After purchasing Jamestown on Steam and not having much fun playing it with the keyboard controllers, I went out to Best Buy and picked up a wired 360 controller (the Razer Onza Tournament Edition). Not only is it really a great controller (that I now also use as my primary controller when playing games on my 360), but in many ways, it has revitalized a lot of my PC gaming experience. Things that I never would have bought on PC before like Just Cause 2, Darksiders, etc. are now entirely within my realm of comfort when playing with this controller. It is like having all the ease of us found in a console (and being able to lay back on my couch while I play) mixed with the customizability and cheapness of many PC games.

Obviously there are always bad ports but I have found a lot of games to work instantly and flawlessly with a Windows controller.

Does anyone else use a set up similar to this, playing some types of games (FPS, RTS, etc.) with the mouse and keyboard and others (third-person games, platformers, Shoot 'Em Ups) with a controller? I'm really excited about my PC again (although I've always been a PC gamer to some extent) and I just want to know if I am late to the party on this whole controller-PC combo or not.

Never.

Racing games are always better with a controller. Other than that, no.

Nope, I don't even own a controller for that matter.

Plenty of times.

If it is a game that was mainly developed for a console, yes.

For Third-Person Action games or Street Fighter, yes.

Depends on the game.

I think a lot of them own a controller for third person games like Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, Darksiders, etc. or racing games. 
 
But you will never catch an experienced PC gamer dead trying to play a shooter or RTS with a controller on a PC. If they have a PC and console that's different (duh) but most PC gamers will keep their shooters on PC unless they really want to play a console exclusive. 
 
And most of them really don't care to play the console exclusives.

No. NEVER!

360 TE stick for shmups, arcade and fighting games, Logitech 360 ripoff pad for driving games and games that translate badly to keyboard&mouse and Logitech Attack 3 for the occasional flight sim.

Freaked me out when Metro 2033 defaulted to pad controls when I had one plugged in.

I've used one quite a bit recently. Super Meat Boy, Jamestown, RE5 -- I find all of those much more playable with a controller.

Depends on the game.

Outside of strategy games if a PC game lets me use a controller I will always grab it.

Not if I can help it. Much prefer the fidelity of a keyboard and mouse, even in third person games. I feel like a controller often stands between me and what I want to achieve on screen, because it feels so sluggish compared to the speed you get with mouse input. 

Depends on the game, a lot of games just play a lot better with them. Racing games and platformers/adventure games inparticular.

This topic has been done lots of times and is better served as a poll.

Yes many people use controllers on PC for certain games.

I use them when playing platformers and some indie games.

I think a lot of them own a controller for third person games like Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, Darksiders, etc. or racing games.

Yes, sure. Why not? Plenty of the most recent games I've beaten are much better with a controller than with KB+M, like Darksiders or Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. Just because I'm playing on a PC I won't limit myself to a certain input method if I can use another one that I find much more confortable for that specific game.

Absolutely. I pick the input device that suits the game.

I use a wired MW2 360 Pad. Wish the Onza had been out at the time, but I can't justify another controller when I already have 4 360 controllers.

@phrosnite said:

@believer258 said:

I think a lot of them own a controller for third person games like Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, Darksiders, etc. or racing games.

You think wrong. All those games work perfectly with a mouse and keyboard. The controller comes in use when you emulate old console games.

Just as FPS games work perfectly with a controller.

Personally, for third person adventure games and the like, it feels much more natural moving around with an analogue stick than it does with WSAD. But opinions, etc.

@believer258 said:

I think a lot of them own a controller for third person games like Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, Darksiders, etc. or racing games.

You think wrong. All those games work perfectly with a mouse and keyboard. The controller comes in use when you emulate old console games.

I use a stick for my flight and mech sims (need more of both, please), but other than that it's all M/KB.
 
This stick:
 

When appropriate. If a PC gamer is not using a controller ot a wheel for racing games they they are just too stuck up. 

@phrosnite said:

@believer258 said:

I think a lot of them own a controller for third person games like Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, Darksiders, etc. or racing games.

You think wrong. All those games work perfectly with a mouse and keyboard. The controller comes in use when you emulate old console games.

Just as FPS games work perfectly with a controller.

Personally, for third person adventure games and the like, it feels much more natural moving around with an analogue stick than it does with WSAD. But opinions, etc.

I use a controller a lot, especially for platformers and third-person action games.

Yes. I like to play games as they were intended. PC specific games and FPS's I'll stick with mouse and keyboard if they are particular to that control scheme. I actually played all the way through Borderlands on my 360 controller since it just felt better.

Everything else works great with a controller nowadays so I'll just go with that. Sometimes it's nice to sit back and not have to hunch over a keyboard.

@phrosnite said:

@believer258 said:

I think a lot of them own a controller for third person games like Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, Darksiders, etc. or racing games.

You think wrong. All those games work perfectly with a mouse and keyboard. The controller comes in use when you emulate old console games.

I wouldn't say he thinks wrong considering in my original post I stated that I had and used a controller for that exact purpose as have several other people in these comments.

I come down on the side that just as many games are better with a mouse and keyboard, there are just as many that are better served with a controller. Obviously, you can play any type of game with either and it will be playable but it may not be most people's preferred style of play.

Unless it's a first person shooter or real time strategy I always prefer a controller.

