Very interesting thread you guys have started.I know the discussion has gone slightly off topic, but I have been living in the US for a few years now and I think the fundamentals of the problem go deeper than just gaming preference.
I think the decline of education in the US plays a large part in what we are seeing in gaming. Console games are being geared more towards an age group that is between 11-17 years old, i.e. school kids.
The decline in the education in this country has been well documented, kids don't want to learn how to read or write, they don't want to do math or science they simply aren't being challenged in our schools or groomed by their parents. It should be no surprise then when many of these same kids are turned a way by something as "brain intensive" as PC Gaming, let alone a PC sim? They simply don't want to spend the time learning PC games past an FPS.
Coincidentally, the workforces in places like India, China, Russia and Romania are very well educated and becoming ever more technical. These places have seen tremendous growth in programming jobs in the last decade or so.
I'm really not trying to bash these kids, the consoles or the US. The consoles have pretty much been shoved down our collective throats. Build it and they will come and play.I own all three consoles and they all have their place and time. The PC remains king though.
I guess its evolution, but I can't help but be concerned for both this country and PC gaming.