Wii U vs XBox 360 Kinect for a family

[TheNinja]

So I have a 5.5, a 3.5 and a 10 day old kid. I'm looking at a gaming system for Christmas. I am not overly impressed with the original Wii so I'm kind of shying against the Wii system in general. I like the idea of the XBOX 360 with the Kinect. I want something my kids can play and that will keep them somewhat active in the winter but also the ability to grow with them and maybe have some stuff that I can play too.

What is the general consensus in the marketplace and/or on this message board? Thanks guys.

 

[GreyEyesGirl]

Definitely a Wii U. It has multiplayer games that kids of all ages can enjoy like Nintendo Land, Super Mario 3D World, and New Super Mario Bros U.

As for games to keep them active, you can buy the original Wii Sports or the new one for Wii U (Wii Sports Club). There's also the dancing games and Wii Party, which involves a lot of movement and stuff

 

[Pheran]

Personally I think the Wii U is going to be dead in a year as a console. I'd recommend the X360 Kinect. Make sure you have a large enough space to accommodate it, though.

 

[dagamer34]

There are 8 years of games at extremely cheap prices for the Xbox 360 Kinect. Recommending the Wii U which barely gets any games now is a terrible idea.

 

[drbrock]

Xbox is very cheap but really not that many games to keep them entertained. The 10 year old will probably get a lot of Xbox use in a year or so with more mature games. The little ones will be lost.

Wii U is expensive but the games are by far the best for that age group. I don't think the Wii U will be dead. It just won't be selling gangbusters like the Xbox One. If the kids actually play together the Wii U is a no brainer.

 

[artemicion]

I'll second the Wii U recommendation, if you're looking for a console for the family. IMO, Wii U is better for local multiplayer than an Xbox (but almost completely useless for online multiplayer).

My wife and I have gotten tons of mileage out of multiplayer in New Super Mario Bros U, Pikmin 3, Mario 3D World and Rayman Legends (the only cross-platform game I know of that is universally regarded as best on Wii U). Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. is also in the pipeline.

I don't think Wii U will be dead anytime soon, but it'll probably be limited to a smaller niche market and therefore will not have much third party support. First party Nintendo games are also generally more expensive because they don't get discounted much, but the flip side of that is that you can resell them for a decent price if you're so inclined.

 

[TheAdvocate]

Another vote for the WiiU. I have the 360 and have bought the WiiU for my kids for Xmas for the reasons everyone else has discussed. My boys are 7 & 3 and the 360 just isnt that great for them. They play the Lego games (the 7 year old more than the 3 year old) and some older racing games, but most of the 360 library isnt suited for them. But they play the hell out of the neighbor's Wii U. They love the games on it, even the dancing one. I wanted an xbone, but realized that would be for me, not them.

Since buying the WiiU, Ive done a lot of reading up on the system. The first party Nintendo games are exactly what young children want to play. While it is highly unlikely it will sell anywhere near as well as the PS4 or the XBone, if you want the best system for your kids, it's an easy decision, IMO.

 

[Dumac]

Wii U. It has a library of family friendly games that you can play with your kids.

Out now:
Super Mario 3D World
New Super Mario Bros U
New Super Luigi U
Nintendoland
Pikmin 3

Cominc soon:
Mario Kart 8
Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze
Super Smash Bros

These are all games your kids could play by themselves or together with family. The Wii U is unparalleled in terms of family friendly couch co-op.

Kinect is a gimmick. I have found that adults enjoy it more than kids, but maybe that is just me. I can't really think of any good titles for kids either on the 360.

Personally I think the Wii U is going to be dead in a year as a console. I'd recommend the X360 Kinect. Make sure you have a large enough space to accommodate it, though.

I don't see how you can think that. Sales have tripled with price cuts and new games coming out. The Wii U is starting to finally pick up steam. It won't sell as much as the PS4 or XBone for sure, but it isn't going to die.

There are 8 years of games at extremely cheap prices for the Xbox 360 Kinect. Recommending the Wii U which barely gets any games now is a terrible idea.

There are 5 great family exclusives out for the Wii U right now, with more on the way. I don't even know if the 360 has any.

 

[Pheran]

I don't see how you can think that. Sales have tripled with price cuts and new games coming out. The Wii U is starting to finally pick up steam. It won't sell as much as the PS4 or XBone for sure, but it isn't going to die.

