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[°°ToMmY°°]

the only answer that matters:

tell your sister to ask the kids if they want a ps3 or a wii. that's what really matters, last thing they want is finding under the christmas tree a console they didn't ask for.

 

[DR2K]

I'd recommend a PS3. Plenty of E rated shovelware. Plus I don't think a 6 and 7 year old should be flailing around a remote, those things fucking hurt.

 

[Noshino]

I would imagine for practicality purposes the Wii would be the easier choice. The controller is almost literally made for throwing about and the games range from simple swimming with fish all the way up to collecting stars with Mario. It's also great for parties and local play, and in particular Boom Blox would be a great choice as you can build and destroy stuff with it and it controls really simply.

Of course the PS3 has kid friendly games and simple-to-control stuff, but navigating the menus and sometimes waiting for things to install is probably going to be a bit frustrating for 'em. Having said that, Noby Noby Boy is the ultimate in virtual playground gaming for the kids and it's nonsensical enough to keep their attention.

Ah, I had forgotten about that, yah, one of the main advantages of the Wii with kids is that the Wii remote has the plastic jacket which makes it more safe when dropped or throw around (I have seen it happen when they get pissed)


Now, I do have to disagree with you in regards to the UI, if anything, the XMB is much easier to navigate, specially if you have the games stored on your HDD, unless, like you mentioned, you have to install/update.

 

[phisheep]

Couple of things to consider:

1) There are far more Wii games with local co-op. If you want your kids playing together it is a good choice

2) If all their friends have PS3, it can go either way: Get a PS3 and they'll be able to share games etc.; Get a Wii and all their friends will spend more time at your house - you'll need some extra controllers. Depends how much you want other people's kids around.

 

[Tntnnbltn]

unless, like you mentioned, you have to install/update.

I'd personally be tempted to not connect their console to the internet. Saves any worries about online child safety, saves them worrying about firmware updates and patches. Then every so often come over and update their software / firmware / give them the latest games from your PSN acct.

Only annoying part is that some games (i.e. Noby Noby Boy) expect you to go online and throw up an error screen saying connection not found. It's easy enough to quit out of the screen, but it's just an annoyance every time.

 

[Olorin]

They already have a PS2, GBA, DSlite and PSP, so why not get some DS and PSP games instead of a whole new system? And throw in some books and legos as well.

 

[The Take Out Bandit]

My sister called me today saying that she wants to buy her kids (boy aged 7 and girl aged 6) a PS3 for Christmas, and she wanted to know if there are different models and what to look for.

My first thought was "I'm not sure the PS3 is very suitable for kids that young, I don't know if has many good games for children." -- she replied "but all their friends have one!"

I kind of warmed her up to the idea of getting them a Wii instead when she learned that it's cheaper and more family oriented, and we both agreed that kids at that age don't really care or tell the difference in graphics--But I'm not sure if the Wii is the better choice to be honest.

The kids are already experienced gamers; they have a PS2, GBA, DS Lite and PSP. Sadly, much like the daughters of my other sister, they seem to mostly play licensed shovelware... but I guess at that age kids don't really mind the quality of games; they'll play anything they get their hands on. For a while the boy was hooked on to playing my copy of Super Mario 64 on an N64 hooked up to a black and white 14" TV. I wasn't sure if that was a testament of the quality of the game, his taste, or simply the power of a child's imagination.

Anyway, back to the point. Would you recommend a PS3 or a Wii to kids aged 6-7? And why. Help a brother out!

I'd go with the wii due to library, overall cost, and hardware reliability relative to it's less than stellar competition.

If she does get a PS3jr make sure to get a replacement warranty.

 

[dsigns]

My little brother is 8 and rarely touch the wii. He plays LBP like crazy, and is really into the Modnation Racers beta. There is also EyePet coming soon and lots of PSN games like the Buzz Junior games. Id reccomend the PS3 since theyll be able to keep it as they get older instead of wanting to get rid of it.

 

[professor_t]

Sony recently introduced a new controller that looks like a marital aid. I'd say the answer is a resounding "NO."

 

[sooperkool]

Kids, like most people, will enjoy quality and/or variety, regardless of the console manufacturer or the power in the hardware.

