Video Game Systems

[Scott P]

OK, the only computer or video game I've ever played was Oregon Trail and not until recently.

Anyway, I promised my son and daughter than when they climbed 200 and 100 mountains respectively, I would get them a video game system (to be used sparingly of course). They are getting close.

People at work think they (they are quite active) would be better off with a Wii rather than a DS (which is what we were originally thinking).

I admit that I'm really not familiar with either one. Does anyone have these?

Which is better?

[asdf]

The Wii is pretty fun but once Natal is released in late 2010 you are going to want an xbox360.

[DiscGo]

You have your pros and cons with both.

In the end, I would get them a Wii over the DS.


Wii:
Pros- Interact together, and requires more physical activity than the other consoles.

Cons- If your kids aren't careful, they are more likely to break something than with other consoles because of that extra involvement and the games are just okay (but very popular)

DS:
Pros- Best little handheld gaming device. It is awesome, and there are a lot of games. Many of which are a lot of fun.

Cons- The DS is so portable and easy to carry that your kids can and likely will start carrying them to school, camping, church, etc. and can actually miss out on a lot of cool stuff while looking down at those screens.

So from I know about your Scott, I would get your kids the Wii because you will be able to designate the location of where they play it instead of allowing them to play everywhere you take them.

[Iceaxe]

My kids are big namers... and it is not even close between those two system... get the Wii.

The DS is a small hand held, has poor graphics, weak games and limited programing. And maybe most important of all to kids is only one can play it at a time.

Wii is one of the latest and great gaming systems. It's extremely popular with kids and women. And what makes it so much better than a DS is 4 can play it at one time.

[DaveOU812]

As I guy who doesn't like the cold/snow (I know, why am I still in Utah. Thinking about making a move to St. George) my only winter hobby is video games. Go with the Wii. It's great for a whole family to play together.

[Deathcricket]

PS3. Better games, wayyyyyyyyyy better graphics, play blue ray DVD's in HD, has a built in media server you can stream too and cancel your cable, save $60 a month. The list goes on and on. Plus Final Fantasy 13!! Do I even need to type another sentence to convince you?

That being said, the Wii fit yoga game is pretty much the coolest thing I have ever seen. So many of those Wii games are just crap though. I would say out of the 15 games I own, 10 are complete garbage. The Wii controls get very old after the novelty wears off too.

[DiscGo]

I have a PS3 and mostly play Call of Duty 6 or Little Big Planet.

If any of you want to add me, my PS3 name is Discgo :)

[asdf]

PS3. Better games, wayyyyyyyyyy better graphics, play blue ray DVD's in HD, has a built in media server you can stream too and cancel your cable, save $60 a month. The list goes on and on. Plus Final Fantasy 13!! Do I even need to type another sentence to convince you?

Xbox360 FTW
Sony blew it with the PS2 those things died left and right.
PS3 controllers are made for people with really small hands and ya know what they say about guys with small hands

[Don]

The Wii is pretty fun but once Natal is released in late 2010 you are going to want an xbox360.

Dude. Holy crap. I hadn't seen those videos before; that's pretty amazing.

[DiscGo]

Xbox360 FTW
Sony blew it with the PS2 those things died left and right.
PS3 controllers are made for people with really small hands and ya know what they say about guys with small hands

I had a 360 for over a year and I hardly ever played it. My wife used to get mad at me that we spent so much money on it and I never used it. I sold it and upgraded to a PS3 and have been much happier. I use my PS3 all the time (it streams video better than the 360, has a blue-ray player, etc.). And ultimately the PS3 is a lot cheaper than the 360 over time. Free online gaming (awesome!), the controllers have a built in chargeable battery instead of having to constantly replace the batteries in those dumb 360 battery packs.

The only thing I miss about the 360 is Halo, and Fable. Project Natal however does look awesome. I am skeptical though of it working as well as it shows here.

[Sombeech]

For me, I'm not really a gamer. I get together with people and play Halo and Rock Band, so it's not all about the graphics for me.