I think that because of articles like this:

November sales data shows a worrying lack of momentum for the Wii U

My prediction is that all 3rd party publishers will have dropped support for the Wii U within 12 months or so, since it won't be profitable for them, leaving Nintendo to try to push the system on its own. Of course, I don't know the future, so take it for what it's worth.

 

[Pheran]

Another vote for the WiiU. I have the 360 and have bought the WiiU for my kids for Xmas for the reasons everyone else has discussed. My boys are 7 & 3 and the 360 just isnt that great for them. the y play the Lego games (the 7 year old more than the 3 year old) and some older racing games, but most of the 360 library isnt suited for them.

Do you even have a Kinect, because you don't mention any Kinect games? Kinect games my daughter (and friends) have enjoyed:

Kinect Sports (1 and 2)
Kinect Adventures
Kinectimals
Kinect Party (kids LOVE this)
Just Dance (Disney or Kids variants)
Fruit Ninja
Disneyland Adventures
Once Upon a Monster

Other non-Kinect suggestions

Brave
Castle of Illusion
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 (my nephews like the superhero characters)
Kung Fu Panda
Disney Universe
Toy Story 3
Skylanders or Disney Infinity
Lego games
Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed

Of course, some of these are cross-platform games, I'm just throwing out some stuff that we've personally played.

 

[TheAdvocate]

Yes, I have a kinect. They are ambivalent about it. They like the WiiU better. They play Nintendoland for hours on end. I think its the cartoony graphics and the gameplay. They love it.

 

[Arkaign]

The WiiU is also backwards compatible with the Wii library, so there are HEAPS of cheap used kid-friendly titles out there.

 

[Arkaign]

Even so, you could also pick up a used 360 slim and kinect for absolute peanuts. I saw a 250gb slim (no idea if it had kinect or not) on CL with a couple dozen games for $50. Not an uncommon price really as people dump their old consoles.

 

[ProchargeMe]

The Wii U would probably be awkward for kids that young. Plus the xbox has an enormous library of games, and there are plenty of family friendly titles.

 

[Arkaign]

The Wii U would probably be awkward for kids that young. Plus the xbox has an enormous library of games, and there are plenty of family friendly titles.

Have you seen kids lately? They're electronic wizards. My nephew has been able to navigate the iPad since he was about 1 year old, launching/playing/closing games, taking pictures, etc. He's now 3, and plays his dad's (my brother) WiiU like a boss.

360 does have plenty of family friendly titles as well. The Wii does too though, and the WiiU is BC.

Both are so cheap I think that it's reasonable to get both of them, or maybe put the WiiU off for a while. Easy to find a Wii for $30 or so on CL, and the 360s pop up for $50ish easily.

 

[ProchargeMe]

Have you seen kids lately? They're electronic wizards. My nephew has been able to navigate the iPad since he was about 1 year old, launching/playing/closing games, taking pictures, etc. He's now 3, and plays his dad's (my brother) WiiU like a boss.

360 does have plenty of family friendly titles as well. The Wii does too though, and the WiiU is BC.

Both are so cheap I think that it's reasonable to get both of them, or maybe put the WiiU off for a while. Easy to find a Wii for $30 or so on CL, and the 360s pop up for $50ish easily.

The reason I say that is because friends I know with the Wii U just dislike the game pad in general, and would rather have a regular controller, but other than that, yeah the kids could operate it I'm sure, but they might like a real controller as opposed to the funky gamepad. I have an xbox already and if I had to choose b/w a wii and a wii u I'd probably pick the wii u just because it's newer and is backwards compatible.

 

[KaOTiK]

Wii U. It is simply great for local multiplayer. I don't need to go into it due to others in here already covering it all.

 

[LinkTECH]

Wii U

 

[exdeath]

Wii U.

I don't see younger kids being into green and brown "mature" games. Practically every 360 game is some swearing ball scratching dude with a goatee and a gun.

Anything that isn't marketed towards Dorito and Mr Dew chugging frat boys like the Lego games are multiplatform anyway.

Come to think of it I can't think of many Xbox 360 exclusives that aren't M17.

 

[alangrift]

I would go with wii u since those games are more family based than the Xbox's