Now with the popularity of PC gaming rising and large publishers like EA praising it, it seems like a good time to ask this.  
More for the people without decent comps but other people should chime in as well ;)
 
 A little clarification.  
I'm not saying that if you would go pc exclusive but if you could treat a new pc as a game console. How would you pit it against other consoles in your decision making process before purchase?
 
If you had the money, would you make/buy a gaming computer or pick up a current/next gen console?  And let's say your friends will appear magically where ever you decide ;)
  
For 2011 I can't really think of more than a handful high profile games that aren't gonna appear on pc. And besides a few games (Mass Effect 2 played like a console game with no joypad support), even if the game is a lousy port, the experience is still usually better on pc. And there are a few noticeable pc only titles this year like Witcher 2, Guild Wars 2, Old Republic, Battlefield 3 (let's face it, this is a pc game).  
 
So yea, pc gaming. Good shit.

I wouldn't go straight PC gaming i never really cared for it other than for starcraft, but if i had an extra 1000+ to drop on a PC would i? sure, i wouldn't mind playing BF3, Crysis, Crysis 2, GW2 etc. on PC i just don't have the extra $ and unless i win the lottery i doubt i ever will.

I wouldn't directly go PC. I'd only play certain PC specific games on it

Next console, for sure. That way, I'm buying myself equipment that's almost guaranteed to last at least five or six years. PC upgrades move much faster, and I'm not savvy enough to keep up.

Well 2011 certainly seem to look like a year for PC gaming and you don't need top dollar to get in on the action. 
I could never go PC exclusively given some of the games just playing better with a controller.
 
But yes, this year I'm saving up for a new PC without a doubt.

I have the money. I have a PC. I have a PS3, a 360, a Wii, a DS and a PSP. PROBLEM? 
 
Next generation I'm probably picking up one console+one handheld maximum though(and my PC of courrse). Only reason I went this crazy was because it's been a long generation since the DS and PSP were released back in -04/05 and there's been a lot of nice exclusives for each console. 
 
Also, hopefully Windows 8 really is going to focus on gaming more and we'll get even more support from the publishers so owning all those consoles to keep up with exclusives won't be as necessary. 

Yeah. I'm about to drop 800-1000 dollars on a pc. Diablo, scii, bf3, and more is worth it, plus you get mods and better graphics. Most games are coming out on pc anyway, and I'm not missing much in terms of exclusives(i have all current gen systems btw) and mouse and keyboard is definitely the way to go.

 @PhatSeeJay: The thing is that most pc games these days have native 360 controller support. So you really can't play that card anymore :)
And with how pc and console are tied so together this generation, you probably can stay relevant with pc gaming with 3-4 year old hardware. And the upgrade cost shouldn't be much more than replacing your busted 360 or ps3 ;P

There are games that can only work on PCs in their current form like RTS games and battlefield, however I prefer to play on a console. If I had a kickass PC it wouldn't necessarily make me use it for more games.

No- sitting on my couch has too much appeal.  I've also gotten so used to a game pad that using a mouse and keyboard (even while sitting on my couch) isn't that fun.  Plus I've invested more than the $ for a computer in TV, console, sound, couch, so I look at it like instead of spending the 1500+ on a computer, I spend 2000+ on a living room...

Well 2011 certainly seem to look like a year for PC gaming and you don't need top dollar to get in on the action. 
I could never go PC exclusively given some of the games just playing better with a controller.
 
But yes, this year I'm saving up for a new PC without a doubt.

Current consoles are really starting to show their age. Almost every port is now superior on PC. If you have a high end PC and a gamepad there is really no reason to play console games. All the major titles are better on PC: Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, Dead Space, Dragon Age, Darksiders and Need for Speed are all examples of recent ports that were better on a PC. If you're interested at all in 3D gaming at all you should be going PC. PC's can do 3D gaming properly right now and consoles can't. This doesn't even cover the many PC exclusives that are fantastic. My 360 is gathering dust and I've had less and less reason to use it this past year.

