What video game system if any?

[PAfirsttimemom]

My boys are 4 and 6 (7 in March). My parents have been asking for Christmas ideas for them, and I wondered about a Wii or other system (Xbox?) in lieu of more toys that we just don't need. My mom thinks it is a good idea. What system and games would you recommend for kids my ages? Love to hear some IRL experiences. Thanks!

[Tondi G]

We love our Xbox with Kinect for that age. We have a Wii as well but it has been collecting dust since we got the Kinect last year. I don't know about the new Wii U.... maybe someone here has experience with it. Highly recommend the Xbox though!

[PAfirsttimemom]

We love our Xbox with Kinect for that age. We have a Wii as well but it has been collecting dust since we got the Kinect last year. I don't know about the new Wii U.... maybe someone here has experience with it. Highly recommend the Xbox though!

Thanks. Would you mind describing the main differences between the wii and kinect systems? I really don't know much about either.

[katydid1971]

We love our Xbox with Kinect for that age. We have a Wii as well but it has been collecting dust since we got the Kinect last year. I don't know about the new Wii U.... maybe someone here has experience with it. Highly recommend the Xbox though!
:yeahthat:


Thanks. Would you mind describing the main differences between the wii and kinect systems? I really don't know much about either.
We have both, the Wii uses remotes you hold in your hand and tracks your movement that way the kinect uses a video camera to track your movement so you don't have to buy more remotes to have extra people play. Plus since its a(n?) Xbox it will grow as your kids get older and want to play more traditional games. If we were to only have 1, I would get the Kinect.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I've wanted a Kinect bc they look cool. However, we love our Wii! We especially like Nintendo exclusive offerings, like Mario.

[lhafer]

We've had a couple of Wii systems, and they just never got any love. We also have an Xbox 360 with the Kinect and it gets played quite a bit.

DH just bought the Wii U and it's getting a TON of attention. Both DD1 (6.5yrs) and DH like to play together. DD1 can play by herself. It's really a pretty awesome system so far.

For those ages, I would suggest a Wii U, especially if they are new to gaming in general.

[Mikey0709]

We love Nintendo especially for Kirby, Mario and Disney games.
We just got the wii u for Christmas replacing our old wii.

[redhookmom]

We have both and the Xbox gets a lot more play time. Actually the only thing we use the Wii for is watching Netflix.

[brittone2]

We like our Kinect/xbox. Never thought I'd own a gaming system (ever!) but it is fun. We limit our kids' overall screentime, but the kinect is a lot of fun. I love when my extended family plays bowling, etc. on Christmas night...such a good time. Lots of people complain about the sensor but I think once we got it set up in an ideal way for our room, space, etc. it worked great for us.

My kids have played wii at other homes and have enjoyed it, and I think mario games are fun. I like not having extra equipment for the kinect. DH and I have both done workouts with the kinect that are pretty decent too, and it is nice to not have to hold a controller or anything like that.

My parents (not tech people at all...I grew up without cable, wasn't even an option where I lived, and although they could get it now, they still don't have it) want a kinect/xbox of their own if we can score one for a great price in the future. My mom loves the bowling game :love-retry: in kinect sports.

eta: no experience at all with Wii U yet.

[PAfirsttimemom]

Thanks for all the feedback. How is Wii U different from the original Wii?

[JElaineB]

Thanks for all the feedback. How is Wii U different from the original Wii?

The Wii U is able to play all the old Wii games plus the new Wii U games, so it will have a much longer lifespan. It has a new Wii U controller used for Wii U games and also uses regular Wii remotes. If I were to get a new system this year it would be a Wii U, preferably the deluxe version. I think it would last you a number of years.

[BillK]

I have a original Wii with the Wii Fit and controllers, PS3 with the Eye and Move (like Wii) controllers and an Xbox 360 with Kinect. My boys (5 & 7) prefer the Wii games for the most part while I prefer the Xbox and PS3 (but there are some games on both they like, just more adult games overall for each system). They all have benefits but for younger kids I think Nintendo has a better library of franchises for youngsters.

If I had to buy ONE system for young kids right now I'd probably try to find a WiiU. Its the new updated, HD version of the Wii.

If you want a "do everything" system the PS3 is nice because it's also a very good 3D capable Blu Ray player as well.

For more hardcore gaming the Xbox 360 has a better library IMO. Kinect games are fun too.

[HannaAddict]

If I had to do it over again, I would not get one at that age and would have listened to my gut and told my husband no. Ours got a Wii when he was five and he just couldn't handle it, the limits on screen time, etc. He went from no TV until two and limited after, to being a Wii junky and obsessing about it, thinking about it, wanting it, and being unable to not get upset when time was up. It was awful and I feel badly we did it to him. We ended up pulling it out and had it put away for about two years. We had it installed when moved to a new house and AV people were building the "rack" for all the electronics, and still had some issues, though not as bad as when he was younger. We have had to make absolute limits, like none on weekdays, and he is better with that than saying a half hour or hour . . . that just results in tears. Sorry to be a downer, but I would avoid video games like that at all costs until age seven or eight. I've been to talks by child psychs that said their little brains aren't hard wired to be able to step away calmly until older - they are more like the rats that will push the bar to get a stimulus and not eat or drink, just keep pushing the bar! We aren't the only ones either, this seems to be a real issue at the younger ages and others parents in his class did the same thing. We did not have the total love of the game with his sister though, she can take it or leave it. It is a guy thing for us.