That being said, I would definitely not buy a PS3 to anyone under 10, purely on principle.

The PS3 is an expensive high-tech gadget that has to be treated as such, like an Iphone or a Blackberry, kids can surely use it but they aren't supposed to have one.

The Wii is cheap and my kids will SURELY find some game there they can enjoy.

As a parent, I would know right away what I'd buy my kids and I don't give a crap what other kids have in their living rooms. The only case I'd buy a PS3 was when my boy or girl SPECIFICALLY showed me what PS3 exclusive games they want to play and I would have to be sure my boy/girl knows exactly the differences between the console.

To play generic crap and the licensed shovelware of the Pixar movie of the season, No fucking way I'd buy a PS3 or even a Wii for that matter, PS2 would be my first choice.

Finally a real parent steps in the thread. On this I concur. And I've got a 17 year old, a 14 year old, a 9 year old and a 2 year old.

 

[Qwell]

Another thing that I think makes the PS3 a little more appealing is the amount of free content on the system. With the Wii you are going to have to buy every single piece of content for the system. However on the PS3 you have game demo's to let the kids have some variety in what they play and when and not always having to wait for the next birthday, christmas, event, to get something new. Plus the PS1 catalog does include quite a large number of kids games, either through the PSN or through a used game shop.

 

[methane47]

Wii is the best kid friendly console... to say the least... But PS3 is a beast for the kids as well.....

 

[A.R.K]

I have a seven year old and loves the PS3. Game suggestions:

LBP (my daughter loves it too)
Any lego game (they have co-op)
Motorstorm
Kungfu rag doll
Ratchet series
Afrika
Highvelocity Bowling
Smash cars
Street Fighter 4
Eyepet (wait for it in US or import)
Modnation (coming soon)
Super Stardust
Gravity Crash

So yes PS3 is a good fit for kids and will keep them busy for years to come. Also good for your sister too as she can watch BR movies . PS3 is a better value for the family as a whole.

 

[tirminyl]

My nephew plays on the PS3 mostly. He is 5 and can navigate the PS3 Store with ease. Every week he hits up the store demo section and picks which game to download based off the thumbnail pictures. His dad supervises the choices as well. His favorite game is LBP.

 

[soco]

buying a PS3 (360 and to a lesser extent the Wii) for the shovelware when they have a PS2 already is a pretty silly idea.

most of the shovelware gets ported to all the sytems and it'll be cheaper and pretty much identical but with slightly shittier graphics on the PS2.


there are so many good games she could be buying the kids on the PS2, PSP, DS, etc. wasting money on a PS3 now -- especially for kids, unless she plans to buy them killzone, resistance, et al

 

[Naked Snake]

(Just realised that another pro with PS3 re: my neices and nephews is that almost everything they play is a digital title. Means they can just flick through the game category without worrying about discs.)

That's my favorite part about this generation (downloadable games), but it applies to the Wii as well (VC, WiiWare).

 

[Shai-Tan]

I think in an average case a Wii is a better choice for children under 10. I have 6 and 7 year old nieces who do like playing Rock Band, LittleBigPlanet, Sega Superstars Tennis on the PS3 but they have DS and Wii at home with games that are more age appropriate.

For 9 and up it depends on how mature and experienced with games the child is. Some 9 year olds would have trouble with the complexity of games on "hardcore" consoles, others are better than most adults. Grand Theft Auto and Gears of War are probably out of the question for 9 year olds but I don't see a problem with shooting in some other games if they are watching action movies. The problem is that they might be creating a headache as the kids will want to play games like Prototype or whatever because it seems "edgy"

 

[Baron Aloha]

You shouldn't try to get his mom to get him something else if what he wants is a PS3...especially since apparently all of his friends have one as that will essentially make him a pariah. There are more than enough kid friendly games on PS3 that he would enjoy playing. Not only that, but 3-5 years down the line when he gets older its a safe bet that there will be way more games on the PS3 that will appeal to him than on the Wii.

 

[Cheech]

I would personally get them a 360 over a PS3 due to the better variety of cheap and kid friendly games for it, but if they want a PS3, get them a PS3. There's plenty for them to play.

 

[DancingJesus]

PS3 isn't a bad choice for kids but just make sure to guide them in the right direction when it comes to games.

