Why did I bother with the console this gen?

I'm afraid to turn on the 360 because it might burst into flames (I have an older one), all I got for the wii is shovelware, and the ps3 gets even worse support than the psp did. The console used to be a good way to play games on the couch with your friends but now that all of them are online, devs don't seem to bother with a 2p mode anymore and when it is added, it's usually really gimpy.

It's not like it's been all sunshine and roses for the PC: many devs ignoring it or making ports even worse than those for the ps3. We have drm, less mods and more (for pay) dlc, and other annoying complications. But at least my PC really does do everything.

I know many of you own a console as well as the PC: do you find any of the consoles to be even halfway decent? Do you plan on getting a console when the next gen rolls around?

I dont use my ps3 or xbox much these days for games, but there are some exclusives that I have enjoyed or love, such as FORZA series on xbox and I liked Heavy Rain alot on ps3. Ill get Gears3 when it comes out to, but as of right now they both seem to be used more for dvd player then games :P

PC on the other hand atm does about 80% of my gaming

We plan on getting a WiiU, my gf and I don't have a Wii, and we would have a decent backlog with it, not to mention the WiiU is supposed to have better 3rd party support. Also as well as most of the Nintendo backlog with the Virtual console.

We plan on getting a PS3, for some exclusives, both console exclusive, and those exclusive to the ps3, (as well as have a decent blu-ray player for our living room) Already a decent amount I can count that I am interested in, not to mention we can get used games online for a pretty decent price these days. (as well as take use of the Gamefly account we are already using for older consoles.)

We am also interestd in the 3ds.. I have never been into handhelds, but the 3ds intrigues me. (especially if it actually can be used in conjunction with the WiiU, when its all said and done)

I have owned many 360's, I will not own another! The most unreliable system. I use to love it.

We both have some decent gaming rigs as well, which we do most of our gaming on when the games we want are available on that platform! We are gamers, we will use whatever platform we need to play the games we want, as long as it isn't ridiculously overpriced or super unreliable!

I don't mean to bash or start some bs system wars, but you asked if we were planning on getting some and what for, so I answered.

The first and last console I bought was the Dreamcast and I sold it after a month to my brother. I have always been a PC gamer. Since my days back when I had a old BBC computer and a ZX Spectrum so I pretty much give all console generation a miss. BUT, I have played many console games on family and friends machines. I do find them entertaining but not a match for the PC and it's modding community.

The last console I owned was a Dreamcast, as well. I have always been a PC gamer, and the Dreamcast was the "social gaming system" I had around for when people were over.

But to me, the PC has always been the platform that allows the most freedom, depth, and consequently, the most immersion that can be had in a videogame. Console games are almost always "on rails", have simple mechanics, and little replay value. Because of this, I don't feel the new selling price of $49.99 (or more often than not nowadays, $59.99) is justified for what you get.

And then there's the matter of the controller being a crummy input device for anything other than side-scrolling platformers, fighting games, and some other 3-D action style games, and you get a platform that greatly limits the kind of gaming experience that a person can enjoy.

One of my greatest wishes is for more people to come (back?) to the PC games market so developers will once again take it seriously.

As far as gaming goes PC is deader than consoles imo, since the 7th gen on consoles came out PC only got a handful of games that are worth the "yearly-hardware-upgrade", and even those are just "old but better" games. Since the TC is talking about "annoying complications" i feel like sharing something, those 2 laptops on my cost me 2200EUR (3162USD) in april, little over a week ago i got limbo and guess what? It doesn't run........ and everything you can think about to make it work i already did, and i know i know, its a laptop and those mod gpus always bug out on half the stuff. Thanks ATI for those drivers by the way, i even get screen tearing on From Dust. Having all that said if i need to choose PC or a console for just games, i'm always gonna pick consoles, i always did since doom 2 and i think i'll always will, overall i'll pick my laptop over a console any day, but if it was just for games and nothing else gimme a console.Kane04

Well you could of just spent half the money from the Laptop for a REAL PC and all that Problems wouldn't exist.

I regret buying both PS3 and Xbox 360 and all those Games i haven't even touched or finished yet...

My Wii too is collecitng dust (as, I suspect, many Wiis are).