The only PC game I use a controller with is Super Meat Boy. I've never really found a reason to otherwise.

@Fripplebubby said:

Racing games are always better with a controller. Other than that, no.

Nope, never. Only use keyboard and mouse.

@phrosnite said:

@WinterSnowblind said:

@phrosnite said:

@believer258 said:

I think a lot of them own a controller for third person games like Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, Darksiders, etc. or racing games.

You think wrong. All those games work perfectly with a mouse and keyboard. The controller comes in use when you emulate old console games.

Just as FPS games work perfectly with a controller.

Personally, for third person adventure games and the like, it feels much more natural moving around with an analogue stick than it does with WSAD. But opinions, etc.

O_o No, it doesn't. KB+M doesn't work only in fighting games and platformers like Mario. Everything else works perfectly. Customization is power. I always change the controls.

But it still doesn't give you analogue movement, it's like going back and playing Mass Effect with a d-pad. Yeah, it works fine.. just not as fine.

If you prefer it, knock yourself out. But I'll never understand this superiority complex many PC gamers have.

I've been using it for Jamestown and Alice recently, otherwise KEYBOARD ALL THE WAY BABY.
 
Some games are just meant to be played with a pad.

@phrosnite said:

@WinterSnowblind said:

@phrosnite said:

@believer258 said:

I think a lot of them own a controller for third person games like Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, Darksiders, etc. or racing games.

You think wrong. All those games work perfectly with a mouse and keyboard. The controller comes in use when you emulate old console games.

Just as FPS games work perfectly with a controller.

Personally, for third person adventure games and the like, it feels much more natural moving around with an analogue stick than it does with WSAD. But opinions, etc.

O_o No, it doesn't. KB+M doesn't work only in fighting games and platformers like Mario. Everything else works perfectly. Customization is power. I always change the controls.

But it still doesn't give you analogue movement, it's like going back and playing Mass Effect with a d-pad. Yeah, it works fine.. just not as fine.

If you prefer it, knock yourself out. But I'll never understand this superiority complex many PC gamers have.

I started a little while ago since there are many games now that you shouldn't play with mouse and keyboard.
At the moment I am playing Jamestown with my fightstick and Everyday Shooter with a 360 pad.
 
Two really good games by the way. I'm happy Jamestown got mentioned several times already in this thread.

@believer258:  WASD is not only four directions. Also I have beaten the three Sand of Time Trilogy games 4 times each, Darksiders 3 times and so many other 3 person games. Maybe you need to spend more time with a keyboard... hehe.

For FIFA, platformers/side scrollers like SMB and the Bit Trip games, and racing games

@TobbRobb said:

@WinterSnowblind: Is it really the pc gamer who has a superiority complex, or the guy saying WASD couldn't possibly be better than an analog stick, and think we are ignorant for thinking otherwise.

Like I said, if you prefer it, use it.

I'm only objecting to those who are absolutely adamant that mouse + keyboard is always better for everything.

Whenever the game will let me 

@WinterSnowblind said:

@TobbRobb said:

@WinterSnowblind: Is it really the pc gamer who has a superiority complex, or the guy saying WASD couldn't possibly be better than an analog stick, and think we are ignorant for thinking otherwise.

Like I said, if you prefer it, use it.

I'm only objecting to those who are absolutely adamant that mouse + keyboard is always better for everything.

Now now gents, this is all about PC gaming so we'll have none of that PC vs. console business round these parts!

Just some good old fashion control interface vs. other control interface knife fights!

@phrosnite said:

@believer258:  WASD is not only four directions. Also I have beaten the three Sand of Time Trilogy games 4 times each, Darksiders 3 times and so many other 3 person games. Maybe you need to spend more time with a keyboard... hehe.

8. OK, 8. And an analog stick has how many? Tons?   On the contrary, you need to spend more time with a controller since every post you've given on the subject sounds like it has an air of superiority. I simply asked, in the least condescending way I could think of, how Prince of Persia the Sands of Time controls better on a keytboard. You have only answered with smug, empty comments. Say something useful and informative or don't say anything at all.

Racing games and action games that don't play well with a keyboard and mouse (such as Devil May Cry 3/4)
 
I'm pretty sure a ton of people who only play games on PC besides exclusives own controllers.  Everyone I've talked to does that is a mainly PC gamer.  
 
Also I would like to say you are crazy for saying Just Cause 2 works better with a controller :P

Yea I use this really cheap PS2 looking controller I mainly got it to play Devil May Cry 3 which had no mouse control everything was off the keyboard which was horrible you could use some mods to make the mouse control the camera but it was awkward so I bought this controller for like 5 euro and it works great, I use it on platformers and racing games, I played darksiders with it cause the mouse control in that was kind of weird. I got this program called controlmk that can make you bind any button on the controller to the keyboard in mouse, so I used it for fishing in world of warcraft :D. 

@WinterSnowblind: Is it really the pc gamer who has a superiority complex, or the guy saying WASD couldn't possibly be better than an analog stick, and think we are ignorant for thinking otherwise.

@xobballox: Haha, that's fine. While the hacking and quicktime events are certainly easier while playing it with mouse and keyboard, there is something about the grappling hook and parachute combo that I love controlling with the 360 controller.

For the occasional Fifa and driving game. Some shooters too, if the mouse and keyboard controls are fucked.