Holly in FL Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 We are thinking of buying a game system for our family for Xmas. I would like to hear the pros and cons from those of you who own the Wii or any of the other game systems. Someone recently told me that the Wii "wears out" after about 2 or 3 years. ??? I know the Wii is more interactive...but, I've read complaints about the graphics not being that good. ??? We have no idea which system will give us the biggest bang for our buck. DH and I are leaning toward the Wii just because it's not a sedentary game...but, would like to hear opinions from anyone for any of the systems. Thanks! ~Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 If you are a family of gamers-you like Tomb Raider or Medal of Honor or such then the Wii is not for you. If you are not gamers and you want something for the family, the Wii is probably more along the lines of what you're looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nakitty Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 The Wii is the only console we own....we love it. Graphics are good...but not the best out there....but it's more fun than most consoles because of the interactive aspect...:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I have not researched the Wii too much so I can't comment on that. We do have a PlayStation3 because it doubles as a BlueRay DVD player. The video games are high quality graphics and they have a good selection for all age levels. We are very pleased with it! It's also supposedly the best BlueRay player available right now. This of course, is disputable, but again we are thrilled with the movie quality. So, bang for your buck, I'd get PS3. If your kids are younger though, you may want to get the Wii. I think the games are likely better for the younger crowd. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 If your kids are younger though, you may want to get the Wii. I think the games are likely better for the younger crowd. I will agree with this as well. Playstation does not have very many games that cater to the younger crowd. If you want a truly starter console then you might consider getting a used gamecube for the kids from gamestop, you can get them for under $50. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedarmom Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 We love our Wii! It has lots of family type games (Mario bros. sports etc) that all ages can play. More people (grandparents, younger kids) like playing it, so we can take it to family functions, and its not just the older kids attatched to it. It probably doesn't have as good of high-tech visual, but for me it is a good trade off. My son is 16, and I do let him play some of the semi-violent stuff on X-box, but I didn't want him having one at home. I much prefer the options Wii has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I only gave in because some of the games require you to get off your butt. The Wii games such as Wii Sports, Carnival, Game Party are fun to play in groups and are more family oriented than what's available on other systems. There are games that are available for the Wii that are just like other systems, but I steer clear of them. There are better graphics for sure, but I'm not looking to replicate real life. As far as the life span of the Wii, I don't know. I've heard complaints about all the gaming systems dying out early. I know that all these systems have cooling fans and they need them to support the graphics and speed of the processors, so that could be an issue. It could be they are more fragil than the older systems. I don't know. We bought the extended warranty, hope I won't need it. My kids are still jealous of their friends with PS3's and Xboxes, but oh well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 How old are your kids? I would definitely second the response that Nintendo makes more and better games for younger kids than the other system manufacturers. They also have what I would consider (being one myself) more games for the girl gamers out there. And a wider selection of non-violent games. We have an Xbox and a Wii and a game cube, and most of the Xbox titles have to do with fighting or racing or sports, or something like that. The graphics may be better on the Xbox or Playstation than the Wii. But playing the Wii is a lot of fun. My 4 year old loves it. We all do. I would suggest looking through the game titles available for each system before you decide. Pick the system that has the most titles that would appeal to your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threetreasurs Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 With the Wii, everyone in the family can have fun with it. I just asked my 20 year-old son and that is his response.:) He also says the Playstation is expensive and doesn't have that many good games (but excellent graphics). He thought the xbox much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 One other thing to keep in mind is that you can rent many of the consoles and games from Blockbuster. You might try out a few different systems before making a decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly in FL Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 My children are 9yo, 7yo, and 5yo. Thanks for all the info so far, everyone!! ~Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 The Wii is definitely the best for family interaction. Lots of very creative, family-friendly games -- group and individual. You just have to be careful about people getting carried away and flinging their Wiimotes across the room. