What kind of game system do you have?

[Cind11]

I am debating about getting my DH some kind of game system for Christmas. I remember we had an Atari 5200 many years ago and he liked it. This could be something that he wouldn't be expecting so it would be a fun gift I think. I have two daughters who have never really been interested in this kind of thing so I feel really out of the loop. My younger daughter has a friend with two brothers and she says she likes the XBox 360 the best. I have been reading about them and am a bit concerned about the "red rings of death". I know I could get an extended warranty, but it seems like a hassle to have to send the thing in if it gets fried. What about the Wii or Playstation? What system do you have? Do you like it? Would you get it again? Thanks in advance.

 

[bobbin]

We (well really SO) have an Xbox 360, a PS2, a Wii, a DS. If my plans for SO's present come off, we will also have a PS3 come Christmas.

My favourite is the Xbox- it is easy to play games, watch DVD's or *shhh* dowloaded shows, listen to music etc. Xbox also have a very good range of older (adult and teenage) male aimed games and some family friendly games- Viva pinata, lego starwars etc. The Wii is entertaining but gets old FAST. There are some good family friendly games on that one though (nintendo are the best for family friendly games).

The only good thing I have heard about the PS3 is that it has blueray which the others don't, so you can play blueray DVDs. Other than that the game range seems similar to the Xbox.

My SO has had the red ring of death on his Xbox once, they replace the console and give you an extended warranty for free if that happens. It is worth getting the extended warranty in the first place though.

hope this is helpful!

 

[FrekeChild]

Hah! I think the only things we don''t have are a PS3 and an Xbox.

We have:
Nintendo
2 Super Nintendos
Dreamcast
DS
PS2
Wii
Xbox 360

And those are the only ones I know of. FF has a lot of boxes of stuff I haven''t seen inside of.

How old are your daughters?

 

[bobbin]

Date: 12/4/2008 2:06:03 AM
Author: FrekeChild
Hah! I think the only things we don''t have are a PS3 and an Xbox.


We have:

Nintendo

2 Super Nintendos

Dreamcast

DS

PS2

Wii

Xbox 360


And those are the only ones I know of. FF has a lot of boxes of stuff I haven''t seen inside of.


How old are your daughters?

LOL. Between the two of us the only nintendo console we haven''t owned is the original nintendo. I can''t remember what the one before that is, but SO had that, and I had the super nintendo and the nintendo 64, he had the dreamcast (?- was that nintendo?? he had the one after the super nintendo anyway).

I hadn''t played games for a looong time before we started dating, but I am a nerd at heart and I play games with him or watch him play games all the time now!

 

[Sabine]

We got the Wii last year, and although it is fun, I think dh would have liked the XBOX 360 better.

 

[robbie3982]

We have a PS3 and DH loves it. I like that it plays blu-rays. The graphics are pretty awesome.

 

[Snooper]

We''ve had our PS3 for over a year and have had no problems. I second how it''s convenient for playing blu-ray disks.

 

[iwannaprettyone]

Date: 12/4/2008 8:55:48 AM
Author: Snooper
We''ve had our PS3 for over a year and have had no problems. I second how it''s convenient for playing blu-ray disks.

Thritto.

DH loves the PS3, the graphics are outstanding! We have all the American Idol Karaoke games too which are super fun at dinner parties and such.

Good luck!

 

[elrohwen]

FI and I have a Wii and an Xbox 360, but no PS3. I think the way to choose a game system is to look at what games are offered. For a family with children, especially girls, I think Wii might be the best choice. It has lots of games that are fun for adults, but safe for kids (no blood and guts). Xbox and PlayStation tend to have games that are skewed towards older teens and adults, so lots of violence that your husband might like, but fewer family games. For adult gaming entertainment value, the Xbox is better and has so many options to download movies, shows, etc. Wii is a bit cheaper, however, and many games have multiplayer options, which is also fun for a family.

My recommendation is to go to a site like IGN.com that has reviews of games. Go to each console and look for the games that score above 9.0 and read the descriptions. If the high scoring games sound like things your family would enjoy, then get that system. In my experience, there''s not much point in even getting games that score below an 8.0 in the reviews because they probably won''t hold your attention for long.

So to sum up, I agree with the other posters that if the system is mostly for your husband, go with the Xbox (I think it has much better games than the PS3) but if you want something for the whole family (depending on how old your daughters are) get a Wii. Good luck in your search!

 

[AmberWaves]

We have:

PS
PS2 (two of them)
DS
Wii (a wedding gift, how cool is that??)
PS3

I love the Wii, but DH definitely loves the PS3 better. I don''t know if it''s because he prefers his "man games" on that or what, but that''s his favorite. I also like how it plays BluRay, though. The Wii is good for playing together, though, IMHO, because they''re games that are silly and also semi-competitive, which I think is fun. The fun thing is, while he''s playing his PS3, I''m playing my DS right next to him.

