Slashdot Mirror
Ask Slashdot: Best Console For the Kids This Holiday?
First time accepted submitter undulato writes "I've got an aging, fat PS3 with only a couple of games that I still play on it but three kids under 9 who love Skylanders, iPet, Lego whatever etc. We all watch movies on it and it has been pretty much the centre of our entertainment world for a few years now. I've already got a spare HDMI monitor we could use for a screen so my question is — should we go for a new console this Christmas? Just buy another controller or two and a new game or two for PS3 and be done? Or get the still pretty viable Xbox 360, or even plump for a cheap Wii or even a Wii U if we're feeling flush. What do you think?"
Just get some PS3 games imo
For 3 kids under 9, definitely the Wii U or Wii.
Easiest "Ask Slashdot" ever. More child friendly games are available for Nintendo's platforms than for the PS3 or Xbox 360.
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Just get a semi decent PC and a few game controllers. PC vs Console aside, since Nintendo just released a new system and the other gaming consoles are starting to show their age, investing in one now seems counter intuitive. If you have enough money that it doesn't matter, I'm not sure why you don't just have one of each already. If money is tight enough that that isn't an option, then you really don't have a leg to stand on pushing to get a new system in the first place.
This feels more like fishing for a current idea of how consumers feel about the consoles than a legitimate question. Unless your kids (or yourself) are dying to play games that aren't on the PS3 that you already have, or are having issues with Sony, there's no reason to move to a new system at all.
The PS3 is a really powerfull machine, it's not gonna be absolete in a looooong time. So yeah, i suggest you don't buy another console, if you don't need to.
After many years of begging I finally broke down and got a xbox 360 to replace the aging Wii. I got the Halo 4 version since my son loves the Halo games. The game is rated teen but him and his friends have been playing it for a couple of years now. BTW he's also 9 (turning ten early next year). Now he just has to wait until Christmas and no he doesn't know he's getting it.
Teach your kids that old games are often better than modern ones: get a Sega Dreamcast and pirate to your heart's content, you don't even have to mod it (just be sure not to get a rev.2 unit).
Circumcision is child abuse.
The OnLive playpack cost about the same as Netflix, and has a ton of games you can stream. As long as your internet can sustain 2Mbps it plays fine in 1080p, and they have a micro "Console" of sorts to stream to your TV. Even without paying the subscription, you can demo any game for up to 30 minutes. Every kid I've ever shown it to seems to fall in love with the fact they can just choose any game on the service and play, even if it's only the demo, without having to ask Mom and Dad to go to the store to get a game.
Having a gaming console and having those things are not mutually exclusive in any way. Throughout my childhood there was never a time after the age of about 4 that we did not have at least one gaming console in the house. (Atari, NES, SNES, N64, PS1) and I easily spent more time riding my bike than playing with any of them. That doesn't mean It wasn't nice to have on a rainy/lazy day.
It's cliché, but true. What games are they interested in? Do you play multiplayer games and are you willing to pay for Xbox Live Gold subscription? Do you have a media room set up that is good for Kinect? 360 shares most of it's software line up with PS3 so if those are the games you're playing little point in getting it (it would be quite a different situation if you didn't already have the PS3). For Kids, Kinect may be a good value, but that depends if you actually have the room to use it properly. 360 is cheap but if you're playing multiplayer you have to factor in the subscription too. As to Wii, I would steer clear. It is dead in the water software wise, and overpriced even for what it is. Wii U, hard to say at this point how it will fair but it probably be a better choice than a Wii especially as it has all of Wii's functionality save Gamecube game support.
The skylander, lego, ... are also available on the PS3 which you have. The differences between the ps3, xbox 360 and even the wii u is to small to imho shell out money to get an extra console or to get your money worth.
I had the xbox 360 and the PS3 for example and to be honest the difference was so neglible that I ended up selling one. The wii I also had but I had more use of it as a paper weight then a gaming machine. Great first party titles but that was also all and I don't have the feeling that with the WiiU it will be a different case.
I would go for some games or even saving for when the nextgen machines arrive. For me that makes economical more sense.
Just buy another controller or two and a new game or two for PS3 and be done?
I'm seeing more and more kids who are taught this "need" to have the latest a greatest gadget. Teach to use their things until they're beyond repair or so archaic that the sytem can't be used anymore.
Also, try promoting a healthy lifestyle. If they want entertainment, encourage them to go out a play - get some physcial exercise. Teach them to go and play a team sport (or try to get on a swim team or soccer/football) and make friends that way. Because I have a sneaky suspicion that your kids are already showing some weight and attention problems. Contrary to the Slashdot though here, video games are no better than TV - neither is the internet for that matter (Yeah yeah yeah, YOu spend ALL your time on the internet reading WikiPedia, researching the latest CS theories, and studying other tech. Riiiiiight.).