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinag Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I would go for the Wii. You can play Gamecube games on the Wii. We have just about every kind of gaming system (wish I could say it was because of my dh line of work like abbeyej) and the Wii is used the most by the whole family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 We love Wii! Okay, the graphics may not be the greatest for the serious gamer. But the whole deal of Wii for family is awesome. Nothing like boxing, playing golf, cow racing, and go carting. The boxing is an unbelievable workout!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fshinkevich Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 True the Wii does not have the best graphics, if your really into gaming your probably better off with a PC for that anyway. We have several gaming systems and IMO, for kid friendly/family friendly games I would stick with any Nintendo system over the others. Wii is a TON of fun, and of course the fact that it gets kids (and their parents, haha) moving is a huge plus. I just have a little personal rant for their company though, and how they have marketed the Wii, it has been out for years and they are still hard to find...really silly IMO esp. since new generations come out about every 3 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangeblossom Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 We have an XBox and a Wii and we love the Wii, hands down. Lots of games available for all ages, and the whole family has fun wit it. Even if it wears out in 3 years (hope not), it'll have been worth the money. I also like that many of the games available are those that make you get up and get moving to play them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 We've had a Playstation 2, an xbox 360, and a Wii (at different times). For kids your kids' ages, I'd *absolutely* go for the Wii. I can't really vouch for the longevity of the console though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey in TX Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Wii doesn't actually 'wear out'. You just have to be cognizant to not allow it to overheat. Use the stand it comes with in order to allow the internal fan to cool the system. We had to send ours in when this happened. (Warranty, quick return) We have several systems (Wii, Game Cube, PS3) and the most used is the PS3 b/c of picture quality. It is superb. However the game selection for the Wii is superior. There are many more children's games and family participation games. It depends on which you value more. Graphics or game choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly in FL Posted July 17, 2008 Author Share Posted July 17, 2008 Thanks so much, everyone! This is extremely helpful. ~Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowWhite Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 We love our Wii. The strong point is the availability of games like Wii Sports, Wii Play and Wii Fit, which actually get kids up off the couch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly in FL Posted July 17, 2008 Author Share Posted July 17, 2008 Thanks for the game suggestions! ~Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Just agreeing. For your kids ages, the Wii should be best. Older kids prefer the xbox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly in FL Posted July 17, 2008 Author Share Posted July 17, 2008 Thank you, Lolly! ~Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I highly recommend the Wii. That was our entire Christmas last year, and we love it. The whole family gets involved when we do sports and such. My 12yos just chimed in and said that Nintendo tends to have the most E (everyone) rated games. And the Wii can also play Gamecube games. We're anxioulsy awaiting the day we can get WiiFit. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retired Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 The Xbox 360 is the better system according to my boys. The Wii has more games for younger kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly in FL Posted July 17, 2008 Author Share Posted July 17, 2008 Thanks for the input! ~Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freethinkermom Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I would have to say an Xbox 360 hands down if you are buying it for the whole family. We have a Wii too, but really only the kids play it. Everyone plays on the 360. With an Xbox Live account you can play online, download tv shows and movies (cost extra, but about the same as itunes pricewise), play music, network it with other computers and devices, play downloaded movies and tv off a usb thumstick or stream from said networked computers, download trial games and other multimedia content. When the Fall update comes out, probably in November, it will also stream content from Netflix if you have a Netflix account. Not all I listed needs a Live account, I got carried away listing stuff, and some like the Netflix and playing online require a Gold account which is $50/year. The 360 also plays dvds and is surround sound. If you want to play games like Rock band and Guitar Hero the sound quality is much higher than the Wii, which I believe is just stereo. It really is more of a home entertainment system than only a game console. I sound like a Microsoft ad which is funny since all of our computers are Linux and the only Microsoft product in the house is the xbox and associated games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia in WA Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I have to read your response to my dh. He will be excited by your glowing review. He will be so happy someone else "gets" it too. We own the Xbox and had gotten off of Netflix for Blockbuster. I have been bugging dh to return to Netflix and when they announced the deal, he came home grinning. We will be returning and can't wait to download movies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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