If you're looking for family fun, rather than just sheer performance, your end result would probably be different.

The Wii looks cool to play with the family, and Rock Band is a lot of fun to have friends over.

If you're an online gamer and it's all about performance and visuals, you may go with the 360 crowd.

[DaveOU812]

Ok. Let the PS3 vs XBOX battle begin. I own a PS3 and it is head and shoulder better than the box. Yea yea, the box has Halo but all I have to say is BLURAY!!! I stand by my previous suggestion to buy the Wii because its for the kids but for us big kids, go with the PS3. Xbox Live = $$$ PSN = Free! No red ring of death for me.

[asdf]

Whats so great about BLURAY?
Why would you want to put extra miles on your console by playing movies... I rarely even play Dvds on my xbox (that's what DVD players are for). I already repurchased my entire VHS movie collection on DVD now I am supposed to do it a third time for bluray?

I think I would rather just flush my money down the toilet.


Please tell us how many years it took Sony to get "Home" even comparable to XboxLive? It was only in beta for a few years....


For the record - I dont hate Sony and would not mind owning a PS3 but two consoles would be a bit much for how little I play.

[DiscGo]

I stream video from my computer through my PS3 and seldom watch DVDs or Bluray, but when you do put a DVD in the PS3 it upconverts the video quality better than most Bluray players and a lot better than any DVD player can. The PS3 really is a pretty sweet system.


Ironically Microsoft copied Sony's success from the PS2 and rushed their console to the market. There is really nothing special about the 360. Game producers never really tapped the full potential of the Xbox and the 360 just picked up where the Xbox left off. Sony copied Microsoft's success with the xbox by developing a better and more expensive system. Once again it was the version console to the market which won out.

As far as Scott's family goes, I think we can all agree that the Wii is the way to go over the DS.

[Sombeech]

So with streaming from your PC to the PS3, can you also watch hulu.com from it, or are we talking about video files that are stored on your PC hard drive?

[Kent K25]

A year ago I had an Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii.

I have since sold the Wii - Great device for younger or less serious gamers. Also great to play with groups

The PS3 is now just a Blu Ray Movie player for me. I got sick of the games that were released on both systems having lower frame rates on the PS3. The only game on the PS3 that are worth playing (to me) are the exclusives. Killzone 2 was a pretty awesome game, as was Little Big Planet.

Xbox 360 gets all my gaming time. I don't mind paying for the online gaming since it is a better experience overall.

I think each system excels in its own ways, but the 360 excels in the ways that I enjoy the most.

[Deathcricket]

So with streaming from your PC to the PS3, can you also watch hulu.com from it, or are we talking about video files that are stored on your PC hard drive?

Right, just files on the PC. Boxee has built in Hulu and Pandora apps though that are amazing. Not sure if you have ever built a media center, but I highly recommend it.

[DiscGo]

I use Playon to stream Hulu and other programs to my TV through the PS3

[MY T PIMP]

I have a WII and a 360 and love them both. Though with the exception of a few,(like the new Super Mario Brothers) playing as a single player I get bored of the WII games much quicker than that of the 360. However playing as a group (not online) the WII is a riot. I have not been interested in a PS3 because they do not have the quality game markeshare XBOX does. I love my 360, Modern Warfare 2 online is unbelievable. There is nothing that compares. But if you get that, your kid's mountain climbing days could be over.

I am stoked for Bio Shock 2 the first one was amazing.

[jman]

So with streaming from your PC to the PS3, can you also watch hulu.com from it, or are we talking about video files that are stored on your PC hard drive?

Right, just files on the PC. Boxee has built in Hulu and Pandora apps though that are amazing. Not sure if you have ever built a media center, but I highly recommend it.

you mean a HTPC? I built one last year and love it! HTPCs have no out-of-box playability, but if you are a tweaker or a geek like a few of us - they are great!
You use Boxee? I would recommend Mediaportal - it has more options. You got any pics or specs of it? You can PM me if you don't want to derail this conversation too much LOLzzz.