X-box or Wii? Your opinion wanted!

1. 67

   Ivorwenposted 13 years ago

   I like the interactive video games for the children, and want to get one for my home, but after doing some research, am wondering which is better -- the X-box or the Wii?
   
   I like that the X-box does not have all the controller handles and cords to get tangled, but it also costs more.  Does the body reading work well?  Is it worth the extra expense?
   
   With the X-box, does a person have to be a certain size to play effectively?  (My youngest is three)
   
   With the Wii, if you keep to a limited # of controllers, can you still play a wide variety of games?  Is it easy to know which games work with which controller, before you buy?
   
   
   Thanks!  I am interested in all opinions and experiences.

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   1. 56

      C.J. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Definitely the Wii. It's the future of gaming consoles. XBOX is not keeping up. Wii is going to be more expensive in the long run because of all the available add ons. But like I said, it's where the game console industry is headed.

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         Ivorwenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Thank you.

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      2. 53

         Teddy Fanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I think the Kinct and the Xbox is the future. The Wii and Nintendo have always been innovators but they just don't have the quality games to go with the console. Yes they have the familiar faces in Mario and Donky Kong, but most of the games turn out to be fads (I don't know anyone that played their Wii Fit beyond a week).
         If they produced games that really attracted the hardcore gaming market I would agree, but I just think you are miles from the mark.

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   2. 78

      nell79posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      About your question on multiple players, on the xbox, we've had some fun doing multi-player quests or mini-games. When we all want to play though (we're a big family), we always go for the wii. Some games will allow you to trade off remotes to go above the 4 player limits. Also, with the huge offering of mini-games, it makes it easy to trade off even when you aren't playing a game that offers more than 4 players.
      
      As for your question about knowing which controllers to buy for which games, all the games tell you on the back what they need for play. 

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   3. 59

      kevrock529posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I have both and say Xbox hands down! You can get the Kinect for xbox which seems way cooler than the Wii controlers. Plus with the xbox, you can link it with your computers and stream movies, videos, music directly to it. Xbox is truly a family console in my opinion. Wii is over rated and seems children get bored with it rather quickly.

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      Teddy Fanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      If you are looking for a cheap and inventive learning tool for children of a young age go for the Wii. A word of warning, they need to be supervised whilst playing it otherwise you are likely to end up with a Wii remote shaped hole in your TV.

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2. 86

   IzzyMposted 13 years ago

   I just wrote a best selling list of video games, and what I noticed is that the games for the Wii are selling a lot more than XBox games. Hope that helps too!

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      Ivorwenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I will look your list  over.  Thanks.

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3. 63

   I am DB Cooperposted 13 years ago

   I think it depends a lot on your age. I find a lot of older teenagers and young adults have abandoned their Wii's in favor of the Xbox 360. Simply put, the games are just better and the Xbox 360 is a far more advanced system. The novelty of the Wii motion-sensing controller does wear off over time. I know it's expensive, but the Microsoft Kinect add-on for Xbox 360 is mind-blowing and truly makes the Wii look like a baby's toy.
   
   Hardcore console gamers will prefer the Xbox 360, while children and casual party gamers will probably like the Wii.

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   1. 67

      Ivorwenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you.  This perspective is very helpful.

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      warchild75posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah i agree i think the kids will love the wii where as adults can drool over the video and voice technology of the microsoft kinect plus the games look a lot more adult than the wii's

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4. 60

   Kexulposted 13 years ago

   If the system will be used by younger kids, then you should definitely get the wii. The xbox'x kinect add on is still really new and doesn't have a whole lot of games for it right now. I have heard that with it's current game line up, several of the games are not working the best with the sensor. some of the games actions don't always get picked up by the sensor. The Wii already has a bigger game library, and is aimed more at younger kids and casual gamers. The controls work well for the most part. Some games just have terrible controls that are not the sensors fault. As for the part of the controllers, each game says on the back which controllers it supports. Pretty much every game is compatable with the default wii-mote and nunchuk combo.

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      Ivorwenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for all of this information.  It is hard to know what to look for when entering a new field.

