After years of lurking and listening, this thread has drawn me out into the light.
The main reason I play PC games is one I don't see mentioned here. The PC platform lends itself to more complexity of play and control.
My primary example is MechWarrior 4. To play it, I use almost every key on my keyboard and several combinations. With my right hand, I steer and aim. With my left hand, I manage weapons, throttle, cameras, night vision, cooling, mission computer, IFF computer, radar, communication, jump jets, and power. The Battletech console game, MechAssault, offers little of that piloting detail, nor of the customization and other game elements. It wouldn't be at all practical with the number of buttons on a console controller.
There are other reasons I play PC games. RTS games also lend themselves to keyboard and mouse. I like games with mod communities, and refuse to pay for online play.I already have a PC, and it's good for things other than games.
The PC game market is waning, and ports of console games tend to carry all of the shortcomings of consoles, pick up none of the benefits of PC's, and have extra muddled controls and performance on top of that. Because of that, the games I play most, MechWarrior 4 and Need For Speed 4 and 5 are several years old and had dedicated PC development teams. Their online play made it easier to meet, converse, and play again with people than the games that followed, which is why today, long after their some of their sequels have died, their online play continues with fan-established matchmaking servers and mods.