So for a game for both of you: Wii
A game for him, with blu ray perks for you: PS3 (unless you''re absolutely more hand/eye coordinated than I am, which isn''t hard, in which case a PS3 is awesome for both!)

 

[violet3]

I got SO a Wii a year and a half ago and we all love it! i like it b/c it''s more active than some other systems.

 

[misysu2]

It depends on what kind of games you''re looking for. From what I''ve seen, Wii''s are more social, fun, easy going games, and PS3 and Xbox 360 games (most of them, although there are exceptions) are for the hard-core video gamer (great graphics, challenging games). We had the rings of death on our Xbox 360, but bought the Best Buy extended warranty, so we just exchanged it in-store with no problems. As far as I know, the newest generation of them have no ring problems anymore.

BTW: I still have my Atari 2600! It''s even hooked up, sitting right next to our Xbox 360!!! Pitfall or Galaga, anyone?!

 

[Cind11]

Date: 12/4/2008 2:06:03 AM
Author: FrekeChild
Hah! I think the only things we don''t have are a PS3 and an Xbox.

We have:
Nintendo
2 Super Nintendos
Dreamcast
DS
PS2
Wii
Xbox 360

And those are the only ones I know of. FF has a lot of boxes of stuff I haven''t seen inside of.

How old are your daughters?

They are 14 and 16. My 16 yr. old at one time had told me she''d like something like this as a gift. I told her that her younger sister would have to want it too, since it''s relatively expensive so would have to be a joint gift. The 14 yr. old has no desire for one. But my DH really likes playing games, so I think he''d be into it. I''m sure the rest of us would play it too though.

 

[Cind11]

Date: 12/4/2008 11:46:02 AM
Author: misysu2
It depends on what kind of games you''re looking for. From what I''ve seen, Wii''s are more social, fun, easy going games, and PS3 and Xbox 360 games (most of them, although there are exceptions) are for the hard-core video gamer (great graphics, challenging games). We had the rings of death on our Xbox 360, but bought the Best Buy extended warranty, so we just exchanged it in-store with no problems. As far as I know, the newest generation of them have no ring problems anymore.

BTW: I still have my Atari 2600! It''s even hooked up, sitting right next to our Xbox 360!!! Pitfall or Galaga, anyone?!

An Atari 2600? That''s so funny. I thought we were the only ones with a dinosaur of a game system. We don''t play ours anymore though. I really appreciate all the responses. And what exactly are blueray DVD''s?

 

[misysu2]

Oh! I stand corrected. I went downstairs and noticed that our Atari was a 7800, not a 2500. Lots more technology!!

Blu Ray is a new kind of DVD format that plays regular DVDs in much higher resolution. You can buy blu ray movies now that play in even higher resolution. Here's a good intro to blu ray: http://www.imdb.com/features/thebluroom/

I can't wait to get one for the holidays, because we've been watching stuff on our 25" hand me down TV with only one working speaker and my 10 year old DVD player. BTW, DH is planning on getting a MONSTER TV soon, not so we can watch high def movies, but so he can see the details in his GAMES better!!!

 

[gwendolyn]

We just got a Wii last week and so far we''re having lots of fun with it. J''s parents have a Wii for their grandkids ages 2-7 (two girls and two boys) and they all love playing games on it--yes, even the two-year-old. It''s designed to reach out to more demographics than other gaming systems, so both your daughters might end up enjoying it in the end since there are quite a few ''girly'' games available for it. But, it is rather expensive, and the 14-year-old might feel a bit left out if the big gift this year is for everyone but her (not really, but maybe how she could see it?).

 

[decodelighted]

We have an Xbox 360 and, though I was VERY against it at first - I cannot say enough good things about ROCK BAND!!!!!! (And Rock Band 2). I am *not* a videogame player. Ms. Pac Man was my previous "game of choice" so you can guess how long ago THAT was

(though my DH & I played it on our first date

). But ROCK BAND *rocks*. I started out singing, then tried guitar, then realized I''m killer on Bass but even more in

with DRUMS! Only downside: I have to take off my bling to beat those skins. I hardly EVER take off the bling. Its just that F-U-N. And the best part of all is that DH & I can play as a "team" and get better at something together/cheer each other on. Its even fun just to watch him "solo". Like live-action radio. ANYHOO -- ROCK BAND!!!!!

 

[poshpepper]

Date: 12/4/2008 6:50:20 AM
Author: Sabine
We got the Wii last year, and although it is fun, I think dh would have liked the XBOX 360 better.

Ditto... I got the Wii for him last Christmas. It is fun, but I think I like it better than him.

We also have a PS2, but it hardly ever gets played. I just dont think my hubby is that into video games.

 

[musey]

We''re both big into games. Well, he''s big into games, and I have fun playing them with him. If he didn''t play games though, I probably wouldn''t think to.

We have a playstation 3 which is fantastic, because it doubles as a blu-ray and DVD player (so we''ve been able to get rid of our old one). There are a lot of fun games for it, and a great variety at that (some people say if you want to play _________ kinds of games then you need _________ gaming system, but I think the ps3 rises above that), our favorites are Little Big Planet and Grand Theft Auto (3 and 4).