Hmm, a grand for doing whatever? As I've spent most of my morning playing Zork and thinking of ways to pursuade someone to gift me a copy of Minecraft, I'd have to say that would be amazing. 
 
I'd probably stick with a console. I love the PC but I just haven't had time to keep up-to-date on tech so I'd have no idea what hardware was sufficient.

"  @PhatSeeJay: The thing is that most pc games these days have native 360 controller support. So you really can't play that card anymore :) And with how pc and console are tied so together this generation, you probably can stay relevant with pc gaming with 3-4 year old hardware. And the upgrade cost shouldn't be much more than replacing your busted 360 or ps3 ;P "

After I got my gaming PC I didn't really stop playing console games, just branched off and split my time. 
 
Except for Christmas time and the Steam sales, didn't touch my consoles for about 2 weeks.

Nah... I prefer console games for the most part.

I did just that. I've always been a PC gamer, but my computer was few years old and and I wanted to get ready for 2011. Lots of good stuff coming. Steam also makes everything so much easier and cheaper.

Nope, I am strictly a console gamer, sure PC is better but I don't feel right paying extra(video card updates, possible processor & ram updates) money to play a game I can play elsewhere for less money and hassles, also, I am not a supreme graphics whore, I mean  sure I dig awesome visuals but I am not at PC Gamer levels of graphic superiority, so no, I wouldn't even give PC gaming the time of day.

I came from the PC to the Xbox/Xbox 360.  However, the 360 is starting
to show its age & so the Consoles are moving towards the back area
once more.
 
I've got a ton of Steam games, using Windows 7 x64 and 8G RAM. The
video card is standard $150 model but it handles games just fine. Large
30" or more flat-screen monitor, with DVI.  The games I've run so far run
very fast, which include DoW 2, Champions Online, STO, EVE, Bit Trip Runner, 
Blade Kitten, & I've tested but haven't played fully some other games such 
as GalCiv 1 & 2, the new Total War Shogun 2 demo, & Dragon Age 2 demo.  
Even old games such as Battlefield 2142 work.  Many games work out of
the box with the 360 Controller & some such as STO, can be programmed
to work for both space & ground.
 
In some ways, PC gaming is cheaper. You can get an HD (or DVI) flat
screen (HD) that is smaller & cheaper (about $200) & have a better quality 
viewing experience than from a living room game system, where you
spend $650+ for a decent HD TV or thousands more on a large-sized
one.  Add for a good surround system & you can easily spend $5000
or more. I think I've spent $7-$8000 on my a/v gear & that was 7 years
ago, when having an Xbox was only a gleam in my eye.
 
The problem with having both is that internal battle you have about 
which game/system you should be playing & I get torn between the
360 & the PC every weekend, having to make a decision.  Right now,
the PC is sucking me in:  DoW 2 + expansions, weird arcade games
like Bit Trip Runner, & Magika & my vast Steam backlog that I still 
have to plow through.

Just like the stock markets, it has its ups and downs. I believe PC's and consoles can, and will, continue to co-exist.

I have a gaming PC and play on it.  Some games are still better on consoles though.  So I will continue to be a console AND pc gamer.

" @PhatSeeJay:  lol second part wasn't pointing at you. Should add another space.    Also playing multiplayer on a console won't prevent you from getting steamrolled by the kids with crazy modded out controllers. Not hating on your opinions just would love a little more elaboration before getting all defensive ;) "

I have a normal PC and it's doing okay for now. If I had the money I'd buy a PS3 instead, though.

Yes.
 
I've purchased a few games on Steam that I can't play on my current PC, which sucks because I'd really like to ;___;

I will continue to be a console AND pc gamer.

Realistically, I am going to own everything. However, I would love to have a dedicated gaming and media PC hooked up to my TV. If there were no exclusives, I would probably just do that and sod the consoles.
 
