conform.

EDIT: I grew up as a PC gamer, from TRS-80 on, and never owned a console before I got a 360.

Well, there's not much difference between a console and a PC these days except locking you into the hardware and nickel and diming you.

There's no good reason for the 360 to not support keyboard and mouse - like the PS3 does - except that MS hasn't come out with an xbox branded wireless mouse+keyboard...

I'm fine with PC gaming and for customisability (of a game) you still can't touch it... console gaming is also fine but in my country there generally aren't many large enough houses to comfortably stick a screen bigger than 30-40 inches in your living room and not have to get rid of other bits of furniture... plus you'd be sitting a little close...

There is a great reason. It keeps everyone on the same playing field which is important during multiplayer games. I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't want to worry about other people having a controller advantage. I like to leave that kinda stuff to my PC.

The 360 supports most USB keyboards but only for text entry and Media Center navigation.

I prefer the PC/vent combo to the 360/X-box Live combo, but I'm gradually softening my view on that because:

1) You now can play on a big screen HDTV that's also used in the family room for watching TV, so you don't have to feel guilty for pouring cash into a gaming monitor that only you will use

2) You can rent games and sell the ones you've played, which keeps costs down.

3) You don't have to worry about which freakin pixel shader your computer has when you see the big new game that everyone is talking about. You just go down to Blockbuster and rent it.

By "you," I mean me.

Problem solved!

I'm the exact opposite of TheGameguru (or should I say Madvillain ). I haven't bought a 360 because I barely ever played Xbox games. The 360 games I wanted to play have shown up or are going to show up on PC. I think the game that will get me to buy a 360 is Virtua Fighter 5 because I'm a sucker for that series (and also Madden since EA has abandoned the PC version). The upkeep thing with PCs does suck but I'm not the type to need to play the latest games at the present time with the highest options. I actually prefer playing games with the 360 controller on PC when possible. I'm using it for Bioshock right now.

Gumbie, I'm with you entirely. If they can figure out a way to get strategy games like Civ work on a console, then my PC experience will be limited to using its browser and making it a server.

Which is exactly why someone needs to put some serious thought into another control scheme that allows the ease of use of a mouse/kb but without the bulk. With all the brilliant hardware designers in the world, someone has got to be able to come up with something better... right?

I'll consider ditching the PC when I can play Civilization, Command & Conquer, Dwarf Fortress, Silent Storm, and Fallout style games on a console and have the same great experiences.

I may be ready to make the switch, especially if I delay upgrading any longer, but my current rig was just good enough to run Oblivion. It currently runs S.T.A.L.K.E.R., and if I'm lucky it will run Bioshock and I can put off deciding until the next killer app comes by.

I find it interesting that so many site 'upgrade fatigue' as a reason they switched over to consoles. I've always thought of upgrading my PC being no different than buying a new console (its usually time to upgrade when I can't play the majority of games smoothly, usually a 3-4 year cycle). Perhaps the difference is that I build my PCs, so its not as expensive as getting a whole new system, and I actually enjoy the process. My friends and I have something of a PC arms race...trying to see who has the best rig after our update cycle.

As far as sitting on a couch versus being at my desk, there is just a certain level of involvement when I am playing in front of my PC that I just don't get on the couch. I can't imagine not playing Bioshock glued to my monitor, or any other FPS, or RPG, or RTS. The games that I play almost demand that I experience them in this way. The couch just seems...to far away.

I stopped playing primarily on consoles when I saw one PC game: X-Wing. I saw nothing at the time that was comparable on the generation of consoles at that time. Even now, when the consoles are running quite evenly with PCs, I've seen nothing to switch me back, to show me that there is an experience on the consoles that is superior to what I play on PC.