Set an example and read books. Find some physical activity that they enjoy.
The Harry Potter bookds are great for gettings kids reading - and J.K. Rowling derserves her millions (billions?) just for that.
Buy them baseball bats - if you live in a safe area they can play ball - if you don't they can join a gang! Win-Win!
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My kid already donates from her allowance weekly and volunteers her time. Kindly keep your moralizing out of the discussion. It wasn't asked for, I doubt it will be appreciated, and it's completely off topic.
Your kids probably want an iPad, a WII-U or an iPod Touch if surveys are anything to go by:
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/u-s-kids-continue-to-look-forward-to-iholiday/
And get raped and killed, great idea.
They live near a church?
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
This is a forum dedicated to uncontrolled mass consumption. We don't want your charitable kind around here. Don't you have a dank alley to patrol for losers?
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
Rubbish. Life is short, shower the kids with love and gifts.
yea cause skateboards are great when there's 2 foot of snow and its -8 outside
As undulato already said, his or her kids play Skylanders and such. Nothing new on the market provides a significant value add here. Wii U is nice, but the early adopter tax is high. Retro consoles are cool (I have 35 or so), but they are serious space consumers, and can't use the spare HDMI monitor. Plus, most of us can smell the Steambox cooking, so economically this seems like a perfect time to wait.
Cloudiot: A person who does not see offsite storage as a way to lose control over access to his or her own data.
New games/accessories for your existing PS3 will be more cost efficient. If you buy a new hardware, you'll have to buy both the hardware and the games.
Except for exclusive licenses, a XBox won't bring you anything the PS3 can't do. (Forget the Kinect/Move that exists only for game editors to sell you half backed games with poor quality for top dollar). So get a XB360 ONLY if you intend to buy Halo or another CBox exclusive game. And you will still need to buy a "kid game" (LEGO, Skylander, ).
The Wii is cheaper but it totally outdated. Here again, it won't bring anything new and you'll still have to buy games for it.
The Wii U is brand new. So you'll pay top dollar for it and you'll have very few games. And it is only slightly faster than a PS3/XBox360.
Some kids are spoiled by their parents but you don't have to go to extremes to avoid that. All current consoles (and the Wii U) were obsolete about 6 years ago. Giving them a console would be like giving them a tin-can phone -- it is just embarrassing. You will need to give them glasses at an early age because they will think the blurry graphics and lack of detail means something is wrong with their eyesight.
Get a mid-ranged video card for your PC. It will be about the same price as a console and everyone will have way more fun.
Use Steam and a Linux Box, later, your sons will play less and learn more, because they will have all the free tools to learn.
and let them player decent games on the PS3 and 360. My son completed R&C Tools several times as a 5 year old. It doesn't take them long to play the better stuff. Coordination comes fast at that age. I caught my 4 year old girl playing Uncharted 3. She wasn't actually playing the game, but worked out how to have Drake running around, which was plenty of fun for her.
Don't bother with Wii or the Wii U unless they happen to be into the same tired Nintendo characters.
Just get a semi decent PC
Seconded. One advantage of a PC is that it's really easy to run the multitude of free-to-play Flash games on relatively kid-safe sites such as Nick, PBS, and the BBC.
Do you live in the Sudan?
360 is cheap but if you're playing multiplayer you have to factor in the subscription too.
Only if you plan on playing online multiplayer. Some adults prefer playing online with strangers because adults are less likely to have time to arrange their schedules to visit friends in person. But this household has three single-digit-year-old children, and I don't see how it'll be hard for them to arrange their schedules to play with one another using multiple gamepads connected to one machine.
If someone would only somehow adapt a skateboard for such a situation. Maybe lose the wheels and strap yourself to it?
This year I am thankful for Tom Sims. Props bro.
Someone flopped a steamer in the gene pool.
I would consider wii u. Getting a console like this in its early lifecycle is a good investment, and also it supports wii games.
Much more versatile than an TV console (drawing, reading, map, educational games, movies) and you could get tons of simple games/apps for only a few bucks each.
And you can use it in the car for long travels.
And it does not "compete" with the PS3 for which you could still get games.
Sig (appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars)
Well get (or better build) a sled then!
When I was a kid and there was 2 feet of snow you could hardly keep us in. We used to sled down a hill on tin trays.
Whay are kids such whimps now?
6.25 x 4.5 inch display, infinite battery life, no software updates required... all for about $15.00
Is there an echo in here?
Why don't you ask your children what console they want? Chances are they will be very disappointed by whatever group consensus you will get from Slashdot, which will probably be some Linux based 10 year old shoebox computer running Steam beta...
Yep, 5 comments up "Use Steam and a Linux Box"...sigh.