LittleBigPlanet
Ratchet and Clank Series
Rock Band
Lego Games

Stuff like that. One really nice bonus is that it has the Blu-Ray player and it can play many of the fantastic Pixar releases that the whole family can appreciate

Up
Wall-E
Ratatouille

All these things will give them more than enough to enjoy for the foreseeable future.

Good Luck!

 

[mik]

They're both great choices.

My daughters have spent hours and hours on the Wii with Endless Ocean, Wii Sports Resort, and Animal Crossing. But they're also hopelessly addicted to Beatles Rock Band, LittleBigPlanet, EyePet, Flower and, now, Modnation Racers on the PS3. They also have a great time with the rotten Playstation Eye games that we all roll our eyes at.

 

[DancingJesus]

They're both great choices.

My daughters have spent hours and hours on the Wii with Endless Ocean, Wii Sports Resort, and Animal Crossing. But they're also hopelessly addicted to Beatles Rock Band, LittleBigPlanet, EyePet, Flower and, now, Modnation Racers on the PS3. They also have a great time with the rotten Playstation Eye games that we all roll our eyes at.

Training a new generation of gamers. Brings a tear to my eye.

 

[McLovin]

Wii is more appropriate but if she got a ps3 she could use the blu-ray functionality if they ever go HD. Lots of cool games on psn they could play too. Also LBP could keep them busy for years.

 

[Holy Order Sol]

It's good for turning them into men with Demon's Souls.

 

[Willy Wanka]

There are far more games suitable for that age group on the Wii but if they really want a PS3 then it seems like a no-brainer. That is unless they aren't like most kids and would be happy with Santa getting it a bit wrong on Xmas day :lol

 

[Redd]

Eh just get them the console they want. Simple as that.

 

[Snuggles]

It's good for turning them into men with Demon's Souls.

Yeah, that would be a good way to toughen up your kid. No desert until you slay Flamelurker, son.

This has probably been mentioned several times already, but if I was a kid I would LOVE LittleBigPlanet.

 

[Xeke]

Training a new generation of gamers. Brings a tear to my eye.

Yeah, there goes their social life.

 

[PetriP-TNT]

Well yeah, it is. Just don't give them mics, I can't stand listening to 7 year olds while playing MW2

 

[mujun]

Of course it is, it has Uncharted 2!

Uncharted2.gif

If they don't get into Uncharted 2 put them up for adoption.

 

[AndyD]

Hey, I dont know what you decided on but I thought I would give you two stories from over Xmas. Went to our parent's for Xmas and spoke with 2 families who both got PS3s.

One, the neighbor, bought a PS3 for his 13 year old son and 6 and 7 year old son and daughter respectively. They already had a Wii. Overall he said the kids asked for it because their friends had PS3s and they wanted one. He was very pleased with the game selection he found at the store when he got the console for the two separate age targets he had. He picked up LBP, Burnout and Warhawk for the older boy of all games.

I told him he can download lots of small cheap games off the network and tried to explain the parental settings. He said he will look into it and just give them an allowance on there for them to spend if he can restrict the ratings. He said he does not mind shooting games if there isnt massive amounts of blood. I told him to think of the two Ratchet games, sports games, and mod nation coming soon. He asked about extreme sports because the kids still play SSX on PS2.

The second house is my nieces and nephews. The family got a big screen TV and they also got a PS3, partly because by uncle wanted one and a Bluray player and the kids wanted a game console (they are 2,4,7) and they had a PS2 only before. My uncle said he felt good about getting them a PS3 and not a Wii because the 7 year old said his friends have PS3s and that was what he wanted. He also said that based on the PS2, he feels the PS3 will be good for the kids as well. He only bought them Ratchet. I told him a few more and about the network stuff and he said he would look into it for himself as well. He sounded interested in Modnation of all things, mainly the Mario Kart but customized to your liking part.

So take from that what you want, but it seems a PS3 may be perfectly fine console for younger kids.

 

[astroturfing]

Noby Noby Boy is good for the kids.

 

[Arthrus]

• inFamous

I don't get all of the people discounting the intelligence and capability of children in this thread :/

inFamous didn't really seem like something for a 6 or 7 year old... I don't think anything that involves killing lots of people is really suitable for anybody less than 9 years old, but that's just my opinion.

