Help UnO pick a console.

[UnOrthOdOx]

Hey there.

The wife and I are looking into buying a console for Christmass this year. Yes, we're planning WAY ahead. Mostly for the kids (age 0, 4, and 8, obviously not for the age 0 baby), but I also like the occasional console game as well.

Currently we have a PS2, and it's been good to us. Kids have things like "Cars" and "Lego Star Wars" (damn 4 year old is better at this than me) along with various "platform" games like "Sly Cooper", and I get to play the Final Fantasy games when they come out.

In fact, Final Fantasy is what ultimately persuaded me to buy the PS1, and the PS2.

So, my current perception of the consoles:

Wii: great for the kids, not much there I'm going to like. (in fact, nothing really interests me) Oh sure, I might have a little fun flicking that goofy job of a controller around a bit, but nothing I'm going to get absorbed in.

Xbox: Have they fixed that overheating issue yet? Do you absolutely need the extra cooler? remember, this is going to be played by kids who may not be the best at turning the sucker off when they're done. And which "version" do I want? What really is the difference, and will there be a "xbox superultramega version" before Xmass?

Game wise:
Shooters, shooters, and hey, more shooters. Is there anything out there remotely kid friendly? Looking over things coming out I might like, Blue Dragon seems promising.

PS3: Way, way overkill for our current and projected needs. We don't have HD, thus don't need Blue ray, and we're not really planning to get into HD in the next year or so, doubt we will within 2 years.

Still, the PS2 games will work on it, and my biggest holdbacks are $ and poor sales have me mildly concerned games will cease being made to support it.

[Asher]

Xbox: Have they fixed that overheating issue yet?

It's not a real overheating issue, it was a defect in the board construction. And yes.

Do you absolutely need the extra cooler? remember, this is going to be played by kids who may not be the best at turning the sucker off when they're done.

NEVER buy one. They're stupid.

And which "version" do I want? What really is the difference, and will there be a "xbox superultramega version" before Xmass?

Just wait til ~October and ask again.

There's likely to be a redesigned Xbox 360 sometime this year. Smaller, cooler, and cheaper processors for the 360 are starting mass production in May, which means sometime before Christmas you're going to see cooler, cheaper, and perhaps smaller Xbox 360s for sale.

Widespread analyst speculation is the Xbox 360 core will be $199, Premium will be $299, and Elite will be $399.

The differences?
Xbox 360 Core: No hard drive! Don't buy this one at all.

Xbox 360 Premium: Hard drive! Buy this one.

Xbox 360 Elite: Massive hard drive! And HDMI port for highdef TVs (don't bother, you don't need it). And it's black.

[UnOrthOdOx]

And what about kid friendly games? Seems all the Xbox gets is shooters?

[Asher]

Rayman Raving Rabbids, Viva Pinata, Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, Table Tennis, Cars (based off the movie), Bomberman, etc.

[DrSpike]

To be honest, although I have an Xbox 360 and like it, the Wii might be better for Unorthodox.

[Spaced Cowboy]

Originally posted by DrSpike
To be honest, although I have an Xbox 360 and like it, the Wii might be better for Unorthodox.

QFT...Wii is more kid friendly. Xbox360 is a teen machine.

[DrSpike]

But also good for gamers in their late 20s.

[Main_Brain]

I heard the Wii has an superb Golf Game.

You might be able to beat your Kids at that =)

[Asher]

Originally posted by Spaced Cowboy
QFT...Wii is more kid friendly. Xbox360 is a teen machine.

Average age of the Xbox 360 gamer is 28.

[Spaced Cowboy]

I meant it was geared towards an older crowd.

[Wiglaf]

Originally posted by Asher

Average age of the Xbox 360 gamer is 28.

says who?

[Asher]

Microsoft's surveys.

[Bkeela]

If you're on a tight budget, I would suggest Wii for the sake of your kids. Games such as Zelda: Twilight Princess, the next Mario, and all the niche games for the controller would be fun for them, and they could also participate in a fairly iconic experience of the Wii controller which would be extra fun for kids. I assume since you are at these forums you like Civ IV, so why even bother with any other game for yourself? Besides, there are numerous FPS games for the PC, and I bet you haven't played them all.

If budget isn't too much of a concern, Xbox 360 I suppose. It is the best of this generation for hardcore gamers.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by DrSpike
But also good for gamers in their late 20s.

Gamers in their late 20s haven't grown out of their teens yet.

[asleepathewheel]

the wii has a ton of games on the virtual console which are fairly cheap, and great fun. Classics