I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
Yeah, that will go over well. Hand your kids some printed coupons in an empty box for Christmas. Might as well get them a pet rock to go along with that. How can you make any comments about playability on vaporware.
I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
It was good enough for granddad; it's good enough for anyone.
Why do you say that?
Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
The author didn't post requesting opinions on parenting; and whether getting a console was a good idea or not, he already determined that's what he wants to do. He just asked what the best choice of console was.
I tried to shower with gifts this morning, and I have the bruises to prove it.
Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
very broad generalization follows
Playstation and Xbox have mostly single player games.
Wii has more multiplayer games.
At least for marketing/business purposes.
Hardware wise it's not a big leap, but as far as we can tell, it's the one Nintendo will be using for the next few years.
But you are right that many games are cross platform
My rule of thumb (which is really common sense) is look at the exclusives
If there's nothing from 360 exclusives, you can wait for the next one (which may have exclusives you like)
If there's exclusives from WiiU (and there will bound to be more exclusives, thanks to the WiiU's controllers) that you like, and you want to play them now then buy the WiiU this year
If not, wait. Console prices trend downward over time, while the size of their game libraries increase. The only reason to buy a console today is if you really really want to play a particular title today
Some studies have shown if you "get" music you do better with math and that today is needed almost no matter what occupation you have.
No batteries, no internet connection, small, portable, not too loud, pleasant once they learn a bit, nothing be reeds as accessories to buy. What could go wrong?
As a KDE user, I use Konsole, so that's probably what my children will start using, as well. In actuality, all console applications are essentially the same, simply giving a text interface to your running shell.
Use it as an opportunity to teach valuable shopping, reasoning, and persusasion skills.
Research each console, titles for each console, and options; find pluses and minuses.
Ask the 3 kids to make "Features/Advantages" and "Disadvantages" lists for each console, each one to pick the console they find most compelling, and tell the story.
If there's a disagreement have a discussion, and requirement for the kids to persuade each other/ come to unanimous agreement on which console they want.
Then take your kids' opinions under advisement, in making your final decision....
One you should look into is the upcoming Archos Gamepad, an Android-based tablet with (as the name implies) actual buttons for gaming. It seems to be powerful enough to emulate the PS1 and the N64 smoothly.
so it looks like the financial market says don't count on a screaming boatload of new games in a couple years. Panasonic is a hurting critter, too.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
I would rule out the 360 for the simple reason that the difference between the ps3 and 360 for what you want is very slim, your not going to get many games on a 360 that your 9yr old will enjoy that arent also already available on the ps3. Ultimately you'll have another console, but it'll just be different, not unique really. Kinect can be kinda fun, but its a limited experience in many ways.
If you want to buy something, the Wii is the best choice. You'll find alot of good games that will appeal to a 9yr old. Games the whole family can get in on and are only available on the Wii. Its a very family focused entertainment console and you'll get quite a number of hours of enjoyment out of it. On top of all this, the Wii is cheap and second hand games for it are (not yet) hobbled by scum-sucking games developers who seem to think they have a right to make money on a second hand game.
The Wii U looks ok, but its hard to really make a knowledgeable choice about it just because of the limited info available for it.
Im trying hard to stick to the question and not say things like "you could get another console, or...."
Save buying a new console for the next Christmas or whenever when a new console is specifically desired.
It's about the games. As long as there are still fun titles to get for your PS3, stay put. There /will/ be a next generation of consoles, or an other-console-specific game to get in the future soon enough. Get more games and have fun.
Having a game console (or two) isn't necessarily bad and this is a perfectly good place to ask about them.
How do you know her ass is white?
New consoles are going to release in a year!. Buying a console now (except the Wii-U) is the worst thing a gamer can do!.
-Woof woof woof!
Your 9 year old kids will become 12 year old foul mouthed Halo kiddies before you know it. Might as well get them started.
(I'm joking)
The implications are... uh-oh.
*MY* kid does that, too, AND has donated a kidney to a homeless person who would have died otherwise. In addition, her tested IQ is 150, she speaks 5 languages fluently, just took her SAT's and aced them, and has started a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the Amazon rainforest.
Look at you now, AC!
I have 3 kids under 9 and one over 9. We have both a Wii and a 360. Two Wiis in fact. Both the Wiis are gathering dust, probably not turned on in over a year. The 360 on the other hand gets TONS of use from the kids. While the Wii has lots of shitty games DIRECTED at kids, the 360 has tons of GOOD child friendly games.
... why don't you ask them? I'm dumbfounded how this got to front page of slashdot, seems like a "no duh" kind of question.
Rich kids always have a white ass.
Snowboards, sleds, skis, snowdiscs, even a cafeteria tray can provide plenty fun.
I wouldn't spend any money on a console right now. Certainly not on an over-the-hill Xbox 360 if you already own a PS3.
