How does the PS3 handle it then? A prompt auto-play like feature when you first insert the disc?

Games.

The PC has some exclusives I'm mildly interested in. Console have the games I get aroused for.

No prompt... you insert the disc and it run like every other PlayStation console... you press Eject and it stop and go back to XMB.

PS. You can disable the auto-play in Sytem Setthing but the default is that way.

This is a great question. As time goes forward, the line gets blurred more and more.

Here are the current points consoles may still hold as an advantage to computer games:
- A powerful machine at an amortized cost.
- Games can be optimized to a fixed HW architecture
- A degree of simplicity to playing games, less setup. (this is getting less true as consoles become more sophisticated)
- Less failures due to hardware setup, or incompatibilities.
- Console-exclusive games.

I'm sure there's a lot more, but then PCs still have advantages over consoles.
- PCs are multi-purpose.
- They can allow for mods more easily.
- They can optimize performance settings to a specific HW chosen.
- They don't impose licensing restrictions and are more open.
- PC-exclusive games.

Actually, that's a good point. PC games aren't crap, but the main reason why I own consoles are the gaming experiences avaiable on them.

PC has some of the more cerebral games out there, and is the absolute strategy and simulation king due to precise pointer controls, modability and ease of seeing small detail.

These days most people have laptops, so to get console like power, you will have to spend well over £1,000. Most people would rather get something cheaper and then a console

Consoles just make things simpler to play games on and of course provide bluray/dvd playback. I also much prefer playing on my sofa and getting away from my desk, it just helps me relax a bit more

And anyway, a PS4 is the only place to buy Sony games and that is what I want (oh and I'm a bit of a trophy whore....)

For me it is the ability to own a physical copy of a game that I can use anywhere at anytime, to truly own my games without hassle. Love having a nice collection.

Ease of use.

Exclusives.

And of course a proper universal dedicated acheivement system.

The advantage of games is really just personal opinion. Each system has good exclusives.
For core gamers the ease of use isn't really an advantage over pc. It's very easy to start up games on steam. Plus there's big picture mode.
As far as pricing goes I would say it depends on the individual. Games are cheaper on pc because of sales, online on consoles is probably going to come with a subscription fee, and like I said earlier: everyone needs a pc/laptop so why not upgrade it to a gaming one?

I enjoy a variety of games, and many of the Japanese developers that I like are console-centric, so as long as certain companies are still developing games strictly for consoles, that will always be one of the reasons to get one. Despite playing primarily on PC, I could never play only on PC because of particular console exclusives.

That +

Price : And if you go with a low-price PC you will have trouble running games at the same level of quality of the next consoles.
And then you will go back to problem 4 which is all the setup issues.

Ease of use: Plug and play, console controllers (even if you can plug it on PC it is not the default input).

Hacking/Cheating : Not saying it is not happening on console, but it is 10x times worse on PC. and it is ruining my gaming experience. I actually switched to console years ago because of this.

All in one box in the living room. You can put a PC there and plugit to the TV but it is a lot of setup etc. You need wireless keyboard or install additionnal software to support controller only inputs etc... Consoles are just made for that.

At the end it is a matter of oppinion anyway but this is mine :)