ETA If you feel you need a video game system, don't get an older model, get the Wii U or other latest, greatest. They become obsolete soon enough, don't start off with an older system.

[JElaineB]

If I had to buy ONE system for young kids right now I'd probably try to find a WiiU. Its the new updated, HD version of the Wii.

Yes, that is one other nice thing about the Wii U. The graphics should be a lot better for Wii U games than for older Wii games.

[hillview]

WE have an xbox Kinect and it is NEVER ever used. Maybe 2x a year. We also have a borrowed Wii (well someone gave it to us to use over the summer) and it was used during the Olympics 2x. It is sitting in its box in plain view and no one ever asks for it to be hooked up. The kids have no interest -- they DO love iPad and iPhone games. Go figure.

[PAfirsttimemom]

Thanks so much for all the input! After talking to my parents today, I get the feeling they are leaning toward the Xbox 360 with Kinect, since this will be a family gift, and they figured the biggest boy in the family (my DH) will enjoy the Xbox more. :-) My brothers both have that system, and my parents know that DH will be able to get online and play games live with my brothers. My active younger boys will probably also love the interactive, physical aspects of Kinect.

Thank you, Mom and Dad! We are fortunate they are so generous.

Next question: What Xbox or Kinect games do you recommend for my kiddos? And for DH? Any deals on games out there?

[brittone2]

Next question: What Xbox or Kinect games do you recommend for my kiddos? And for DH? Any deals on games out there?
Disneyland and Kinect Sports have been good ones for us.

Disneyland took some time for them to figure out how to play but they like it now and play it together.

We have Fantastic Pets (since DD had just turned 5 when we got our kinect and I was looking for easier games for her) and it has gone unloved. Maybe she would have liked Kinectimals more.

Your Shape Fitness Evolved is decent for some workouts for the adults (if trapped in the house)

We haven't bought anything new in a yr (kids play kinect once every week or two), so I'm not up to date on the newest options.

[BillK]

For the kids my boys always want to play the game the Kinect comes with - Kinect Adventures.

Some good "big boy" games I enjoy are:

Battlefield 3, Call of Duty (Black Ops 1 & 2, all the Modern Warfares and World at War), Fallout 3, Skyrim, Max Payne 3, Batman Arkham City etc.

[kijip]

If I had to do it over again, I would not get one at that age and would have listened to my gut and told my husband no. Ours got a Wii when he was five and he just couldn't handle it, the limits on screen time, etc. He went from no TV until two and limited after, to being a Wii junky and obsessing about it, thinking about it, wanting it, and being unable to not get upset when time was up. It was awful and I feel badly we did it to him. We ended up pulling it out and had it put away for about two years. We had it installed when moved to a new house and AV people were building the "rack" for all the electronics, and still had some issues, though not as bad as when he was younger. We have had to make absolute limits, like none on weekdays, and he is better with that than saying a half hour or hour . . . that just results in tears. Sorry to be a downer, but I would avoid video games like that at all costs until age seven or eight. I've been to talks by child psychs that said their little brains aren't hard wired to be able to step away calmly until older - they are more like the rats that will push the bar to get a stimulus and not eat or drink, just keep pushing the bar! We aren't the only ones either, this seems to be a real issue at the younger ages and others parents in his class did the same thing. We did not have the total love of the game with his sister though, she can take it or leave it. It is a guy thing for us.


I tend to agree. It's easier to wait on getting one than it is to take it away. With my older son, it was never much of an issue and we had a Wii from the time he was 4, but it seems to potentially be one for my younger son. We were planning to get an Xbox with kinect but we have decided that he is just too young (he is weeks shy of 4 now) and seems more vulnerable than his brother was to wanting to play all.the.time. We have a Wii that he has just become interested in and it may be relegated to a closet shelf unless older son is playing alone with his friends for awhile not.

[wildfire]

We have a Kinect. For DD1, age 5, looooooves Kinectimals. She always wants to play with her Cheetah. They also like to play Fruit Ninja (an arcade game). We've done the Disneyland Adventures, but it's a little tricky to navigate (and drives me crazy). We also have the other Adventures one (with Ratatoille and the Incredibles) but we haven't played it yet. We also have the sports ones, which is fun when you have a bunch of people or for family play.

For me, I like the Dance Central games for a workout without feeling like I'm working out. It's not as intense as a "real" workout, but it gets me moving and my heartrate up and it's fun so I actually play it.

There was a Black Friday weekend sale at Microsoft.com where they had great prices on the Kinect games. You just missed it. :( I would definitely keep an eye out for good sales, last year there were some great deals on games. You can also get the Kinect bundles for good prices this time of year which come with some games.

For adult games, we have stuff like Halo, some of the driving games (not the Kinect ones), Gears of War, things like that. DH and I both play but not as often as we'd like.

ETA: They both like Happy Action Double Fun Theater, which is another arcade download for $5. I like it because there's no point to the game and the kids can wander all over and do things without it loosing track of them (it can lose the 3 year old during the game, but she's pretty little). But while they played it a lot at first, they're losing some interest in it. Still, they ask for it sometimes and it keeps them active and engaged while I make dinner. Overall, we probably use the Kinect for the kids once a week or so, I use a lot more often than that for fitness games/Dance Central.

[PAfirsttimemom]

Thanks for the recommendations and reviews.