What's Most Important to You in a Console (Other Than Great Games)?

Controls. I got me a PS3 a bit more than a half a year ago. I always kinda looked down on it, for all the popular reasons - I still kinda do. But... I currently prefer the PS3 over my 360. I prefer the integral design of its hardware. I prefer playing games online for free. I prefer the transparency of the PSN store (real currency). But that ain't it at all. It's not what's turned my world upside down in terms of console preferences.
 
It's something seemingly unimportant. Something so minor, it won't even be a valid reason for most hardcore gamers. Casual players won't even get my lingo. It's a minimal difference in deadzone settings on the analog sticks of the gamepad. 360 has a noticeable default deadzone on its gamepads (I've tested it on multiple consoles with multiple gamepads and many games - they've all got the deadzone). PS3 Dualshock 3 hasn't gotten such a thing. The deadzone is so small, it eludes my perception.
 
So definitely controls. I buy multiplatform games for the platform I feel most comfortable with. I even got an up-to-date gaming PC and don't intend to buy any multiplatform games for PC, due to inconsistent gamepad support and no native PS3 gamepad support. My last hope for 360 and PC multiplatform gaming... Microsoft announced a rework of their gamepad. Essentially matching the PS3 Dualshock 3 pad by adding an integral rechargeable battery. They also annouced that they will decrease response times to give competitive players an edge.
 
I have high hopes that I'll finally be able to enjoy games on my 360 again. Can't wait for that new gamepad.

A mouse and keyboard.

" A mouse and keyboard. "

" @Vitamin_Dei said:

" A mouse and keyboard. "

"

• More Ergonomic (no carpel tunnel syndrome!)
• Analog Movement (If I want to creep around a corner, it will come naturally, not by some mutators switching between 3 sets of speed)
• Natural Panning/Aiming (I never have to reset my thumbstick, like I have to reset my mouse - just try and spin around one direction at full speed forever with a mouse...)
• Larger Skillgap between Pros and Scrubs (Especially in competitve FPS games - many just don't cut it with gamepads and few really do. I'm one of the few.)
• Rumble Feedback (don't underestimate the value of rumble feedback or squeezing an analog trigger instead of the lifeless klick-edi-clack of your gaming mouse)

" @SL33TBL1ND said:

" @Vitamin_Dei said:

" A mouse and keyboard. "

"

Albeit offtopic, I'll indulge nontheless. Gamepad is the superior control device for me. Why - you might ask?
 

• More Ergonomic (no carpel tunnel syndrome!)
• Analog Movement (If I want to creep around a corner, it will come naturally, not by some mutators switching between 3 sets of speed)
• Natural Panning/Aiming (I never have to reset my thumbstick, like I have to reset my mouse - just try and spin around one direction at full speed forever...)
• Larger Skillgap between Pros and Scrubs (Especially in competitve FPS games - many just don't cut it with gamepads and few really do. I'm one of the few.)
• Rumble Feedback (don't underestimate the value of rumble feedback or squeezing an analog trigger instead of the lifeless klick-edi-clack of your gaming mouse)

 Then again - this thread obviously ain't for you PC folks. StarCraft 2 is for you guys. And me. Because I play PC exclusive games, even if I have to use K&B, despite my carpel tunnel syndrome. That's kinda hardcore PC gaming too. "

wow im in the minority, i love online service and stuff, community, and competitive competition (i grew up with 2 older brothers so we were always playing eachother for the top, naturally i was better)

Controls. Games will always win out over controllers. However the second important thing is how a controller feels in my hand.  Fun fact in Quebec if you ask someone for a controller they will look at you funny. Its a mnet 

•  An overabundance of hotkeys (allowing for certain genres hardly controllable by gamepad)

• Actually using the keyboard for ingame chatting (it's a keyboard afterall - primary purpose is typing, that's what it really shines at.)
  

" Controls. Games will always win out over controllers. However the second important thing is how a controller feels in my hand.  Fun fact in Quebec if you ask someone for a controller they will look at you funny. Its a mnet  "

" @Seppli: Ok, now you're just being a dick, it's all about opinion, I feel more comfortable with a KB&M. That's why I use it, not because everyone else is, but because I like the feel of it. All of you're so called "facts" are you're opinion, as is my liking of the KB&M. Why can't we just agree that we like different things? "

Gamepad

• More Ergonomic (no carpel tunnel syndrome!)
• Analog Movement (If I want to creep around a corner, it will come naturally, not by some mutators switching between 3 sets of speed)
• Natural Panning/Aiming (I never have to reset my thumbstick, like I have to reset my mouse - just try and spin around one direction at full speed forever with a mouse...)
• Larger Skillgap between Pros and Scrubs (Especially in competitve FPS games - many just don't cut it with gamepads and few really do. I'm one of the few.)
• Rumble Feedback (don't underestimate the value of rumble feedback or squeezing an analog trigger instead of the lifeless klick-edi-clack of your gaming mouse)

Keyboard & Mouse

• (Mouse) Most responsive and precise and easy to use analog device (with the downside of limited panning/turning - forces to reset mouse every so often depending on sensitivy). 
• (Keyboard) An overabundance of hotkeys (allowing for certain genres hardly controllable by gamepad)
• (Keyboard) Actually using the keyboard for ingame chatting (it's a keyboard afterall - primary purpose is typing, that's what it really shines at.)

Well, to be honest I've never really though about any of those things when buying a console :\
 
I haven't had trouble with any controller, I rarely use online, and graphics aren't that important either :\
 
If I had to choose I'd say online, because I prefer free online over something like Live.

Just the games... So I really can't choose any of those.

Question: the ps3 supports keyboard and mouse, how come no developer has configured a game to be used by both. For example couldn't the PC controls for Dragon Age be easily ported to the PS3 KB&M ?