I agree with you about not underestimating the ability/intelligence of a child though. When I was 9 and my brother was 12 we (mostly him) managed to unlock T.T. in Diddy Kong Racing, which I think was a solid challenge.

 

[sotodefonk]

Oh yeah kids love this game... my nephews always play it when they come over even though i only have the demo

 

[esbern]

the only answer that matters:

tell your sister to ask the kids if they want a ps3 or a wii. that's what really matters, last thing they want is finding under the christmas tree a console they didn't ask for.

ffs this. don't ask a bunch of kids who actually fight about their favorite console or whatever

 

[Combichristoffersen]

inFamous didn't really seem like something for a 6 or 7 year old... I don't think anything that involves killing lots of people is really suitable for anybody less than 9 years old, but that's just my opinion.

Personally I don't think I'd let anyone younger than 12 or 13 play inFamous. 9 seems a little too young for that sort of thing IMO:

 

[cornerman]

I say PS3...they've got history there...and they'll grow with it.

 

[patsu]

I have a four year old.

We play:
* LittleBigPlanet
* NobyNobyBoy
* SingStar
* Operation: Creature Feature

He loves to get on Playstation Home (and type gibberish).

We play a lot of music on PS3 though. Our family media is all in the PS3 HDD. XMB navigation is a no brainer to a child as young as him.

 

[ayrkain]

My daughter had no issue with LBP at 3. Also, we had issues with her letting go of the wii mote in mid-swing when she was that age.

 

[Chuck Norris]

LBP, Buzz, Demon's Souls and Singstar are big hits with kids

 

[NIGHT-]

Get them a Wii or a 360.

 

[Lkr]

Any update on this from the OP? Did you ruin Christmas?

 

[red shoe paul]

My girlfriend aunt just got her 3 kids (around 12yrs old) a PS3 for Christmas, I'll be sure to ask if they like it or not and let you know.

 

[Days like these...]

This is a thread to help pick kids games. Not an open invitation to push your fanboy agenda. You fluffed it up, but its still disgustingly obvious. Try harder next time.

Why single him out there are quite a few in here pushing their fanboy agenda. FWIW My 6 and 8 year old niece and nephew prefer playing wii over 360. I'd go with a Wii unless they spefically asked for a ps3 and even then I'd think about it.

 

[Arthrus]

Personally I don't think I'd let anyone younger than 12 or 13 play inFamous. 9 seems a little too young for that sort of thing IMO:

I'll admit, my experience with the game was just watching my brother play about an hour of it. I'll take your word for it.

 

[Metiphis]

If I was 9 years old in THIS day and age and had knowledge of Xbox live, I would certainly beg my mom ceaselessly to purchase me a 360 for the arcade store.

 

[kinggroin]

Just focusing soley on Nintendo 1st party stuff (and the VC/wiiware), there is a shitload of quality software for kids that age. Throw in some third party releases and you have arguably the best lineup around for the family.



But fuck it. If the kids want a PS3, get them that. It's not like there AREN'T games they can play.

 

[boiled goose]

Wii has a much better and wider selection of games that appeal to kids and girls than the ps3 does.

Honestly though, if they are asking for a PS3 and all they play is shovelware then just give them the system they are asking for. they wont be able to tell the difference between system libraries and wont buy the good games for either console anyways.

also wtf with people recommending MW2 for seven year olds????

 

[Naked Snake]

Any update on this from the OP? Did you ruin Christmas?

No I didn't ruin Christmas :lol

We ended up getting them a PS3 (120gb slim) and Little Big Planet, which the kids loved.

Surprisingly the Wii turned out to more expensive than the PS3 in this country (Jordan), apparently because the PS3 is officially distributed locally by Sony, while there is no local Nintendo agency, so retailers individually import the Wii on their own.

Sucks that their PS3 is Region B/2/PAL while mine is Region A/1/NTSC, which makes sharing blu-ray movies an issue.

 

[zoukka]

God no. Installations, updates, online. Exposing a young kid to any of those feel uncomfortable to me. Plug and play is awesome. Spare the kids of those things until they are old enough to "crave" that shit.

The exclusives aren't too great for kids that young either.