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[ChairmanPoo]

I want to buy a console so that we can play together as a family this christmas, and I was thinking that perhaps the people here could give me some thoughts as to what might fit the bill better, and what games I could get with it.

 Basically, it should be something along these lines.

- Have several different multiplayer games, to suit all tastes. AKA: having trivial is nice when my parents are involved, but I'd like to have some action games as well to play with my cousins.

- Modest price. It's not that money is a problem, but this is just something to have a couple of games on to play as a family. For my hardcore gaming needs I already have my PC. So it doesn't need to be a top-notch graphics device.

So, comments?

[MonkeyHead]

Wii has been fab with all 3 generations of my family. My 4 yr old daughter playing with my 60 yr old dad seems to work well...

Wii sports resort is pretty fun, as is Wii Party. Theres plenty of fun casual games that dont need hours of dedication to enjoy on the console.

[GlyphGryph]

For wide-spectrum family support, I've had the best luck with the Wii. Plenty of trivia games, bowling is popular, lots of semi-mini-games, good multiplayer platformers (Mario Bros, Metal Slug, etc) with good support for a variety of skill levels. It is the system most focused on playing with other people in person. It doesn't have many shooters, and the ones it has are pretty bad, but no system really offers great support for group shooter play anymore. Also, since I think they recently got their own version of rock band, aside from shooters I can't think of another system that does multiplayer better.

[Vector]

Yeah, I'd get the Wii.  Xbox has a very narrow and violent selling range, and though the Playstation has my favorite games on it, it's always seemed like more of a fighting/RPG system than anything you'd want to play with little kids.

[GlyphGryph]

Only real group game PS3 has going for it that I've seen is pretty damn good (Little Big Planet), but there's not a ton of variety in my experience. Of course, its been like 2 years since I touched one now, that may have changed.

[Zrk2]

Wii is the best for what you describe. The Wii Sports style games are great for hours of wasted time and I don't even know how long I played Mario Cart before my sisters broke it.

[nenjin]

My dad likes the Wii. Because he can play Tennis on it. For a man who says video games are a complete waste of time, that's a pretty good endorsement I think.

[lordcooper]

Not a fan of the Wii personally, but it does seem to be what you're looking for.

[ChairmanPoo]

Thanks everyone. I'll prolly look into the wii (particularily given that a casual check at the xbox kinect thing seemd to show that it had far less games. plus it's bound to be more expensive, and I don't like making expensive experiments unless I can help it)

I'm still open to suggestions either in games or consoles, though.

[freeformschooler]

Wii does seem pretty close, but I will note it is nearing the end of its lifespan.

[ChairmanPoo]

*shrug* that should help to make it cheaper, no?

I don't plan to buy games compulsively, or even buy very many games at all. I just want to have some kind of group activity with relatives when I'm at home.  :p

I might even give a try to plugging in the playstation, see what happens.

[GlyphGryph]

One of the nicest things about the Wii is that the gamecube had a lot of fun games too, and its backwards compatible.  So if you ever want to play it on your own, stuff like Eternal Darkness is playable too. ^_^

And you can download, like, a whole bunch of classic nintendo games now, too, I think?

[Haschel]

Like everyone said, wii is pretty much the most versatile. It can be a little bit lacking in the action department but there are still some pretty solid titles that are worth it. Xbox would be second best overall, you can get a used 360 for about the same as a new wii but kinect will add a fair chunk onto that (and I find kinect a lot less appealing, but that's a personal preference) You'll have a bit more variety in game selection but I'm not sure how well suited it is for much older/younger people.

[Truean]

I echo everyone else with the Wii. It's the most versatile and specifically marketed to be for families in many cases. You've got a wide variety of games, including multi player and titles you're probably familiar with (Mario, for example).

I also know a few friends with kids and this is the system they chose. Their kids love it and they approve as parents. Not only that, they like playing it themselves as parents.

The only problem I foresee is that gaming consoles come in "generations."
1.) Atari
2.) NES/Sega Genesis
3.) Super Nintendo/Later graphics Sega
4.) N64/Playstation 1/Sega Dreamcast
etc etc.

That said, I dunno when/what the next generation of gaming consoles to come out will be (if that even really matters to you). I imagine it's relatively soon. If you don't care, then kudos.

[Criptfeind]

The Wii U is slated for some time in 2012.