I'm getting a new computer and I am oblivious!

Dread Pirate Arbuthnot

So I'm getting a new computer for my birthday in about a week, and it's going to be coming with The Orange Box (hoo-ray). As for games, I'm planning on picking up Fallout 3 and Starcraft 2 when they come out, but that's about the extent of what I want. The only game console I have is a Wii, and prior to this all I have ever owned are Macs, so I'm looking forward to being able to buy the hippest new games (that aren't WoW) with everyone else or at all!

Suggest games to me!

Scooter

Some genre suggestions might help. I suppose you like FPSes, but other than that...RPGs? RTSes? Etc.

Dread Pirate Arbuthnot

I'm not a huge FPS fan unless it's done very well. I liked Goldeneye and America's Army, I wouldn't like Counterstrike or anything fast paced and frantic. I really like RTSes, or at least Dawn of War and Blizzard ones, and I'm a fan of platformers, fun puzzle games -- pretty much anything that isn't gory, insanely difficult, or highly competitive with a retarded player base.

gneGne

Platformers is a genre where the PC is kind of lacking... but let's talk about what the PC does have...

A newer game to look at (which fits the puzzle genre) is ofcourse "Puzzle Quest" and you're already getting Portal so...

Some other RTS' besides the ones you mentioned would be "Company of Heroes" and "World in Conflict"...
Kind of funny you mentioned not liking anything insanely difficult or highly competitive but looking forward to StarCraft 2 . It's something StarCraft is known for, but it's still a fun game regardless of seriousness.

Furthermore, what about trying some of the classics? Like "No One Lives Forever" number 1 and 2, it shouldn't be that expensive anymore.

Fibretip

if you want a platformer you can't go wrong with psychonauts, it still looks really nice with all the settings up, though it is a few years old. but you just can't miss it. best platforming you'll find with a keyboard and mouse infront of you.

TychoCelchuuu

RTS:

World in Conflict
Company of Heroes
Supreme Commander
DEFCON
Medieval 2: Total War
Darwinia

FPS/Third Person Shooter:

No One Lives Forever/NOLF 2
Deus Ex
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Bioshock
Just Cause
MINERVA: Metastasis
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
TRON 2.0
Crysis
Armed and Dangerous
Brothers in Arms
GUN
Freedom Fighters
Call of Duty, Call of Duty 2
XIII
Rainbow 6: Raven Shield
Rainbow 6: Vegas
Red Orchestra

Platformers:

Tomb Raider: Legend
Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Pyschonauts
Beyond Good and Evil

RPG:

Planescape: Torment
Oblivion
The Witcher
Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II
Neverwinter Nights 2
Knights of the Old Republic/KOTOR 2
Jade Empire

Adventure:
Indigo Prophecy/Fahrenheit
Sam and Max Season 1
The Longest Journey

This is of course a very incomplete list, but once you play through all of this you can just Google "games similar to [GAME THAT YOU LIKED]" to find more of the classics

xThanatoSx

On the FPS list, I'm going to add Wheel if Time. If you can find a copy, WELL worth your time, energy and effort

Corp.Shephard

As a big RTS fan myself, I would suggest Company of Heroes. Its made by Relic, the same company that made Dawn of War, and uses some similar mechanics (Resources are based on map control, rather than a "workers collect different resources"). However, it takes the cover system and completely re-hauls it. Cover is directional, unlike dawn of war: If you're behind the same wall that your foe is, they gain no cover from it. Flanking and positioning becomes more important, and makes you very aware of the battlefield (Flanking is also very useful for taking out tanks and vehicles, the game differentiates between front and rear armor. Catch them from behind, you'll do more damage!). Distance is also a large factor in the game. A unit armed with submachine guns is relatively ineffective unless they can close in and spray their foes down. I find that all these factors combine for very compelling game play. In addition, If you've ever played Command and Conquer: Generals, it has a similar system to Generals Powers. Artillery barrages, off-map reserve forces, or new units are unlocked as the battle progresses. If you grab the expansion, their are four sides, each with three "doctrines" which allow you to specialize into whatever strategy you prefer. I like the atmosphere that the game creates as I play it. You feel like you're playing in a real world. The soldiers will talk to each other if they're not fighting, and you can even hear the other side idly chat. The game is also graphically very impressive, so if you're looking to test out your new box, it might be a good place to do so. Crank up those settings!

World in Conflict too, is an excellent RTS game. I can't comment much on it though, as I haven't bought it yet. I did however, play in it's beta, and that was very polished and enjoyable, if lacking a bit personality. The sides are identical in unit selection and don't say much cept' "yes sir" and variants. It does have a fine multiplayer system, and very ground-control-eske play. I loved the "Tactical Aid" system, which is very similar to the "generals powers" that I described above: as you fight, you gain points that can be spent on anything from airborne reinforcements to tactical nukes. Online games are more like FPS servers: you jump in, choose a configuration for your forces, they deploy, and you join the fray that players are already fighting. I would have bought it had it not shared the same month as Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts.

You might consider the Command and Conquer: The First Decade. It includes 12 Command and Conquer games, all of them aside from the newest one, CnC:3. I grew up on these, so I'm a bit biased here, but they're very excellent and fun games. Of course, most of them will look dated, you'll not get more single-player content for your buck than here, if you've not played all of them.

Hmm. I have a tendency to elaborate too much on things when I suggest them. Oh well.
I'd also suggest Oblivion. Its exploration-galore RPG fun. So many things you can do in that game, and they're still releasing new content for it (some free!)

Blake T

Bioshock!

I would also look at getting a wired 360 controller for all of your platforming adventures, or perhaps a wireless with a wireless dongle reciever if those disgusting look wire things offend you.

tectonic

Left 4 Dead, co-op multiplayer zombie survival FPS - due out early next year. Don't forget about it.

Psychonauts is awesome too.