All those games with slowly loading textures that pop in are one of the things that keeps me from following through on this frustration.

Casual gamers don't probably want to spend 60€ for one game either, so I'd say today's casual gamers are the ones playing on IPhones and IPads some $0.99 games. :)

Outside maybe Wii and console party games, I nowadays consider both console and PC gamers pretty hardcore, ie. who are ready to invest both money and time for their gaming.

Based on that article, I got interested into buying Battleheart, and maybe also Zombieville USA. At least the former looked like an interesting RPG-lite based on gameplay videos. But then I had some problems figuring out how to swap Google account used for buying in GooglePlay, whatever... I didn't have such issues with indie bundle games I bought outside the GooglePlay/Android Market, even though I had to download them manually to the device(s).

For the most part, I have to agree most games in GooglePlay seem surprisingly crappy, the little I've seen so far (remind mostly the kind of games I already had for my old "stinky" (=trusty) Nokia Symbian phone). I definitely don't want to pay too much for them.

I am unsure if it is much better on Apple's side, at least I've seen some good-looking gameplay videos of them (not sure about the gameplay), and IOS users have King of the Dragon Pass, damn it!

I do. I have a 360 and PS3, but then again I think playing games as a whole is such a hassle anyways.

I find it worth the hassle, because I pretty much don't have that many hassles. I'm behind the curve tech wise and game wise. By the time I pick up a "new" game, it already has patches out, people have played it and reviewed it extensively (not just gaming websites with dubious reputation) so my buying decision is not based on hype. There are several videos out, mods, maybe the DRM has even been removed by then. The best of all is the price is likely to be very low and I'm playing it on a machine that also doubles as a work station.

Paying several hundred dollars for a whole separate machine to run games that I'm not likely to find that cheap and where most games are of the twitchy finger, fast reflex variety or button mashing combos over controllers I'm not that skilled with seems like an exercise in frustration to me. Had I people to play them with on the same room, then I might think differently, but my wife is not into games and my friends have consoles of their own.

For me gaming is gaming. I play on PC on PS3 and on PSP and all of this is the same for me. My main platform is PC but still games on console give me the same amount of fun maybe w exception of FPS on consoles. I just can't play them with pad (but I wanna try Move so it may change).

I just don't know why so many people see such a difference between PC gamers and console gamers. Games are games, deal with it. ;)

Not related to gaming. I'd still like to use this opportunity to say that I'm somewhat disappointed on the Android experience so far.

One of my main interests in smartphones is car navigation with GPS, I need that constantly especially when abroad. The last few years I've loved the free "Nokia/OVI Maps" navigation system, even though it has some issues too like stupid routing, and its POI (points of interest) selection is of course meagre compared to GoogleMaps.

So, I had high hopes when I bought my first Android phone, now I could finally use the ultimate power of Google navigation! Move aside, Nokia Maps!

Well, first problem seems to be that AFAIK it requires constant internet connection. Not a problem locally, but can be a problem or at least a nuisance abroad.

But, when I launch the navigator: first of all it still gives "this is beta!" warning. Really? After all these years? Or doesn't the navigation application upgrade itself but is always tied to the Android version? I think that phone has Android 2.3.5 or something, the newest the manufacturer has released for it on their homepage (it is SIM-free luckily, the versions the local operators offer are even older)..

But more importantly, it says the navigator does not currently work in my area (Finland), and shuts down. So, thanks for nothing then, I guess. GoogleMaps has had Finnish maps for quite some time already, I have no idea why the Android navigator doesn't work with it.

Yeah I guess TomTom and others might sell commercial navigators to Android phones, but I kinda became accustomed on the Nokia phone that it comes free with the device. I still use my old Nokia as the navigator.

Considering also how badly Android Market/GooglePlay, and Android Music, seem to be doing, I'm starting to feel Google has just dropped the ball... We will see.

Many times. It happens to me every now and then. What's keeping me from switching completely to my xbox is inaptitude for using a pad, lack of mods (can't imagine playing Fallout New Vegas without my mods) and the fact that every single game looks better on PC.

I mostly avoid this by dividing my time between my computer and my 360. I like both. Sometimes I'll stop playing games on my computer for a month. Other times, I won't touch my 360 for just as long. It just depends on what I'm feeling (and, of course, what game I want to play; some games I just can't play on PC).

Only console I've ever had was an Atari 7800.

So no....

I do have moments when I appreciate the simplicity of starting a game on the console. Especially when I'm a little tired and I'm looking for a quick gaming session to relax after a work day.

I grew up with a PC, so turning it on and starting a game is in my genetic code by now. It's not a hassle at all.

However even worse for months now I have these thoughts about not playing anymore at all. This is extremely weird. I hope it goes away (one way or the other).

I think that is the root of this episode. I am just much less into games all of a sudden and want to treat it very casually. Consoles seem better suited to that.

The only game I have played the last two weeks is Machinarium and for only a couple hours.

If a game is available on PC you can be assured that I'll be playing it on PC, but I enjoy the console gaming experience a lot more when I am forced to play games like Dark Souls on my PS3, and I can just plop in front of my TV instead of go through some hassle to find Mass Effect 3's configuration utility and place my backed up saves in the proper folder.

Anyone who can use Google can use a PC for gaming, but it's just a bit more annoying and I'm not about to ignore that fact.