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5. 91

   Polly Cposted 13 years ago

   I agree, for a younger child, definitely the wii. We have one and it is much more of a family console than the Xbox. My oldest son is actually dying for an Xbox, but he is ten. He appreciates the better graphics, but younger children don't care. The games for the Xbox are much more geared towards the older player, there is less of a selection of family games than on the wii.

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   1. 67

      Ivorwenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      My older ones are pulling for an x-box, but they can't give a solid 'Why' for it.  So far, the biggest reason they give is what their friends have. 

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6. 64

   ns1209posted 13 years ago

   For kids of 3 the Wii but you have to also consider the Kinect for Xbox.  Overall though the XBox is much more advanced but little children will prefer the Wii.  The Wii does also have some fun games.

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   1. 67

      Ivorwenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Do you know if little kids can successfully play the X-box?

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7. 70

   ddsurfscaposted 13 years ago

   be very careful purchasing any xbox or xbox 360 and if u do decide on that make sure you get the elite, for the other break down constantly -- I don't know about the the wii and the 3 yr old, i thing it would depend on what games you purchased with it.

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   1. 67

      Ivorwenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you.  I saw that there were multiple sizes available, and wondered what difference it made.

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8. 78

   nell79posted 13 years ago

   It all depends really on how often you invest in a gaming system. We have both in our house. My 10 year old and my 13 year old prefer the Xbox. They're dying to get their hands on the kinect and really, it does have mostly favorable reviews (though they say you have to have the space to move and clear the clutter in front of the sensor for best playability).
   
   My 6 year old and 3 year old prefer the wii. It has more games available for the younger set (Mario is always a hit and is exclusively nintendo's) and also has games for older kids as well (though as I said, my older kids still prefer the xbox).
   
   My husband prefers the xbox for his gaming nights. He's into games like Halo, Call of Duty, Fable (all grown-up games).
   
   I like both really. I prefer xbox for the RPGs and the wii for the family game nights (so that all will feel included). Though the xbox does have some family friendly games too, we like the motion sensor games best on those nights. Though, as I said, we haven't yet got the kinect (which doesn't need a remote) to compare it to.
   
   We did go for the wii first, then the xbox 360. With our age ranges and different tastes, it made sense to have both.
   
   Don't know if that helps, but I wish you luck in your decision. I'm sure whatever you decide, your kids will be excited.

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   1. 67

      Ivorwenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      This will be the first gaming system for our family.  The older boys (9 and 11) do have DS's, but those are individual toys.  We want something that everyone can use and benefit from.
      
      My husband and I are not gamers.  I play more than he does, but would be perfectly happy with an old Nintendo.   That is not going to go over well with the boys, and our purpose is to keep them active. 
      
      If it weren't for the kinect, we would not be considering the X-box.

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         nell79posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         We like to play games of all kinds (board games included), but I wouldn't say we're hard-core gamers. In fact, our systems can go untouched for days at a time. The kids play it more than any of us, and they have to earn it first, and I do limit their time on it (I'm a mean mom! haha).
         
         But I do enjoy playing, and especially as a family. Sounds like that's what you're going for, too. Honestly, I think you'd do best with the wii. But again, I haven't played the kinect yet, and don't know all that's available with it.
         
         Anyway, the wii has been around longer. It's worked out it's bugs and has a ton of 4 player games available (though not all are winners, there are still a lot of good ones). It's very user friendly and fun for the whole family.

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         1. 78

            nell79posted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I do have an article that tells you how to know what the games are like before you buy. It's "what every gamer should know".
            
            We like to know what's in our games before we decide to fork out the money for them and the article tells you how to do that. I don't know if that's what will help you decide what you're looking for or not.

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         2. 67

            Ivorwenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks!  We are a big family too, and I can't imagine less than three of them wanting to play at a time.

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9. 60

   logic,commonsenseposted 13 years ago

   I believe the Wii is more multiple user friendly.  It encourages more physical activity without the user thinking about it.  A great way for kids to burn off energy as well as adults.  It is also more results oriented.  It gives you more of a challenge because you have more input.

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   1. 67

      Ivorwenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you.

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10. 44

    Mikeydoesposted 13 years ago

    If you have kids and like to participate in fun, easy games. The Wii is the way to go.
    
    Wii Party, Wii Sports, and Mario Party would be my picks for the best all around games for 4 players and family fun. There are other games that are great that might appeal to your family more as well.

