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[Sakar]

With games, I never use subtitles except in games like Mass Effect. They're annoying and get in the way of things, so I'd rather they not be there. I rarely miss what anyone is saying (largely due to me always playing it either really loud or wearing headphones).

For things outside of games that originate in a different language, like anime, I find it best to have subtitles because dubs are often terrible.

[SirNiko]

I use subtitles to help me hear comments I might miss in games with weird dynamic sound effects that pan and fade when somebody walks away. Sometimes it's strangely difficult to put your character in the right position to hear what is being said.

It also helps if it is a game where the conversations may be important, like telling me where to go next, or providing a clue for a puzzle. This way I miss nothing.

I always turn on subtitles right away and leave them that way forever.

[capn.lee]

I always though subtitles on by default was an ego thing.
"our story is way too good for anyone to miss"

unless we're talking flash games, at which point it's fair to assume there's a guy sat at work without speakers trying to play.

[johnnoz]

Personally, I always use subtitles because most games have really, really shitty audio mixing.
Random lines of dialogue will be quieter than the rest, characters start talking when they're too far away, the game does that annoying thing where you can only hear people infront of you or SOMETHING.

It's not like all games have these problems, but it's way more common then it at all should be.

[Ashkin]

I use subtitles because video games are so angsty that everyone mumbles

[Dragonmaw]

I'm hard of hearing so subtitles are greatly appreciated.

[dEnamed]

Personally, I'm veeeeery picky when it comes to Voice Acting in Games. In my opinion, it's generally of bad quality and that's mainly for one single reason:

The Voice Actors are told to talk slow, overly pronounced and steady. 

This pisses me off to no end as it takes out all character. I can generally read out a line of dialogue two times before the game even gets close to finishing one sentence. You can neither convey emotions, nor can you build up suspense this way.
"Ruuuuun... foooor... your... lIves... the... wOOOorld... is... coooOOooming... to... an... end... if... we...". BLOODY SKIP ALREADY, ARGHARBL. I don't know, the slow talking pace just kills all the mood for me. Doesn't feel natural. Feels insulting too. Add in generally bad facial animation that makes even the most serious of characters look like they went to clown school and the fact I grew up on subtitles (well, dialogue as written text was the standard in old games ) So ye, I activate it by default and skip large parts of dialogue the second I've read the subtitle.

[sonicblastoise]

Because I usually play with the sound very low or off so as to not disturb neighboring rooms, or because I don't want to be totally unreachable in my little PC cave with headphones on.

[ink.inc]

subtitles because otherwise i have No Fucking Clue what anyone in Doctor Who is saying

[iffi]

I always play games with subtitles on if they're available. I also watch TV with subtitles on, even though English is my first language and I don't have any hearing problems I know of. I just suck at listening, especially with a lot of background noise.