Alright, the thing is, there is a main vein of core games that are coming out. The "cream of the crop" if you will. They are only available on the PS360/PC. Those are the games that I want, and most want to play. Those are the games that one decides between console and PC for. Those are the platforms I'm making my assumptions limited to. It's not a sliding scale, imo, it's an "either/or" comparison.

....keeping in mind I have a fantastic gaming PC, and use it often. I stand by my earlier post.

All

All of this is just opinion. I don't like most of those games you're likely referring to, so that immediately invalidates this entire argument. It is entirely possible, for example, for someone to greatly prefer the DS lineup this Christmas to the PS3/360 one, and based on the sales numbers, it's clear that most -- not just some, but most -- agree with that notion.

What is not opinion, however, is technical horsepower. That is materially quantifiable and unquestionable. DS is on the low end. Wii above that. 360 and PS3 above that. PC above that. Those are facts. If you want to bring opinion in to it, then the entire "PC vs. 360/PS3" argument can be summed up with "I prefer the games on the 360 to the games on PC," and you would have absolutely no need for a 12 point comparison.

Wouldn't it be an opinion that horsepower is even a factor??

I said "shooters" in my original post, and I agree that strategy games also qualify. A few others do too. For all others, you just hook a 360 pad up to the PC if you want to.

Comfort is an entirely acceptable consideration, but if comfort is your goal I recommend a PSP. It isn't even constricted to the couch: you can play on your bed or anywhere, and just like the PS3 controller, you don't need both hands or any akward positions.

So I do hope you switch over to the PSP. You can sell your PS3 to get enough money to buy it.

However, I know hardcore gamers are most concerned with precision, speed and accuracy of control -- that's why so many seem to dislike the Wii. Thus, if you're a hardcore gamer, the KB/M is really the only option. Hardcore gamers will gladly accept mild discomforts for more precision and accuracy.

Of course, some of this is tonge in cheek, but you see my point, yes? It's not as if the PS3 or 360 is optimal for anything. They aren't the most comfortable, they aren't the most high tech, they don't have the most precise controls or the  most comfortable, they aren't the cheapest, nor are they the most expensive.

Like almost every other product ever made, the PS3/360 are not the best at any one thing. Heck, even my computer isn't the best, as I "only" spend 500 dollars a year to keep my rig up to date, when others even more enthusiastic than I am spend thousands. Everyone has their own tastes and preferences. If you've found your particular place on the spectrum, great! I mean that honestly. I have a PS3 too, and I a couple of the games this year were some of my favorites. I have a 360, and Braid was my GotY until Left for Dead (I have the 360 and PC version of L4D, but significantly prefer the PC version for a variety of reasons, not just limited to superior accuracy).

Let me summarize this, for emphasis: All I want to do is curb these sorts of absolutes. Don't look down on Wii owners for inferior tech, when PC gamers can return the favor to you; don't look down on the cost of PC gaming, when DS owners can turn that around on you; don't complain about the "comfort" of PC gaming, when PSP or DS owners can turn that around on you; don't say that your games are the "best," because that's obviously an opinion and also obviously a great deal of people disagree with it.

The PS3 and 360 are great machines, and if you prefer the games on those machines, I'd leave at that. Wii owners, DS owners, PSP owners and PC Gamers should do the same. I'll leave it at that.

Of course it is just an opinion! Now, I want to make sure that all 360/PS3 fans remember this the next time we have a fight about the Wii. Everyone should recognize, calmly, that it's absolutely fine if people prefer the Wii to the 360/PS3 because they don't care about the increased technical horsepower. Or, for that matter, DS fans. In the case of the DS, we're looking at something like PS1 graphics. If literally hundreds of millions of people don't mind PS1 graphics and prefer that system to the technically superior PS3/360, that's okay, right? They have their preferences, and there is nothing inherently superior about your preferences.

This is why I started visiting a sales site in the first place: as you say, the value of technical power is just an opinion; taste in games is just an opinion; the importance of cost (are you only willing to pay 100 dollars for a system? 200? 500? 2000?) is a personal opinion. Sales, however, are not an opinion, and I wanted something more concrete to discuss.

And it's why the real message I'm giving here, Gebx, is that the right answer is: "I like the games that I like. It's just personal opinion." And that's great! What I want to avoid is to have anyone making any absolutist statements, because those can almost invariably thrown back in to your face.

2, 4 and 5 are BIG advantages for console gaming.

I'm a PC exclusive gamer, reason being I'm poor and it's easy to pirate on PC, and I have to agree with all those points, console gaming is better by a fundamental principle, since it's PC against everybody else, plus PC has all these trappings that it will never escape, while consoles can change all they want.
Man I wish I could afford a console, and not have to work 4 months full time for it, then again if I spent that money on games exclusively rather than going out with friends or buying something useful I'd be a pretty pathetic looser.

@ Bodhesatva

Actually a PS3 or 360 is optimal if you want both power and ease of use.  Compare the experience of someone that knows very little about drivers, computer hardware, patches, etc going out and buying a gaming PC to hook up to a HDTV compared to someone doing the same thing with a PS3 or 360.  It would be like someone wanting a decently fast car but not having to worry about how the engine works, etc, compared to someone that buys a fast car and has to tinker with the engine from time to time.

I have relatives that have a console and also have a PC that they sometimes use for games.  They call me from time to time with problems with certain games they've purchased but they have yet to call me because they couldn't figure out how to get a game working on their console.  Anecdotal I know but I've also been on some forums dedicated to certain PC games and see a lot of problems with drivers, videocards, etc.

Ah, but those arguments imply that graphics are the only significant factor that is being viewed here. Actually, you imply that anything which isn't quantifiable, is an opinion, and that just isn't the case here. Simply because something is quantifiable doesn't mean it is important, and just because something isn't quantifiable doesn't mean it's an opinion.

Assuming technical horsepower, for instance, is at the heart of this debate, is a mistake. First, the PC has the potential to have more technical horsepower. Yes. However, it also has the potential to have less technical horsepower.

When we're comparing the same games between platforms, it's important to look at all the options when choosing to purchase a platform. For instance, if I wanted to play assassin's creed, but had no platform to play it on. The PC obviously has the highest technical potential, but it might not the be right choice. The PC would cost more, be harder to install and get to run, basically most of the things in the "top 12 reasons" list are things that I would consider.

Things that are quantifiable are important, but so are absolutes. It's not what a person "prefers." It's about the pros and cons of PC and console gaming.

Yes, the pros and cons of PC and console gaming. They generally aren't opinion, more like common knowledge, and common sense. I mean, it's common sense that building a gaming PC is either more complex, or more expensive than console gaming. It's common knowledge that PC gaming has very little local mulitplayer. They might not be quantifiable, but they certainly exist and will always be worth listing, to help those who don't know about them, make their own decision.