But I agree with hairyfeet up above, who says, "make a gaming PC and give 'em Steam. There is tons o' fun on Steam for any kind of gaming tastes, and the gaming PC makes for an excellent media center for the house with the addition of a jumbo hard drive.
When you figure the price of more PS3 games, I don't think the gaming PC approach is going to be much more expensive. Plus, I figure since the questioner sounds like he's passing familiar with tech he's probably got most of what he needs for a decent gaming rig already in the house.
You are welcome on my lawn.
SeXBox 360.
If their friends have a PS3, then get a PS3. If their friends have an XBox, get an XBox. Why? Because they can then share games...
I would argue an Xbox 360 + Kinect with a handful of good Kinect titles will promote some good fun and physical activity for your kids and you.
If you already have that PS3 with loads of titles, then you're not missing much from xbox, it's just the Kinect that makes a lot of difference.
A new generation of consoles will probably be announced next year and launched only in 2014.
That gives you plenty of time to use the current ones while saving for the new tech.
The classic Wii is indeed kid friendly but IMO is worth it only with the "motion controller plus" which is more accurate than the original plus a ton of titles to keep them entertained. Still, with a classic Wii i'm afraid in half an year it will end up unused and it will be hard to sell too.
Wii U, better wait for in-depth reviews, more titles, etc.
My friend is in a similar situation as you and after we talked and talked we decided that an Xbox360 + Kinect will do the xmas job.
You can get the 4GB version with a single controller and kinect bundled with a game to start with.
Then, and only if it catches on, you can buy extra controllers, chargers, remote, headphones and an extra HDD.
Start small, if they don't like it or if they get bored of Kinect, sell the xbox next year and wait for the next gen.
There's tons of great games for the PC but they're 99% one player/machine with mouse and keyboard.
I've been collecting a list of multiplayer-capable games, along with links to other people's lists.
At best you'll get a few console ports who kept the console controller scheme as an option
That or indie games whose developers heed Microsoft's advice that "Applications should support multiple controllers" better than the majors do. So does the whole one-machine-per-player mentality on the PC come from a belief that not enough potential customers own multiple USB game controllers and a 20" or bigger monitor? Or is it more a matter of publisher greed?
I don't have kids and I'm a PC gamer guy, so would it be alright if I just flamed you with a bunch of stuff about
how your kids should go outside and play or you should buy a PC instead because consoles suck rather than
just thinking about the question? It would make me feel better, kind of. Thanks dude! You're awesome and
your kids are lucky to have you.
Don't go for a console, go for a cheap androi tablet: games, music,vids, internet camera, educational apps, everything, much of it for free!
snowball fights, snow forts, quinzhee
Kids get enough screen time. Get them outside.
That's not true. I banged a 17 year-old (age of consent in NY, BTW) Latina chick with Daddy issues from Venezuela whose parents were filthy rich... and, her ass was a wonderful coffee with cream color, just as the rest of her was. I was surprised that she'd even consider me, because she was physically perfect and I was so much older than she was. But, her father hated "gringos", so that worked out to my advantage... she would cry out "Papi, Dios, Papi"... over and over...
Apart from the Wii U, which is more a half generation on from the PS3 rather than the next generation, essentially you'll be replacing like for like. Another PS3 or 360 will seem like a bad choice a year down the line when the PS4 is coming up for release.
That said, if you want games for your kids, why not think about the original Wii? They'll be dirt cheap now the U is out, and there's plenty of games available.
Also wow, there's a fair amount of moralising here tonight.
How is it any more generous to gift money to random strangers instead of your children? And how is this supposed to teach said children anything except that generosity means they don't get anything?
Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
...I wouldn't waste the money on a system that will be outdated by the time they're 13 and wanting to play more "hardcore" games.
Why not buy a cheap computer with lots of harddrive space and stick Qimo LInux on there? Or any Linux distro really and just download every game in the repos. Hell, you could buy a Raspberry Pi.
Then buy an HDMI cable to hook it to your TV screen and maybe a couple of controllers and a keyboard. These alone will be usable with their future computers.
The G
Tell the kids NOT to give up until they've beaten SMB1, SMB3, and LifeForce. At least.
It's like spelling, and math - everyone should do it.
Then we're on to PC: Doom2, and then Quake1. It's ok to use OpenGL.
Then:
StarCraft1
Diablo2
Half-Life1 (BlackMesa is ok)
UnrealTournament1 with Hi Res Pack
etc.
First Person Shooters are important for learning that no matter how good you are,
you will always die by some lucky headshot from across half the map. And
from this they *know* that the actual Military is just a shortcut to an earlier grave.
So if anyone asks, say it's a health thing that increases the lifespan.
This *is* a dank alley, silly.