We''ve had it since it first came out (I want to say a year and a half ago? Or was it 2.5 years? I don''t know!!) and haven''t had any problems. I think you can purchase an extended warranty, I''m not sure....

We also have a super nintendo (old school!) and the handheld PSP. My husband really wants a wii, but we can''t justify the expense right now. I tried to "win" one for him on the eBay doorbusters before I realized that people were scripting all the wins

 

[robbie3982]

Date: 12/4/2008 3:38:47 PM
Author: musey

We''re both big into games. Well, he''s big into games, and I have fun playing them with him. If he didn''t play games though, I probably wouldn''t think to.


We have a playstation 3 which is fantastic, because it doubles as a blu-ray and DVD player (so we''ve been able to get rid of our old one). There are a lot of fun games for it, and a great variety at that (some people say if you want to play _________ kinds of games then you need _________ gaming system, but I think the ps3 rises above that), our favorites are Little Big Planet and Grand Theft Auto (3 and 4).


We''ve had it since it first came out (I want to say a year and a half ago? Or was it 2.5 years? I don''t know!!) and haven''t had any problems. I think you can purchase an extended warranty, I''m not sure....


We also have a super nintendo (old school!) and the handheld PSP. My husband really wants a wii, but we can''t justify the expense right now. I tried to ''win'' one for him on the eBay doorbusters before I realized that people were scripting all the wins

DH is OBSESSED with little big planet! He talked about it for months and months before it came out, was part of the beta group and now plays it every day for hours. He tries to get me to play with him, but I''m just not that into the game. I do like changing the character''s clothes and putting stickers all over the level though

 

[aliciagirl]

We recently traded our Wii for a PS3 and it''s a much better choice for us. The Wii has a lot of kid friendly games, if that is what you are looking for, but doesn''t have many adult one-player games. FI played the few games that the Wii offered and decided to do the trade. He''s enjoying the PS3 A LOT more... it has better games for him and the graphics are great. I like the Blu Ray player, too.

I think the Wii is really great for playing games with 3 or 4 people but not as fun for one or two, IMHO.

 

[Cind11]

I think it would be more likely to be two of us playing at a time. I checked at Best Buy and an XBox 360 is $399.99 there. If I search, would I be likely to find it at a cheaper price elsewhere? Or, is that pretty nuch the price?

 

[misysu2]

Check Amazon! They almost always have lower prices than Best Buy. My Blu Ray player is $75 cheaper there!

 

[Tuckins1]

We have 2 Nintendo Gamecubes, a PS2, a PS3, and a Wii. Personally, I LOVE my Wii... I have always loved the nintendo games the best, so it''s a no brainer for me. It is totally awesome!!! Your husband would love it, i''m sure!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

I have a Nintendo DS, which I really like for longer trips, and BF and I just got a Wii yesterday, which is awesome! I definitely recommend both!

 

[Miranda]

Santa is leaving a PS3 for the boys. We have a PS1, PS2, and a variety of handheld devices. I''m looking forward to the PS3, though. I hear the graphics are amazing. Dh had to go buy a new tv for their playroom...You can''t see full HD on anything less than 42", ya know?

 

[pjean]

We have a Wii, a PS2 and an Xbox 360. I probably use the Wii most, and my FI probably uses the Xbox most. There are definitely more single player adult content games for the Xbox, and they aren''t my thing.

I will say that, with our Netflix account and lack of cable, the Xbox has just become my favorite toy because I can watch stuff instantly. (We''re a mac household, and this was previously only supported on PCs).

I think there are lots of single player games for the Wii as well as the Xbox, but they tend heavily towards Mario and so on. Fewer first person shooters and things that are scary enough that I make FI wait until I''m out of the room to play them.

 

[*Danielle*]

We have a PS2 and a PS3.

 

[katamari]

Date: 12/4/2008 5:40:02 PM
Author: Cind11
I think it would be more likely to be two of us playing at a time. I checked at Best Buy and an XBox 360 is $399.99 there. If I search, would I be likely to find it at a cheaper price elsewhere? Or, is that pretty nuch the price?

I think the best game system is dictated by what games you like most. We have every system, and I don''t really see them as interchangeable for one another. I love the Wii, I think it is amazing and it is definitely the one we play the most. I also think it is the best for two people to play (unless you would be playing sports games or first-person shooters). Even our non-gamer friends will ply Wii, and they won''t touch Xbox or PS3 (except, maybe, Rock Band). Xbox is best for online play and you get to have Halo. The PS3 is the one we play the least. Might just be us.

 

[Cind11]

You have all been such a wealth of information-thank you! I'm tempted to think that my DH might like the XBox better, but I feel like I might like the Wii or Playstation. But the gift isn't really for me, so I shouldn't be thinking what I'd like. I'm going to have to give this some more thought.

Edited to add: I like someone's suggestions about looking into the games. I'm going to do that to see what games sound more like things he'd like.