Of course, some games are better in the traditional PC format, so it would have to be a relatively painful process to switch over to a monitor and keyboard. That can be arranged.
 
Really, consoles don't have anything meaningful to me except for exclusive games. There will always be market for them though, because most people don't want to think about hardware.

Already have a great gaming PC, still vastly prefer console games.

" I would probably just do that and sod the consoles.  "

I had a job for 6 months last year, and being a student it left me money to spare, so I saved it and built a PC. Now I'm looking forward to playing BF3, Skyrim, GW2 etc. all on max and I can't say enough how excited I am! I still use my console to play with friends of course, as atm I don't have too many PC buddies. As long as I can afford it I think I will always want to play on PC, even if I have grown up (and become good as) a console player. I'm way better at console games than PC that's for sure!

I would definitely play more PC games, but I wouldn't become a PC fanboy.  I would just play it as much as my consoles.

A little clarification.  
I'm not saying that if you would go pc exclusive but if you could treat a new pc as a game console. How would you pit it against other consoles in your decision making process before purchase?

I'm extremely annoyed at the lack of console MMO's...good ones anyway.  I would get a computer that can actually run one without constant freezing if I had some money.

Consoles are for chumps.

I own PS3 and Xbox 360, but also a gaming PC and even when the next gen of consoles comes out I will stay PC mainly. 

does spending ~$3,000 on a mac count? i use it for video editing, but it runs sc2 nicely and hoping the same for diablo 3 when that hits.

If I had the money, sure, games look a lot better, there are some exclusives that I'm really interested in + mods and free updates for games such as Monday Night Combat. However I'm not tech savvy at all, so I would need to get a lot of help building a strong machine/when to update it and with what, also I honestly prefer playing games with a controller, but I guess I could get used to the mouse and keyboard since it's more precise. So short answer, probably yes, are you going to give me the money now?

" @PhatSeeJay:  no problem.  I do point out that you also have to walk over to your 360 to swap out disks as well.   On another note, my plush office chair works fine if I wanna lean back and play some pc games with a controller. "

I prefer consoles, but I understand the benefits of PC gaming. I just don't want to shell out all that money on PC, when on console will last 5-6 years, and of course be very playable at the 6 year mark.

" A little clarification.   I'm not saying that if you would go pc exclusive but if you could treat a new pc as a game console. How would you pit it against other consoles in your decision making process before purchase? "

Doing that in less than a month, so yes.

" @PhatSeeJay: false,some games play better (pretty much just 3rd person and racing games) pc has better controls for fps,rpg, and rts "

If I had unlimited money and someone to handle all the annoying hassles of getting video card drivers to work with whatever engine a game is using, yes I would use a PC.
 
But I would still play with a controller for most everything, save maybe strategy games.

Yes.

Nope, I prefer couch or comfortable chair, big screen and surround sound rather than a slightly uncomfortable chair, significantly smaller screen and stereo sound. Besides, even if I were to have the money to get a rig out of this world, it would still be outdated within a year, and I'd have to make the same purchase again. Whereas a console is good to go from day one until it's dead.

Absolutely, in fact, I did about a year back.  Between SC2 and all the games I buy for super cheap on Steam, I could not buy a game and have more than enough stuff to keep me happy for the year or two.  I literally play my Xbox 1-2 times a month, and my Wii a bit more since I got Donkey Kong Country Returns for Christmas.  I use my DS more than my consoles (Damn you Pokemon!).  
 
@PhatSeeJay said:

" @chickdigger802 said:

" @PhatSeeJay:  no problem.  I do point out that you also have to walk over to your 360 to swap out disks as well.   On another note, my plush office chair works fine if I wanna lean back and play some pc games with a controller. "

 Of course but I wouldn't place my PC next to my TV and my TV is not even in the same room as my rig. Changing disc on my console is a minor inconvenience compared to potentially doing it on my PC.   A console and a PC is just two different play styles for me. PC I sit up straight and focus and the console is to lay back and relax.  "