NES
SNES
Genesis
N64
Saturn
Dreamcasr
Jaguar
NeoGeo
You'd be surprised how many kids prefer old skool games.
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
Ask your kids. They may well already know of games they want to play / are playing with their friends.
I don't see the point of just buying another console unless you know of games you want to play on it. There's no point buying solely in anticipation of good games in the future because you may as well just save the cash and buy when those games do come out.
Difficult to comment on the option of buying more games and controllers as you don't say whether there's any games you wish to buy nor if you need any more controllers.
I suspect it may have been more productive if you had asked "what are some good games for kids?" I'm not in a position to offer suggestions though.
Why bother debating on it? Just get more ps3 games, you already have the system.
I see a lot of comments saying nintendo is better for kids games and thats not true, nintendo is better for shovelware games. Sure nintendo has some good kids games but no more than anyone else since the vast majority of games on nintendos systems are complete garbage where some developer craps out a family friendly game that is a complete waste of time.
Ps3 has a lot of great games for kids and adults. Ratchet and clank hd collection, sly cooper collection, rayman origins, little big planet, little big planet 2, all of the "lego" theme games on it, skylanders, skylanders giants, ratchet and clank a crack in time, modnation racers, sonic generations, playstation move heroes, epic mickey 2, disney universe, wonderbook, and dozens more. Plus the dozens and dozens of smaller games you can buy cheap on the playstation store.
And if you mean aging as in your ps3 is aged since you bought it yes, but its hardly aging in techology sense. Last of us and beyond two souls are coming out and still advancing what can be done on it.
If the ps3 is such a big part of your family and you already have a library of games for it then why change it out while its still in its prime?
Also, the whole indie gaming scene is on the PC, and only the PC
World of Goo got ported to Wii. But 2D Boy cheated by using a restaurant as an "office", and Nintendo has since amended its qualifications to require that "The office space is not shared with any other company".
and it's the indie games that are most fun these days not the big budget games.
Some people use the word "indie" in a confusing manner. It can refer to one of two things: people who have never worked for the establishment, or industry veterans who started their own company that happens not to have a long-term contract with a major publisher. A company with several industry veterans can score its own console license.
Really? Has it come down to tihs where people really don't give a hoot about the less fortunate? That the world consists solely of "stuff" and material goods, and that happiness is the sole sum of your toys? That one cannot feel happy from helping others be happy?
There is more to life than material goods, and being socially conscious is generally a good thing - to be more worldly and appreciate what you have, and to build community.
Hell, you don't always have to go down into the dumps to help people if you're afraid of touching "icky" - given the number of out of work Americans, I'm sure even doing something as simple of inviting a family whose breadwinner(s) have been laid off over for Thanksgiving dinner helps them feel better for themselves and helps you get to know others better.
Of course, the real lesson is not just randomly giving to charity, but to follow through with time and see how genuinely appreciative the less fortunate are when given a helping hand - even if it's just a slice of turkey and gravy on a paper plate.
With children, it's probably better to volunteer time over money so they get to see the effect it has on others.
Perhaps the natives should've just let the Pilgrims starve.
Get a wii if money is tight or get the Wii U so you get access to the new games and the ability to play Wii games.
Couldn't agree more. I don't have kids yet, but a lot of my family members do and every time there is a BBQ or gathering you see all the adults standing around distracted by their iphones and then you see the kids sitting there on the sofa playing ps3 or on an ipad. Sunny beautiful day and THAT is what everyone is doing. When I was a kid, rain or shine, snow or ice, my mom tossed us all outdoors and made it clear that we were to stay outside until dinner and even though we would rather play the NES, we LOVED all the crap we could find to do outside with our imaginations. It's just sad that kids are losing that aspect of childhood more and more.
People can get defensive all they want but when I see stuff like that I KNOW something is wrong with our society.
Says the hypocrite that spends money on electricity (and likely computer equipment) to post on Slashdot instead of spending that money on someone in need.
Get them something constructive! Like real technic LEGO!
a PC
Really? Has it come down to tihs where people really don't give a hoot about the less fortunate?
Cut the crap. Buying a Christmas present for your kids does not mean you don't care about less fortunate. Nothing is going to do more to sour kids on charitable giving than telling them they are getting nothing for Christmas because of the "needy". Most people have enough income to give something to the needy while still providing for their own families.
How many studies do you need that show TV/Computers/Consoles are BAD (bad bad bad bad bad) for young kids?
Get your kids a book and encourage them to learn to read well, remember well, and imagine well.
Then get them a rubber ball and teach them to invent their own physical games out doors.
The world already has enough fat, apathetic, couch potato kids (and parents). Get off your ass and teach your kids to use their brains and their body instead of just twitching their nacho encrusted thumbs.
A work bench, hammer(s), saw(s), screwdrivers, maybe some power tools, and adult supervision.
