“ I was content with consoles for many, many years.

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“ I'm hell-bent on gaming longevity.

“ What if I could never play this again?

Perhaps I was always meant to be a PC gamer.My earliest memories with video games started from atop my father's knee, controlling the attack systems of a submarine while my father piloted it through the ever-narrowing depths of our family computer. We rarely lasted long, much to my displeasure, but I'll label it as a bonding experience for our mutual benefit.After these ill-fated sessions my memories are much less clear, flickering with images of arcade cabinets and Ataris. My gaming lineage properly takes root at the Nintendo Entertainment System. I counted down the days as I hurled my humble allowance towards a tally mounted on the refrigerator door. With my NES purchase, I cemented my path towards console exclusivity, rarely looking back -- though occasionally casting a forlorn glance at my PC friends when something great slipped through my fingers.My console obsession leapt from system to system, branching away from Nintendo and into PlayStation and Xbox territory after the N64. For a while, nothing threatened this way of life. Even the sublime intrigue of Half-Life 2 failed to pull me from my course. But after collecting all three members of the current generation I was met with two convincing agents of PC seduction.They went by the names StarCraft II and Diablo III I've already written at length about my rabid obsession with Diablo III . The promise of its endless loot and alluring fantasy realm was too great, especially after my brief but passionate affair with StarCraft II. Everything I read about Diablo III convinced me that it was the game I always wanted. Unlockable skills. Legendary weapons. A real-money auction house. It sounded perfect.I decided that my ancient iMac wasn't enough to penetrate the PC gaming space, so I sought out other methods. New Macs capable of PC gaming have equivalent costs to space travel or genetic modification, and pre-built PCs still run pretty high. With much convincing from GameSpy's Mike Nelson, I decided to build a PC from scratch.Mike, as you might expect, did most of the work.The first gaming rig I ever owned sat, unassuming, under my desk. And oddly enough, after all the time and money I spent reaching this fabled status, my love of Diablo III dwindled away. Three runs through the main campaign dimmed my fanatical attachment to the loot grind. And while this irony still stings, Diablo III's contribution to my gaming DNA is unmatched.Now one year later, PC gaming is my platform of choice. While I still cherish video games in all their forms, I default to my trusty rig whenever possible. "But why the change of heart?" you ask, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. "PC gaming is hard! There are so many drivers! It’s only for nerds!"Those are only half-truths, my friend -- something I've discovered over time during my transition between console gaming and PC gaming. While the initial setup of a PC can indeed occupy more time and resources than console upkeep, the final play environment is often faster and friendlier -- assuming you have the right hardware.With a new solid-state drive my PC boots in about the same time as a console, and it launches games even faster. The mighty Steam, which hums along in the background, makes library management and game updating easier than I ever thought possible on the current console platforms. And with a 360 gamepad snaking out of the back of my tower, I have ample control options for any game type.This longevity also works in ways that are impossible on current consoles. Outdated PCs can still run "next-gen" games by adjusting graphical settings, enabling gamers to extend the power of their original investment. Conversely, a newly-upgraded PC runs older games better than it could before, thereby enhancing the performance of a game that, on its own, never changed. Meanwhile, other games like popular newcomers FTL, Lone Survivor, and Hotline Miami, have low entry costs and even lower system requirements.So here I sit, with the ghosts of Super Nintendos, Dreamcasts, and Xboxes lighting my wake with the warm nostalgia of console gaming. And though a new generation of consoles teeters on the cusp of present day, I have confidence that PC gaming will continue on, unaffected. After all, PC gaming has been around long before I typed away at my dad's Apple II.

Ryan Clements writes for IGN, and -- according to his mother -- started gaming at 18 months old. Follow him on Twitter at @PwamCider.