The controller dude, I don't mind the Dual Shock, but the 360 controller is on another level.

" The controller dude, I don't mind the Dual Shock, but the 360 controller is on another level. "

nothing, games are all that  matter

" Well, to be honest I've never really though about any of those things when buying a console :\  I haven't had trouble with any controller, I rarely use online, and graphics aren't that important either :\  If I had to choose I'd say online, because I prefer free online over something like Live. "

Processing power and online have never been a deciding factor when choosing a console. Mainly for me it's been games, but in the case of the Wii, I was swayed by the controller which I think is one of the better control schemes around.

" Question: the ps3 supports keyboard and mouse, how come no developer has configured a game to be used by both. For example couldn't the PC controls for Dragon Age be easily ported to the PS3 KB&M ? "

I voted A, not for the graphics, but for the ability to run a game smoothly and actually work.

Controls and online service.  I love my ps3 but the dualshock.....just just frustrating every single time I fire up the console.  SOOO glad I found the adapter that lets me use my wired 360 pad or I probably wouldn't have even finished uncharted 2 one of my favorite games ever now.

Reliability is essential.  Nothing ruins great gaming like freezing, disc read errors, overheating, broken controllers, and file corruption.

" Reliability is essential.  Nothing ruins great gaming like freezing, disc read errors, overheating, broken controllers, and file corruption. "

what the system has, ps3 has bluray. one thing that i really like about ps3. i know one day DVD's are going so i got a ps3. it's what the system overs is what i look for. 
 
services are just meh. as long as the system has online play it is good. i don't care for other services as i don't use them like netflix, facebook, and other things.

All of the above. Any feature that improves a game experience is an important feature, processing power being one of the main methods to deliver beyond just the base gameplay. Not every console has everything, but certainly some have more than others in various aspects. 

Pretty much the games.
 
Why would anything else make that much more of a difference?

Toasting bread

It depends to what type of games they offered to the public.

A comfortable controller, HDMI is a must from now on, and the ability the play movies. You can probably figure out which current console doesn't meet any of these requirements.  
edit: Online is also nice.

An experience that I can't get on my PC, so Wii. 

Value. The console that offers the greater value should got my attention. I bought a 360 at launch because I could afford one but having to buy a wi-fi attachment and AA batteries was frustrating to me. When the PS3's price fell down to $400 (the fat version) I saw it as a much better buy, at the old price of $600 it was definitely not worth it.
 
I would also consider graphics as a factor. I made fun of the Wii for its lack of graphics and its one of the reasons why it never was of any interest to me when it first launched

A, B, and C.

controller i can not stand the ds3

It's really a lot of things added together for me.  Graphics / processing power, controller, reliability, usability, annoying aspects, online features are pretty low on my list...  Games are number one still.

" Question: the ps3 supports keyboard and mouse, how come no developer has configured a game to be used by both. For example couldn't the PC controls for Dragon Age be easily ported to the PS3 KB&M ? "

Hard tossup between power and controls. I went with controls because I can enjoy some ancient, ugly games a lot if they feel right.
 
I don't think Move is the second revolution (puns) in handheld motion controls like Sony seems to believe. But they definitely improved upon the Wiimote. It all comes down making an identical pair of highly accurate motion-capable ambidextrous controllers out of the standard single controller we play all our games on now. Move doesn't have an analog stick on the camera-tracked controller, and the face buttons aren't arranged in a cross formation to resemble a d-pad; which requires the navigation controller to move your character instead of being able to use two glow-ball ones in most games.
 
MS still has a chance to update their handheld controller for specific use in conjunction with Kinect (basically break the regular one in half and add the gyros and accelerometers) so you can aim at multiple targets on the screen light-gun style while still moving your character and the camera with the thumbsticks. But I bet they won't "get it" either.
 
Motion controls can be as accurate as a mouse for high-powered FPS games, in theory. But in practice all we've seen are PS3 games that either require you to move the crosshair to the edge of the screen to turn the camera (how they first showed Move with SOCOM4 -- kinda like Lost Planet 1) which still allows you to aim the controller directly at enemies, or with the crosshair glued to the center of the camera like the old control method which removes the actual gun-like aiming part (like Killzone 3 -- which misrepresents the term 1:1 movement). This is because of the lack of right thumbstick. 
 
LESSON: You cannot replace the thumbstick with motion tracking. That's a Nintendo mistake -- just like the octagonal gate and lack of click on their thumbsticks. You must supplement it.

Other: Nostalgia.

Play me at ANY game, you using a controller, me with a KB&M and see who wins.

I voted for online service. The matchmaking stuff that lives under the surface on Xbox is something frequently overlooked. Also I just like the way Xbox Live works over the online service on the Playstation where updates are large and cumbersome, and the friend list feels stapled on.

other: stable and intuitive dashboard and media features. The 360 fits this but NXE is too bloated for its own good and the XMB is too cluttered and is missing media center extender support.

" @RiotBananas:  You'd still never beat me in any of those, and there's no way Geo Wars would ever be easier without a gamepad. "

@Diamond said:

" @RiotBananas:  You'd still never beat me in any of those, and there's no way Geo Wars would ever be easier without a gamepad. "

It could be easier with a thumbstick for movement and a mouse for aiming. The keyboard is only good for multiple digital inputs, but the mouse will nearly always aim more accurately than the thumbstick.  I use a controller in my left hand and a mouse in my right for quite a few PC (ports of console) games. Mirror's Edge is best this way. You just gotta make sure your mouse has enough thumb buttons to mimic the right half of the controller. I would play Alien Swarm this way, but the camera can't decide if it wants to support the gamepad or the mouse and ends up jumping all over.