Make them use their hands and the brains to build some real memories, ones that can be shared through story telling and physically.
Get them one of those X in One electronic kits and teach them how to make a door bell and other things.
There seems a strong color correlation in my relationships; 2 out of the 3 black women I've had sex with have come from relatively wealthy families. The Indian/Asian girl was somewhere in the middle [but definitely the one I most regret losing out on]. All the white women I've had relationships with, including my wife, have come from relatively poor families.
There's also a strong color:age gap correlation.
For some strange reason I'm not posting this under my userid
Game Boy Color :-) They're about $30 lol. Age does not somehow make them less awesome as an absolute measurement compared to modern PSPs and stuff, merely as a relative standpoint. But for $30, get that GBC and Pokemon Gold out lol.
It's like the old iPhone theory. New ones coming out does not modify the awesomeness of the original. I've had 10 year olds go berserk just as much as I did at that age over N64 games. Games are games, lol.
Why don't you buy them (and yourself) a bike, or a basketball hoop, or something else that's not going to turn them into a bunch of fat-a**ed adults, likely to die early from some coronary problem?
If you used to sled down the hill on tin trays, you didn't have the video game option anyway.
Believe it or not, sometimes we'd play outside and play some video games in the same day! Imagine that.
Having a console doesn't make kids lazy. Letting your kids be lazy makes them lazy.
Think about this for a minute - you're assuming a guy - who posted this question on Slashdot, mind you - doesn't already have a "semi decent PC"?
Two objections: First, a Slashdot user's "semi decent PC" might run GNU/Linux or something else that's not Windows, and far more native PC games are made for Windows than for any other PC operating system. Second, unless you plan on carrying the "semi decent PC" back and forth between the computer desk and the room with a TV, you'll need a second "semi decent PC" to put next to the TV.
Let me tell ya with two teen boys Steam is like manna from heaven
What Steam games can these two teen boys (or the OP's single-digit-year-old children) play together on one machine with two Xbox 360 gamepads?
Doesn't need a screen, ten to twenty hours autonomy, a lot of emulators.
You can connect a usb or bluetooth additional controllers.
if you don't want your kid to be unhealthy as your old PS3 console, take him out for holidays or buy him an old school push bike :)
I got a PS3 early, but not $600 bleeding edge early. 6 months $450 with 13 free Blu-Rays early.
We use it mostly for watching Blu-Rays in a home theater system. We have not gotten many games for our daughter and have tried to steer her to the more puzzle solving or physically active ones. She has not been much of a gamer, but the Playstation Move works good enough (though expect to do a lot of fiddling every time to get the camera and wands working just right) and they do tend to her favorite games.
It has been a good investment, though mostly we use it for entertaining when we have company. We hadn't been firing it up more than about once a week.
That has all changed for my Daughter, who is age 9 now. She is an avid Harry Potter fan, has read all the books. I bought her the Wonderbook with Harry Potter for here birthday last week and she is addicted. To be honest I was underwhelmed by the Blue-Bar coded Wonderbook when it arrived a week ago, but when used with the Move system this thing finally offers an augmented reality home run of entertainment for kids. PS3 owners shouldn't have to look sheepish when taking to Wii or Kinect users if you have one of these. I always preferred the more accurate Move tracking, but lamented the Party appeal of the Wii and Kinect. The Wonderbook does not solve the Party solution, but it does make a solid rejuvenation of our game system for our daughter.
Someone should make a bar-coded Move dance pad version of DDR (perhaps there is one I'm unaware of) instead of the flaky DDR pads we have tried to use. This would be a more Kinect like experience and potentially more accurate. With bar-coded props Sony could create a new genre of gaming. How-about bar coded steering wheels or space ship controls, fold out cardboard spaceship bridges that morph into Enterprise like helms on-screen? The Wonderbook definitely shows this is possible.
In any event all the next gen systems are coming out next Christmas, milk another year and half from the system you have now and get what ever seems best come the summer of 2014. I'll probably get an Xbox 720 with next gen Kinect then, you know, for parties.
Letter To Iran
Thank you for your contribution.
fuck off. slashdot was invented for nerds to congregate away from people like you.
That's brilliant! We could call it a... a... snowskate!
Ahnd ahpparently they chan't sphell, either :-)
Costs US$199, most games are under $5. Goes with the kids in the car, in the bedroom, but still easy to confiscate and lock away.
Far better selection of educational games, not just twitch reflex shooters.
Serves double duty as a media player. Movies, music, Youtube.
Serves triple duty as an internet research / learning tool. How do volcanoes work? Look it up.
With Android 4.2 you can set up individual user accounts for each child & parent, so the whole family can use it. But it's still cheap enough that you can buy one for each person if you wanted.
Honestly, why would you get a console?
