Wii / Wii U Is the Wii the best bet for kids?

[mikemorton]

Can I get your advice on a games console for my kids please?

My knowledge of consoles ended with the original Xbox - I now play exclusively on my PC.

I have two children aged seven and four.

I favour a Wii, while my wife reckons they should have a 360/Kinect combo - purely because they've played one at a friend's house.

But am I right in thinking the Kinect needs an HD TV?

We have a 10-year-old Sony Trinitron at the moment!

Is a PS3 a good third option?

I would have thought the Wii would be more suitable - Mario, Zelda etc.

What would you do - and what bundle would you go for?

[Jedra]

Yeah - the Wii is a great idea for that age range. My two kids are three and half and can just about handle the Wii (we have a dance game and a singing game they like). The only issue is that the controller is a bit big for them, but at least all they have to do is hold it for the dance game (no button pressing).

My nephew is seven and it's only in the last six months that he has been able to use the 360 control pad - also there are not a lot of non-Kinect games for younger children on the X-Box.

I haven't tried Kinect yet so can't comment on its suitability.

The Wii is a lot cheaper too!

[Jake123456]

Most likely the Wii, for plenty of reasons....But mainly the price and the amount of fun child games out on the wii at the moment..But out of every console I actually think* children do enjoy DS's more, but thats my personal opinion.

[suenstar]

I'd say all three consoles have a great selection for younger kids now, the top two choices are definitely the Xbox 360 with the Kinect and the Nintendo Wii.
I haven't had much experience with PlayStation Move, so I can't give much feedback on that but have had a fair bit fun on the Kinect and Wii with my niece.

No HDTV needed for Kinect; the Kinect has fairly basic requirements... a system to run it off (PC/360 as now the drivers function on the PC), decent lighting for the camera to see you and a good amount of space (approx 8ft between you and the Kinect camera, Kinect also needs to be about 2-3ft from the ground).

In terms of fun, so far I've had my most fun playing with both my niece and some friends on the Kinect. The library of games is a bit limited, but the jumping about like a lunatic while the Kinect secretly records you is a great laugh (most games allow you to see a playback of how silly you look when the game ends).

With younger children who are prone to throwing things by accidently losing grip (my niece for example), the Kinect is a Godsend as you don't have anything in your hands to let go of.

If your children get bored quite easily, my recommendation would be straight to the Wii as the massive library of games and how a lot of them are dirt cheap second hand makes it easy to provide a cast mixture of fun activities.

So far I have both the Wii and 360 + Kinect comibation, I bought the Wii first obviously because back then the Kinect didn't exist. At present the Wii gets used more with one child at my place playing a game on their own, when a group of people comes together since getting the Kinect that seems to be the favourite option. A bonus side of the going down the Kinect route is that you can also get a few more mature 360 games for you and some of your friends to chill out with.

Also worth noting, I've experienced one moment where a child turned violent with the Wii nun-chuck accessory... needless to say it didn't end well and he doesn't get to play games that involve using that any more. :\

As for what I'd go for... as it's me and I like to play the odd console game from time to time while relaxing on the couch, I'd probably choose the Kinect option so I can play a few regular 360 games. It's also worth baring in mind that I have a very large open-plan living area, so space isn't an issue or me whereas it might be for someone else (in regards to the Kinect requiring around 8ft space to work decently).
If I was someone getting a console merely for the entertainment of the children and wanted to get the best value for money with a larger selection of games, the Wii would be the definite choice.

[Jedra]

I forgot to mention that my kids also love their Vtech Mobigo - it's like a chunky version of the DS. There are a number of games for it and it's educational too. My kids have picked up lots of numbers and letters by playing it. Keeps them quiet int the car for a while too (until they drop it on the floor and we have to stop that is!!).

Probably not so appropriate for the seven year old, but your four year old will be able to play it and it won't break when it gets thrown around!!

[mikemorton]

Very good points from all of you - thanks!

[Blademrk]

I know there are a few games on the 360 that won't work on a standard def TV.

HDTV's have come down in price a lot recently and both the PS3 and 360 do benefit from using one.
Other options are to use your PC monitor with a 360-VGA cable.

My 6 year old nephew has started playing games on my xbox/Ps3 - mainly:
Castle Crashers
Lego Star Wars/ Batman / Harry Potter
Eye Pet (Move edition)

He still struggles with some bits, but he is getting better at playing them, although I get home from work and have not even got through the living room door before he starts nagging to play Harry Potter.

Use it as leverage to make sure your kids do they're homework. No reading/writing done, no gaming.

My brother has a Kinnect (with Kinnectimals) for his. I haven't tried it yet, but he says it's hard to get the right amount of space to play it properly (nearly unplayable in the bedroom where he had his 360 set up)

I've got the PS Move, space restrictions are not as bad as the Kinnect but the number of games that use it is small at present (and as has been said above, you do have two motion controllers in your hand which could do some damage if accidentaly let go while swinging them around).

[Paul2011]

i have both a 360 and a wii. I'd choose the wii, i have a 3 year old daughter and she is starting to learn how to play games, shes tried both and finds the wii a lot easier to play, plus i think the wii has a far better game choice for kids than a 360 ever will. Plus dont forget the wii's main target is the younger generation and family games which is a big bonus