I really, really don't get why any informed person would buy a console over a PC to be a cash cow for Sony and Microsoft! Can anyone explain why they would buy a console?

I am almost 32 and a keen gamer. I started as a Spectrum and Sega kid. Spectrum (I played my first games on cassette tapes), then Sega Master system, Sega Megadrive/ Genesis, Mega CD and then I stopped. The Mega CD was terrible as many of you older gamers will know... But it was not just that.

The real reason I left consoles was that I was now playing PC games! In the 90s there were so many great Lucas Arts games. Blizzard games. GTA, Red Alert, Civ etc... So many great titles. Such variety. Racers, FPS, RTS, God games etc.

Now, I am following the Xbox and Playstation release stories. And I just don't get it. I would never buy either. I would choose a lower spec PC built for the same price or less (as built in a recent article on here).

With a PC you get instant access to thousands upon thousands of games the moment you buy a PC. I play my fave games from the late 90s plus all the latest games on my PC. While these new consoles have a handful of games atm and will never have the variety or amount available on PC.

Plus if you want an all in one media centre on your TV just get XBMC media centre for your PC or something similar. Free as well. Simple to navigate.

Steam and other programs like it make playing games on the PC just as simple, if not more so, than playing them on a console. Press on button and press play simple.

PC towers also come in far smaller sizes than Xboxes or playstations do too nowif you are worried about that.

The PC community is also far bigger, more friendly and mature (imo) and free to access.

So many mods/DLC are freely available to extend the life of titles both old and new.

Plus, Valve are moving in with their scaleable hardware, the Steam Machine, soon.

It seems that from the dozen or so articles I have read on the new consoles it seems by buying a console you are paying Microsoft or Sony for the pleasure of milking you as their cash cow! For their peripherals, online services, over priced DLC and such.

I am stumped. I really, really cannot understand why any informed person would buy a console. A few exclusive titles? If you are that desperate to play Killer Instinct and Halo and have cash to burn- fine. Or just wait for a free emulator to appear on the PC.

I just don't think the cost and limitations you put on yourself as a gamer are justified by any means if you buy one of these new consoles.