Honestly, considering the age of the children involved I'd go with the xbox. It has the same multimedia capabilities of the ps3 (minus the obvious blue ray), and it even has a web browser now so for you the differences probably won't be that big. However, the children would probably have a better experience on the xbox. Each controller can be logged in under a unique user account which allows kids to play with each other while logged into their own personal accounts. The ps3 is much more limiting on this front. Also, the xbox tends to have more age appropriate games. There is a whole slew of games made for younger kids. I also find that the kinect that comes bundled with offers a much more unique experience for children in the realm of motion gaming.
I second that, get them a WiiU.
The original Wii's graphics weren't that good, WiiU fixes that and now that PS3 has those glow sticks and XBox has its connect, they've caught up on the Wii's controls.
Better to get the WiiU. Also DO NOT BUY VIOLENT GAMES. They're under 9 FFS, they need to learn how to play nice. I know we pretend it doesn't matter, but it does. They ARE learning, and they WILL think violence is the way to fix everything.
Ignore the Microsoft astroturfers here, we get a lot of them, Xbox360 isn't the best graphics, PS3 is, it doesn't have the best child friendly games Wii does. XBox is best for first person shooters, but I wouldn't recommend that for under 9s.
Loved it, but don't have any mod points for ya.
I was going to suggest getting a couple of XBOX 360 controllers to plug into the PC and grabbing an emulator. Lots of good games out there without needing the actual console itself.
Alternatively, there are modded USB versions of the original controllers out there. Grab a USB version of the original controller and the appropriate software. There are obviously legal considerations to look into as well, but with those understood... some of the patents have expired on this old stuff, and there is no reason to hunt ebay for it.
And by volunteering you mean being ordered to, teaching said children to "like" it just as much as they will any other chore.
Or you could simply practice generosity at your own expense, from the funds you had earmarked for purchasing books or games or wine or whatever, rather than from a kid's gift funds. You know, that whole "teach by example" thing?
Nice rethoric, though.
Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.
http://www.xgamestation.com/
http://www.ladyada.net/make/fuzebox/
No sig for you!!
I agree!
If you want to get them something to play together on, get them some decent PCs and network them.
Not only are PCs the superior device for gaming IMHO, they are also general purpose machines that every kid should have access to. Who knows where I'd have ended up if I hadn't been able to tinker with my PC back in the day.
Hell, the kids can make their own games even:
http://scratch.mit.edu/
Well, speaking of echo...
The best games nowadays are multiplayer. With three kids, you might get better mileage out of, say, another PS3 or two and networking them all together. You can have some more interesting multiplayer experiences than you can get from a split screen, or maybe some of your car racing games can use multi-monitor mode for a single player.
Probably better to go the PC route, though. My two kids (10 and 7) both play minecraft together, run their own server for their friends, etc. They also do some of the free games such as Tremulous and Altitude and sometimes Alien Swarm under Windows/Steam . When we had just one computer, the older kid was always playing, or pushing the younger kid out of the way.
or a skateboard.
or a bicycle.
They don't need another video game console. They need to go outside and play.
That might not be the best winter option for those who live in the North. Just sayin...
There are plenty of good kids games with local multiplayer and not many of them are split screen, separate consoles looks that element of all huddling around together to play. There are tons of really good cheap ones on PSN as well. I've got two kids, aged nine and six, and there are loads of games they like on there.
I have enjoyed it so far. I think it corrects many of the mistakes of the Wii. Better online experience etc. It is backwards compatible with the Wii. That means you not only have the Wii U and Wii library, but also all the ROMs on the virtual console. If you are rolling in cash, get a WiiU.
One last thing: Sometimes I wonder; "Is that someone's signature? Or do they type that at the end of each post?"
Consoles are nothing but dumbed down computers. There are so many more things to do on a computer besides playing games. Can you read a book on your console? Can you join an IRC channel? Can you compose a song? Can you edit photos and make diagrams? Can you write a poem or your thesis on it?
Kids are naturally curious and love challenges and new things. Limiting their options doesn't make them happier or more productive. On the contrary probably.
A PC is a beautiful thing.
Topper, is that you?
No colour or religion ever stopped the bullet from a gun
AMEN
Ever hear of a snowboard? Fact is, our kids are fat asses and lazy these days. I guess the apple doesn't fall far...Do you even know what an apple is?
Survival of the fattest.
Buy them some books instead.
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
If it works, get them one machine each
I thought that's exactly what OP was trying to afford. Three PCs, three gaming video cards, three monitors, and three Windows licenses are much more expensive than one console and two extra gamepads.
True, I was disappointed at the lack of split-screen in Animal Crossing: City Folk, especially considering that the series is known for its N64-detail art style. But I'll believe you if Super Smash Bros. 4 (tentative title) requires a separate Wii U console for each player and doesn't work with multiple Wii Classic Controllers or Wii U Pro Controllers. Even Call of Duty series makes a point of allowing two Xbox 360 Controllers in a play session.