My PC get's 95% of my gaming time, with the other 5% going to my iPad.

And even from the couch, local co-op gaming is something I handle with PC's. I've a couple of wireless xbox 360 controllers, and I've got my main PC and my Home Theater PC (hooked up to my HDTV).

I can play Dirt 3 locally with my wife and we don't have to share a screen!

I tried going back to consoles for exclusives. Tried Kinect, tried FPS on the PS3, but I just couldn't do it. Using a gamepad on certian games is good - but being forced to use it in ALL games sucks!

Then there is the terrible graphics, and most importantly the terrible performance. I cna't play a game where I do a lot of turning around at less than 30 FPS. I get headaches.

As far as gaming goes PC is deader than consoles imo, since the 7th gen on consoles came out PC only got a handful of games that are worth the "yearly-hardware-upgrade", and even those are just "old but better" games. Since the TC is talking about "annoying complications" i feel like sharing something, those 2 laptops on my cost me 2200EUR (3162USD) in april, little over a week ago i got limbo and guess what? It doesn't run........ and everything you can think about to make it work i already did, and i know i know, its a laptop and those mod gpus always bug out on half the stuff. Thanks ATI for those drivers by the way, i even get screen tearing on From Dust. Having all that said if i need to choose PC or a console for just games, i'm always gonna pick consoles, i always did since doom 2 and i think i'll always will, overall i'll pick my laptop over a console any day, but if it was just for games and nothing else gimme a console.Kane04

Good point...almost.

That was the case last generation. Last gen, all my favorite games (GTAs, Burnouts, Katamaris) were on the ps2 and I could just pop the disc in and play. Simple as that.

Consoles used to be the uncomplicated way of playing games. But it's not quite as simple as that anymore. If you have the 360, you have to figure out if there's a manditory install and if you have drive space for it; and if you have an older 360 you have to make sure it's got lots of space. For many console releases, half of the content (sometimes all the content) is online multiplayer so you have to have your console hooked up...sometimes regardless of if you intend to play online. Then you may have to pay an additional fee to pay online depending on what console you have or (for many titles) if you bought the game used.

Then there's the actual games themselves. I was having problems with Fallout 3 on my PC but I did a little searching, got some mods, learned some tweaks, and now the game works and looks better than the developers intended. However I was helpless when trying to play Fallout New Vegas on my ps3. There was absolutely nothing I could do about the constant crashing and annoying glitches that plagued it. I just had to wait a half a year while the publisher figured out how to fix it... and apparently it's still pretty unstable so you can't even depend on that.

And (even though it can be very easy to do so, especially if you go to the alienware site or something) you don't have to spend that much on a gaming rig. One I was considering a couple of months ago was pretty robust and was only a little over $500.

I am converting to PC slowly but surely. I bought Deus Ex Human Revolution on PC and preordered Red Orchestra 2. I am torn on getting BF3 on PC simply because A. My PC is a little older and may actually melt when I try to install it and B. I am struggling mightily to try and get competant with the M/KB set up for FPS's. I have BC2 and have good games occassionally, but I usually get owned!

Overall though I dont expect to buy another console next generation. Atleast not at launch for certain. I am looking to build a gaming PC sometime in 2012.

I am converting to PC slowly but surely. I bought Deus Ex Human Revolution on PC and preordered Red Orchestra 2. I am torn on getting BF3 on PC simply because A. My PC is a little older and may actually melt when I try to install it and B. I am struggling mightily to try and get competant with the M/KB set up for FPS's. I have BC2 and have good games occassionally, but I usually get owned!

Overall though I dont expect to buy another console next generation. Atleast not at launch for certain. I am looking to build a gaming PC sometime in 2012.

I have the Wii but its pretty much collecting dust, i dont remember when was the last time i played it, im not gonna buy the WIIU.

I also have the PS3, and its pretty sweet, im playing on it Infamous 2, Shadows of the Dmaned, RDR and all the games i cant find on the pc, im glad i bought the PS3.

I will probably buy the next PS , depends on the quality of the exclusives and games that wont be available on the pc.

As for the xbox 360, never had it and im not intrested, most of the games i already have on the pc/ps3, and gears\halo is not enough for me to buy a console.

I game 90% of the time on my pc.