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    1. 67

       Ivorwenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       These games allow 4 players at a time?

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11. 60

    Pandoras Boxposted 13 years ago

    The Xbox Kinect is definitely the leader with its full body sensor, but it is true that right now the games are limited. Here's a list of the currently available games for the Kinect, and here's a list of new and upcoming Kinect game titles in the new year.
    
    If the three year old is a big factor, I think the Wii will definitely be the best choice right now. But keep in mind that what the Wii is doing right now, the Kinect will be doing better going forward. Some say that's what the Kinect is all about for Microsoft, stealing the less hardcore family gamers from Wii.
    
    There are games coming out on both Wii and for the xbox 360 kinect which will have more features built into the kinect game due to the greater capabilities of the xbox console and the kinect sensor.
    
    In our house nobody over 13 plays the Wii, and she wants an xbox 360 with Kinect. My 19 year halo and cod addict even likes the kinect, and plays it frequently not just with us, but with his friends. But of course if they don't come out with a really good 1st person shooter game soon he'll lose interest.
    
    Space and placement are big issues with the Kinect which you won't have to deal with so much for the Wii. The controllers and batteries are a pain in the butt with the Wii though. And the head on occassion too.
    
    Still if your prime audience is under 10, the Wii will be the best choice and easiest to deal with I'm sure. If you have a teenaged son, and a room roomy emough, buy the xbox with kinect and let him deal with setting it all up.
    
    It really is right now everything the Wii is, only better. I don't think there is anything the Wii could possibly do to catch up to the kinect and have as much potential as the kinect does.
    
    The Wii is yesterday's version of the kinect. But for small children, the Wii would be much more simpler to deal with if you don't want the hassle of setting up the Kinect and rearranging your family room. With the navigation based on sensored movement and voice detection, the Kinect can be tricky to navigate especially in certain games. That could be difficult for smaller children to figure out, I say, knowing full well that at 3years old my own children were far more tech-savvy than I. Still it could be tricky.
    
    Plus the Wii is not as expensive, so if you get a few years of use out of it, you're okay.
    
    But if teenagers are in the picture, you might want to go straight to the Kinect. It will hold their interest much longer. There are dozens of great non-kinect xbox games already out which they'd like as well.
    
    DO NOT BUY THE KINECT FOR UPSTAIRS ROOMS!!!
    
    That, I assure you, would be a huge mistake, unless you enjoy the housewide echoes of thumping.

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    1. 67

       Ivorwenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I am finding your review very helpful.  Thank you.
       
       How much space does the kinect need to work?  Our tv room is rather narrow.

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12. 60

    Pandoras Boxposted 13 years ago

    Oh after reading more of your situation, it becomes a tougher choice. First I'm thinking that if you're coming from the gamecube, then the Wii is a good choice, but then I'm thinking 9 and 11 year old boys....
    
    Wow, tough choice. They'd love the xbox.

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13. 60

    evvy_09posted 13 years ago

    I was never really interested in the Wii, plus it seems like it has a dozen different accessories needed to play different games.  I'd stick with the xbox 360 and kinnect. Microsoft seems to be planning to do big things with the Kinnect.

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14. 40

    xboxps3wowposted 13 years ago

    Get a ps3, its much better than xbox and wii put together.

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    1. 67

       Ivorwenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       My husband was just checking that out today.  He seemed really impressed by the ps3.

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       kimblesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       Don't forget, the PS3 doubles as a bluray player and if you have a 3d capable tv the PS3 can play 3d dvd's as well....

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          xboxps3wowposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          exactly! I bought mine in 2006 and its still ahead of its time!

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15. 41

    kimblesposted 13 years ago

    I haven't read all the other posts but comparing the wii and the xbox is like asking coffee or tea. They are so different from one another. Xbox is a serious gamers machine, something many can lose themselves in for hours at a time.
    
    A wii is a family console, fun and something you can play for 30 minutes without getting to engrossed into. Forget the Kinect, I have one and the wii and wii games are still far better. I honestly don't think the kinect for the xbox will be around in its current format 12 months from now.

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16. 0

    Aleister888posted 13 years ago

    For me, it has to be the xbox 360, but then again, i am biased, but i do think that its power allows it to produce a higher caliber of game, especially when multi-player is concerned

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