Do not buy a new system. There will be new systems in the next year or two.
Kindle Paperwhite and a real, outdoor basketball hoop
if "we fat" go with "wii fit"
Gah, meant to mod you funny and my finger slipped. Replying to undo.
What ever happened to model kits? When I was a kid and didn't want to watch "grown-up" TV (because back then, you know, there were only three channels) I built models of rockets and airplanes. No legos - I was one of the few who thought legos were lame. Like the 8-bit graphics of today. I built things that really worked.
Became an engineer because of all that too.
Enough with the video games. Bring back the model kits!!!
Don't need monitors, even 5 year old TVs have HDMI
Then one would need to replace 6-year-old bedroom TVs that have only yellow, white, and red RCA jacks with TVs that have HDMI. HDTVs didn't hit the low end until 2007, and among my (admittedly nonscientific) sample, a lot of kids have ended up using hand-me-down TVs or TVs from Goodwill. Or has the 10-foot UI capability of Windows and Steam improved to the point where one can use VGA out through a scan converter as a media PC's primary UI?
and Win 8 is $40
I was under the impression from comments to previous Slashdot articles that people were willing to pay much more for Windows 7 just to avoid the abortion formerly known as Metro, where you have to point at a particular corner of the screen just to bring up the control to put the computer to sleep.
the amount of games they have on steam that support single screen MP is just nuts, a LOT of the indies support SSMP, and there are just tons of them on steam thanks to project greenlight.
Could you give me instructions on how to filter Steam by games that support SSMP? In the advanced search on store.steampowered.com, I failed to figure out how to filter for games that include full support for multiple controllers. I see "Category: Full controller support" and "Category: Multi-player", but it appears only one such "Category" can be applied at once, and even the combination of "Full controller support" and "Multi-player" would include games where each player can use a controller on a separate machine.
has the 10-foot UI capability of Windows and Steam improved to the point where one can use VGA out through a scan converter as a media PC's primary UI?
There are adapters out there that will convert HDMI or DVI to S-Video
I'm aware of these adapters. SewellDirect.com sells them, for example. However, the whole reason why general computer use moved away from TVs in the first place was that the 480i resolution of S-Video makes general computer use difficult, as most PC applications are not optimized for such a low-density display.
In the advanced search on store.steampowered.com, I failed to figure out how to filter for games that include full support for multiple controllers.
As far as Steam goes you'd probably have to use the website
I was using the website.
Look up "passing arguments to Steam"
For one thing, the only Google result for that exact phrase is this page which appears not nearly relevant. Removing the quote marks brought me to this page, which likewise mentions nothing about search. But I'm probably being "far far too literal" again. I tried steam search filter multiplayer and found a recently posted request for enhancement for this very feature, which sort of rules out the feature already being present in Steam search. In any case, how would the average end user discover how to pass in the right filters to Steam or Google?
for an HTPC [Windows 8's Start Screen] gives you a bright easy to read target to hit so frankly for that particular niche its not bad
You have a point there. The modern UI works on Windows 8 for the same reason it works on Xbox 360 (apart from two-thirds of the tile space on the 360 being taken by advertisements).
But Steam works, all the games on Steam don't seem to be bothered by metro
Do all the games on Steam have a "10-foot" user interface that can be read from far away or on a 480i S-Video monitor?
If it sounds like I'm trolling, that's certainly not my intent. I'm just trying to present the alleged barriers to firmly establishing the PC as the fourth console. Some other Slashdot users stick to their claims that 1. the complexity of connecting and maintaining a PC is unsuitable for the majority of living rooms apart from a slim minority of geeks, 2. there exist video game genres that don't work well on a PC, phone, or tablet, and 3. for this reason, these genres are unsuitable for independent developers. By relaying their arguments to you, a staunch fan of living-room PCs, the goal is that the answers will lead me to counterarguments to organize by the next discussion.
One Slashdot regular maintains that paying one's dues to the establishment is the only viable way to get an idea out to the public in the form of a video game, and console makers' requirement for previous experience is the only way to vet games for quality and prevent a repeat of the 1983 crash (for which see Wikipedia and TV Tropes). He maintains that part of paying such dues involves moving to Austin, Boston, Seattle, or Silicon Valley, just as stage actors need to move to Broadway and screen actors need to move to Hollywood. So I humored him and asked him for tips on rearranging my life so that I can work for the establishment, and in this post he said that if I have
Perhaps the natives should've just let the Pilgrims starve.
Hmm... perhaps for the natives, that would have turned out better. That's irony for you!
My kids get Christmas presents, but somehow we can still donate time and money to worthy charitable causes. It's not all-or-nothing.