Normal because 1.) it's balanced. I want the game I play to be challenging, but not frustrating, because then it's not fun, and 2.) because it's usually the default setting and I feel that's the way the game was meant to be played.

My difficulty is usually HARD on the word go. Just like a dark lord should do.

Usually normal but when it comes to Resident Evil I always pick the hardest setting straight away, which makes me panic more thus giving me a slight illusion that the new RE games are as good as the Tank-Control ones

Normal, because I want to get through a game without too much resistance.

I usually play games starting with the easiest difficulty. If I like the game, I'll play it again on a higher difficulty to get more playtime and enjoyment out of it.

I usually play on the Hardest off the bat, dont think ive came accross a game thats been "screw this im lowering the difficulty" or "im not playing anymore >=/.". This is mainly for the trophies however, otherwise id likely have gone for normal, or in some cases hard. Does this detract from the experience? in some cases, games like Uncharted i feel would have been more fun on normal and then a mopup on hard and a trial (and fail) at Crushing (gave up in the water room on 1 -.-) , but im simply not going to play it 3 times.

Now me and my buddy did play Transformers WFC on easy (i wanted hard, they moaned and refused to join my games so i had to join theres -.-) a year or so and then on hard this year, and yes, it was difficultish, would have been even moreso with bots that refuse to heal (dont need healing however) , would have annoyed me to play that solo.

Now, my experience is heavily as a mediocre gamer, I rarely "get good" at games, being as good as im going to get after like...an hour or two (granted going back to DeadSpace 1 I stuck with the cutter knowing the other guns sucked mo or less ;), only reached chapter 4 the first time however, but it was crap -.-)

Ninja Gaiden 2 wasn't that hard well for now.

I've pretty much adapted to brutal difficulties (in most games) except for 1 to 2 players on left 4 dead 2 which has a random difficulty wave n your partner AI are retarded.

Also coop games for casual or hardcore play I love coop from mario to gears of war, portal 2 and left 4 dead 2.

The one game I always put on easy mode is COD games I never actually cared for its multiplayer and I can beat the games on veteran mode but I just prefer renting it off some person who spent their money on it rather than me paying for it because the game imo is only worth a weekend rental and the online multiplayer is pretty much filler to me, I never found it interesting.

See the thing is I've seen so many brutal challenges and games trying to be hardcore that half of the time I just don't care and rather bust out the pussy easy mode and make jokes of the drama or play something cartoonish like team fortress 2 or a low tiered fighter in any beat em up (Henshin a GO GO GO BABY!).\

Ever since I've beaten DOOM on ultra violence, three games I have reached the top 100 and once top 10 on leaderboards in online games all Xbox live arcade, numerous well done speed runs all legit, and Zelda 2 I've felt more than accomplished.

Bottom line I just prefer to play a game for the laughs now heck I still go to tournaments and enjoy kicking ass or getting my ass played like the bongos.

I remember putting Rage on the Nightmare difficulty, expecting it to be a real nightmare since, you know, it was made by the same people who made Doom. All throughout the game I kept checking to see if I was on Normal mode . I wasn't. Disappoint. I was.

Otherwise I get a decent challenge, and achievements, from starting off on hard mode. Unless it's Ninja Gaiden 2. I ain't touching that on hard. Not for a long time.