[mitos]

I think all the suggestions above have pretty much answered your questions and all are great ideas.
 
Just for the OP's sake, make sure you place passwords or limit the amount of gaming you allow your children. There have been studies shown to correlate increased gaming, especially violent games can lead to anti-social behaviour. I have seen changes in myself, after prolong gaming with first person shooter(FPS)- it isn't pretty when I lose.
 
Back to the OP. Your kids are at the stage where in a few years, 1-2 years, they'll get bored of pixelated kiddish games. Hence, as much as I would recommend the Wii, I personally don't think he's the best choice, despite the cheaper price tag. For starters, the Wii doesn't high resolution graphics and to be honest is I would prefer the UI and gaming controller of the older generation Nintendo Gamecube( Also same resolution, less the wireless motion sensor controller and motion sensor).
 
As a PS3 user, I would recommend the Xbox 360 with the Kinect system. The Kinect system is basically like much better version of the Wii. For that $250 increase you a  motion sensor camera on the Kinect that responds to hand and body gestures. The guys at Xbox are also concentrating on more family orientated games with the Kinect as well as hardcore gamer games, so basically, so there's no need to upgrade a console once your boys grow up.
 
Some games i suggest you look up on youtube for reviews:
FAmily orientated: Guitar hero series, DJ Hero 1 and 2, Child of eden( Uses kinect system) and various sport kinect series.
 
Non violent games for your kids:
Forza 4 (racing simulation)
 
Mild violence(Not too graphic)
Final Fantasy XIII (RPG)
 
Have Fun,
 
Mitos

 

[cifani090]

Quote:

I think all the suggestions above have pretty much answered your questions and all are great ideas.
 
Just for the OP's sake, make sure you place passwords or limit the amount of gaming you allow your children. There have been studies shown to correlate increased gaming, especially violent games can lead to anti-social behaviour. I have seen changes in myself, after prolong gaming with first person shooter(FPS)- it isn't pretty when I lose.
 
Back to the OP. Your kids are at the stage where in a few years, 1-2 years, they'll get bored of pixelated kiddish games. Hence, as much as I would recommend the Wii, I personally don't think he's the best choice, despite the cheaper price tag. For starters, the Wii doesn't high resolution graphics and to be honest is I would prefer the UI and gaming controller of the older generation Nintendo Gamecube( Also same resolution, less the wireless motion sensor controller and motion sensor).
 
As a PS3 user, I would recommend the Xbox 360 with the Kinect system. The Kinect system is basically like much better version of the Wii. For that $250 increase you a  motion sensor camera on the Kinect that responds to hand and body gestures. The guys at Xbox are also concentrating on more family orientated games with the Kinect as well as hardcore gamer games, so basically, so there's no need to upgrade a console once your boys grow up.
 
Some games i suggest you look up on youtube for reviews:
FAmily orientated: Guitar hero series, DJ Hero 1 and 2, Child of eden( Uses kinect system) and various sport kinect series.
 
Non violent games for your kids:
Forza 4 (racing simulation)
 
Mild violence(Not too graphic)
Final Fantasy XIII (RPG)
 
Have Fun,
 
Mitos

Yes the Guitar Hero series and the DJ Hero are soo much fun. Your family will love that game (Friday game night) and it will get very competitive, fast

 

 

[iq160plus]

Violence, Gore.  I would not even play them myself, thought I would never judge anyone for it.
Quote:

Just wondering, why dont you let them play any fps? 

 

 

[iq160plus]

Quote:

Next best option is a pair of Nintendo DSi (DS Lites break hinges too easily).

Been there, did that.  My DS Lite in perfect shape.  The kids broke their hinges in a matter of weeks and the replacement shells and hinges fit poorly.
 
EDIT: thanks for all the suggestions (since I unintentionally thread-bumped.  Sorry for that)

 

[ssavage]

What do you guys think about the new 3DS?

 

[slakmoh]

Quote:

What do you guys think about the new 3DS?

Maybe when some games come out for it... 

 

 

[ssavage]

You cant use the other DS games for it?

 

[MicroNik]

Wait until first quarter 2012 and the Wii 2 will be out.
 
If not, the Wii is really cheap now too.
 
But you can never go wrong with a Ps2.

 

[Butler]

Honestly, they'd be happy with a Wii, regardless of it being "phased out" in the near future. If you're the kind of parent that shelters their kids, the selection of Wii titles will also have you pleased.
Alternatively, go with a XBox. PS3 doesn't really have games to begin with, never mind kid friendly titles.

 

[iq160plus]

I thought I would go Wii.  However, kids absolutely loved Kinect so I ended up with XBOX360 with the large, 250 Gig I believe, HD.  Here is my next question (wow, I used to be up on technology):
 
I bought the 250gig rather impetuously.  The question is since I purchased several games, can I save the actual GAMES and not just history and scores on the HD and pack away all the disks?  I feel like such a dork for not knowing this but I really care less for 99% of games and am a bit older and out of the loop.
 
Thanks ahead of time.
 
Kids loved Kinect more than Wii.  I read every reply so far and I considered them seriously.  I had no previous inclinations.  Kids are getting what they want.
 
Next question:  Can I download games without a monthly subscription?  I feel silly not knowing these things.

 

[oqvist]

You can install the games for shorter loading times but unless you downloaded them you still need the discs sadly.
 
Wiis games for kids are better but once you played the better Nintendo games and pass a certain age Wii is a really frustrating gaming platform.
I suppose your kids friend has Kinect and 360 perhaps and thus they want that too. Better if they all run the same.
 
Microsoft have a sily idea they are gonna have you pay for multiplayer. For some games you get 48 hours gold and you can use that to purchase games online.
 
 

 

[Eric_C]

You'll have created an Xbox Live account the moment you plugged in your Xbox. These accounts can either be Silver or Gold.
Silver accounts are free, and let you go online and get (some) game demos. You should be able to chat to other gamers and whatnot too.
Gold accounts cost money, and let you play multiplayer online, and get demos (sometimes ahead of Silver accounts). The subscription fee varies, because there are sometimes promotions--quite recently, they had 2 months for $2.

In order to purchase games online, you'll need Microsoft Points. These are sold in fixed quantities, eg 800 points at $10, or something like that. You can buy them online (with your Xbox) by means of a credit card, or get a card over the counter with a redemption code. It's kind of like buying an iTunes stored value card.

Re: installing games.
If you have a game in hard copy, installing is optional. It will help the game to run a bit faster, and will take the load off the disc reader--so the system may run quieter, and reduces the chance that your disc and disc reader will get worn out. This is good for resale of games. You will still need the disc in tray to play, every time you play. Deleting installed games will not wipe your game saves.
Some games are available for online purchase and download through the Xbox's store. These tend to be older, and are sold at full retail--usually higher than what you can find them for at bricks-and-mortar stores. Of course, these games will not need a disc to run. I'm not sure if you need Gold accounts to purchase games online.