Some games require that you first beat the normal mode to unlock higher difficulty modes, but for those games that give you a choice from the get-go, what difficulty level do you usually pick?

More and more I find myself start playing games on hard mode (as in,the mode right above normal, but not the highest), but many times I lack the patience and/or the skills for the highest difficulty level.

Some games I do easiest, others the hardest. It depends on whether I'm playing it for the story or gameplay.

Depend's, if they are offered in a JRPG I will alway's choose the hardest as JRPG's have become insanely easy. Now in action or fighting game..start with normal

Always hardest, and if it's a particularly arcadey game, I'll later play on easiest just to blow shit away.

I tend to put Hard. Not the highest difficulty available, but the second one. If it is "Easy, Normal, Hard" then Hard.

Always on normal. If I like the game the second playthrough is on hard.

Normal most of the time.

Hard if I am familiar with the series or genre. For instance, Uncharted 2 and 3 I went straight to the hardest setting available. The same for every God of War game. However, if it is new to me or if I have little experience in it then I'll do normal. FPS games in general such as Crysis and Killzone 2. I worked my way up to the hardest settings.

I almost always start on Normal. I feel that, for the most part, that's the mode that's been balanced and tested the most. Also, honestly, the harder modes are sometimes just cheap and annoying.

If I really like the game, though, I'll often play it again on Hard, especially if it's a game with an unlocked + mode. Borderlands 2 and Torchlight 2 are two recent games where I jumped right into the next difficulty. That's something that I'm glad has gotten popular, as I love expanding on what I've already done.

I do like the option to drop difficulty down for really annoying bosses, though. Seriously, some aren't very fun at all and I just really want to get past them. I did that yesterday with Deus Ex: HR because I just was NOT feeling that boss fight.