I’m thinking ahead to Christmas and may have to jump on the console band wagon, I have two children a 3 year old boy and a 6 year old girl, I’m not that bothered about games myself so it will be for them mainly.

I don’t need another blu-ray player so that argument has no ground at all.

I like the idea of the move and kinect and want to encourage the kids to be as active as possible while also being fun.

Distance between the TV and sofa is about 3 meters.

SWMBO would also like some sort of karaoke game.

So given the above which console is best?

Young Kids = Xbox/Kinetic

What about a Wii?

Kinect requires a good deal of room.

Wii is a good call. Lots of family-friendly titles there. Arguably the best, and cheapest, choice to keep the kids happy.

At that age, there’s probably little to choose from between the Xbox and the PS3. Most titles are available for both platforms and are as close to identical as makes no odds.

Do you know other people with consoles, that you could trade games with maybe? That’s usually a deciding factor, “what’s everyone else got?”

For Karaoke there’s SingStar, but do yourself a favour and get a later Rock Band / Guitar Hero title. Far more fun than it’s any right to be, and you can jam on a stupid plastic guitar whilst she warbles away, fun for all the family, less so for the neighbours.

I thought the Wii was getting a bit long in the tooth now against the PS3 Move and Kinect competition?

How much room does the Kinect need?

It’s fine for my two. Games are still being produced and I have no intention of letting them anywhere near some of the shooter-style games for a good few years yet. When they’re a bit older, I’ll consider a change (they’re 5 and 6.5 now). It’s great fun to see them and their friends playing Mario and the dancing games together 🙂

I’d say Wii too – a wide range of family-friendly titles. They are too young for PS3s and the like.

How much room does the Kinect need?

Further reading.

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/04/kinect-vs-our-living-rooms-a-survey/

Low ceilings can cause an issue too, though probably not for your average six year old.

Cheers for info Freddy, I’ll add the Wii to the list then, does the Wii have a Karaoke game?

The Wii is end-of-life. Nintendo are about to release it’s successor, the Wii U.

It does have some karaoke games although I cant vouch for them – a quick google shows quite a few.

I have heard about the Wii U but am reluctant to splash the cash while the games they want to play are all pretty lo-tech.

That]s the thing – they are too young to be bothered about friends laughing at having too ‘old’ a machine – they will play on whatever you get them.

Then you can get them the ‘latest’ machine when you need to as they get older.

Will they be playing online with friends?

If so Xbox is a paid for subscription, PS3 is free. But then if none of their friends (thinking the eldest mainly!) have the same console you have then they can’t play online against eachother anyway!

Whilst it may seem silly at that age my nephew is a similar age and seems to have a bunch of mates he’s always playing online with.

want to encourage the kids to be as active as possible while also being fun.

One word… Bicycle. IMHO both are way too young for consoles. Why don’t you try to give them a taste for litterature first?

Wii is better for young ‘uns, IMO. There are some cracking games – Mario Kart, the Lego games etc.

But… whatever his/her mates have is usually the correct answer, even at six.

One word… Bicycle. IMHO both are way too young for consoles. Why don’t you try to give them a taste for litterature first?

🙄

juan in failing to read the OP shocker 🙄

Seriously, Wii is cheap, friendly and fun; XBOX kinect has the advantage of not needing to hold anything, which is also an advantage over the PS3

as above wii for kids defo,

PS3 is free online

PS3 controllers are better, smaller in hand (IMO) but the actual buttons on xbox are more ergonomic.

Get what his mates have.

(i have all of them aswell :wink:)

One word… Bicycle. IMHO both are way too young for consoles. Why don’t you try to give them a taste for litterature first?

There’s always juan…

His last name’s not Kerr, is it, by chance?

There’s always juan…

I see what you did there…

Thanks for all the inputs, some good food for thought, and Juan my daughter has a Beinn 20 which she rides at least once a week and my son is getting better every time he uses his Rothan, as soon as he’s mastered balance there is a Cnoc 16 waiting for him. 8)