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 Post subject: What should I buy?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 11:36 am 
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I expect some strong opinions here :)

I am thinking of getting the family a console box for the living room. Ideally, I want to be able to shoot and kill stuff - other actual people online would be nice. But I have my PC for that and if I am going to invest in a console, I need it to be family friendly - something that a 5 year old can enjoy, and that I can school my wife in something that doesn't involve fragging (which we do in the living room on occasion...but..uh...never mind).

So help me out. My instinct is a wii but I know nothing about the console market.

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 Post subject: Re: What should I buy?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 11:48 am 
Woodpecker
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I've got a bit of experience with gaming consoles (my brother keeps buying them) and I've enjoyed the playstation the best, it was really easy to learn how to use and it's got a lot of fun games for kids and adults.
I never figured out how to use the xbox- to many buttons on the controller and we never got a game I reeeeeally wanted to play, meanwhile the PS2 is still in my living room.
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 Post subject: Re: What should I buy?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 11:54 am 
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I've heard for family entertainment wii is the way to go.

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 Post subject: Re: What should I buy?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 12:36 pm 
Renegade Heroes
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I would suggest an X-Box 360 S (the new black redesign that came out). The reasoning is that the 360 has hd graphics (Wii does not) and these days costs almost the same as the Wii. As well, most development has moved to the PS3 and X-Box 360 because software sales have been terrible for the Wii. Another reason that most development has moved to the PS3 and 360 is because of the PlayStation Move and Microsoft Kinect, which will create a lot of family friendly content. I would also assume you would know more people that own a 360 so your able to play games online with them, the downside is that an X-Box Live membership is $50 or $60 a year (60 when the price increase comes in November?). The only way I would suggest a PS3 over a 360 is if you watch a lot of movies and don't have a blu-ray player (PS3 has a built in blu-ray player).


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 Post subject: Re: What should I buy?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 1:18 pm 
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I have a PS3 and a wii.

I got the PS3 mostly for the blu-ray player, but have enjoyed a lot of games on it. however, for family friendly, you cannot do better than the wii imo.

you kids will pick up on the controls for the wii instantly, and there are plenty of games that are fun for you and the wife as well.

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 Post subject: Re: What should I buy?
PostPosted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 12:17 am 
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Hey Now AC...

I have a soon to be 10 y/o, a 5 y/o and a wife...and we all enjoy the Wii. Wii sports and Mario Kart are amazing games. I also have a 360 and me and the boys enjoy that. We tend to play racing games (Burnout:Paradise City and Blur are amazing), FPS games (Halo:Reach which my 10 y/o and I have been doing the co-op campaign on split screen), and the 5 y/o loves his Lego Batman game. Both the 360 and the Wii allow for Netflix streaming, which we use the 360 a LOT for...I watch a LOT of movies and TV series (especially British ones) on the Netflix streaming.

Also, in Nov, the 360 is going to be getting the Kinect, a camera device that turns your body into a controller. Yes it is another $150 part, but I think it will be well worth it...I played a TON of games for this device at PAX 2010. Here are some vids of the Kinect in action.

Dance Central for Kinect...tried this at PAX and it was fun...I sucked, but, I am a Martial Artist...not a dancer.


Boxing, Racing and more Dance Central for Kinect...played all, the Boxing was quite accurate. Anyone with some Boxing will crush anyone who just wails at it. The Kart racing game was also quite accurate and fun to play.


Kinect Sports commercial


Kinect Adventures demo at E3


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 Post subject: Re: What should I buy?
PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:26 pm 
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We have a PS2, PS3, Xbox and Xbox 360 (I wouldn't recommend having so many..). I have not had a chance to play a Wii, but my daughter did and she said it was fun (right before she accidently let go of the controller and destroyed her friends flat screen playing a game).
Out of the ones we do have, I have primarly played on the PS2 / 3 because I don't like the way the controller works for Xbox. I guess I'm just lazy and didn't want to have to learn to use it.
One of the advantages to either of the PS or Xbox consoles is that there seems to be a lot of games available for either (havent seen many fps for Wii, but maybe not looking..).
The Wii may have the advantage in the games for younger kids, but I think either of the other two will dominate the more advanced games when your children get older.

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 Post subject: Re: What should I buy?
PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 12:44 pm 
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I have a PS3 and a Wii. 4.5 yo and a 6 yo. My son is the big gamer in the family, and I would say he spends 95% of his time with the PS3, and rest on Wii.

PS3 - Streaming for Netflix, Blu-Ray Player, and HD game graphics. More and more games everyday, and they play well.

Wii - HAs fun games, I like the sports games and driving games. Biggest downside is the poor graphics output. Now that it is hooked up to the HDTV, looks like an ancient relic graphics wise :( But has some fun games.

With the new motion players out there now for the PS3, it can do the same, claims to have better reception, and with stunnng HD graphics, it is hands down my preference. Love Lego Star Wars (1-6), Gran Tourismo stuff, etc etc ...

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 Post subject: Re: What should I buy?
PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 8:15 pm 
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For the motion controllers that are out there...the Wii started it all, and the PS3 is very "me too". Nothing new to see here...

for the 360, you have the Kinect...throw away the controller, these games won't need it...you are the controller.

I have played both Kinect games and the Sony move controller games...and the Sony offerings were *Yawn*. Most of the demos they were showing were NOT designed for this controller and as such, felt VERY cumbersome. Not too mention that the original offerings made for the Sony move...didn't move me.

I play Halo:Reach with my 10 y/o and Lego Batman with the 5 y/o on the 360. Unless we are playing Wii Sports or Mario Cart, the Wii just doesn't get used too often. The 360 is the defacto movie machine thru Netflix streaming, and this feature is use a LOT. It is also a Jukebox via Last FM. When my boys want to play a game, it is usually on the 360 and I will be getting Dance Central w/the Kinect for the wife as she saw the demo vids for it and is very interested in this game.


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