Parenting Gamers

Platform Guide – Which Platform to Buy

ConsoleConfusion

I have gone over the major gaming platforms over the last several weeks. This included the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U, and PC.

If you are looking to buy a console for your gamer this holiday season, your next question is, which one do you get? The answer to that question is going to depend on your gamer. However, here are some questions you can ask to get closer to an answer.

  1. Is there a particular console he wants? This could make your life easier. You do not want to get him a PlayStation 4 if all he has been asking for this year is an Xbox One.

  2. What console do her friends have? She is going to want to play with her friends if you allow her to play online. She cannot do that if she has a different console. If all her friends have a PS4, get her a PS4.

  3. Are there any platform exclusives he is interested in? The Halo franchise is a big one. The new one, Halo 5, comes out later this month (October 27th). If he wants to play it, you will have to get him an Xbox One. If, however, he loves Super Mario Brothers, the Wii U is what you need.

  4. How old is she? If your gamer is younger, you will want a Wii U. The games are much easier to get into, appeal to the younger demographic with their more colorful look, and do not have the more mature content you see in games on other platforms.

    (Just to be clear, I am not saying the Wii U is a kids console and only good for younger gamers. While the games are easy to get into, they are hard to master. My 4 year-old can play New Super Mario Brothers U but even I, a 37 year old gamer with years of experience, have a hard time completing it.)

  5. What is your budget? This question will only effect whether you have to get a Wii U instead of the other options. The Wii U is currently running $50 cheaper than the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. That $50, however, is the price of a game so the Wii U might be the way to go to be able to get a little more for your gamer.

These questions should help you narrow down your choice of console. If, however, you are still unsure, I am willing to help you out individually. Just sign-up for my email list and reply to the email you receive. I will help you get the perfect gift for your gamer the best I can.

Platform Guide – PlayStation 4

This post is part of my Video Game Platform series.

The next video game platform I am going to cover in the PlayStation 4. Here is the basic information on it:

Now let’s dig into these a bit.

PlayStation 4 Hardware

The hardware for the PlayStation 4 is less complicated than the Xbox One. There is one version at one price point, $399. The only question is, which game/games do you want?

As of this writing, there are 4 different bundles on Amazon with the PS4.

  • Batman Arkham Knight – This is the fourth and latest game in the Batman Arkham series. I will be posting a review of it in the next few weeks.
  • Destiny: The Taken King – This bundle includes the game and a special console. Destiny is an MMO which can only be played online.
  • Last of Us Remastered/Madden 16 – Last of Us is an end of times, zombie game. Of course Madden is football.
  • Last of Us Remastered – This bundle includes Last of Us but not Madden 16. Honestly, if you are thinking about getting this one, you should get the other to get Madden 16 for the same price.

As with the Xbox One, you will probably want to get at least one extra controller with this console. These are regularly $60. You can get one for $47 on Amazon.

The Platform Holder – Sony

Sony is the company that manufactures the PlayStation 4 hardware and curates the games that are allowed on the platform. As you can probably guess, the PS4 is the fourth console in their PlayStation line.

Sony has been very aggressive in marketing the PS4 to gamers. Microsoft tried to position the Xbox One as an all-in-one media device where you could watch the football game and check your fantasy league stats at the same time, among other things. This did not go over real well with their core audience, the gamers.

Sony saw this and used it to its advantage. When the PS4 was announced, Sony did everything it could to position it as the ultimate next generation gaming console. They also came out $100 cheaper (Microsoft as since come down in price). These two things combined allowed Sony to jump out to an early lead in sales.

Platform Exclusives

I listed some of the major platform exclusives earlier. There is one thing about these that I find interesting.

If you ask me to name the character most associated with the Xbox, I would immediately respond with Master Chief from Halo. If you ask the same question about Nintendo, I would say Mario (and possibly Zelda or Link from the Zelda games, Samus from Metroid, or a few other iconic Nintendo characters).

If, however, you asked me to name the character most associated with the PlayStation, I could not name one. This is not because the PlayStation does not have good exclusives, but because it has several, none of which define the console on their own.

This means no matter what games your gamer loves, there are probably PlayStations exclusives he will enjoy. Does he love racing games? Gran Turismo is for him. Action/Adventure? Check out Uncharted. Hard as nails games that require a lot of skill? Say hello to Bloodborne.

You check the full list of PlayStation 4 games to see what other games are exclusive to the console.

Online Subscription with PlayStation Plus

The online subscription program on the PlayStation 4 is called PlayStation Plus. The cost is $9.99 for a month, $17.99 for 3 months, and $49.99 for a year.

Here are the benefits of becoming a PlayStation Plus member.

  • Free games – Every month Sony releases 2 games for free to PlayStation Plus members. In the past, this has include games like Infamous: First Light and Rogue Legacy.
  • Discounts on games – PlayStation plus members receive discounts not available to non-members. You can find a list of the current deals here.
  • Multiplayer – If your gamer is interested in playing online with his friends, he will have to have a PlayStation Plus account.

So, is the $50 worth it? As with any of these questions, the answer is, it depends. If your gamer wants to play with his friends, you do not have any choice. The good thing is your gamer will get new games to play every month, which could potentially save you money in the long run. Of course, you will want to be aware of what those games are to make sure he is not playing something you do not approve.

Parental Controls

Modern consoles are doing a better job of including tools to help parents control the content their children can access. The PlayStation 4 is no exception.

In the future I am going to do a detailed video going over the parental controls on the PlayStation 4. For now, you can check out this guide on Tom’s Guide.

Introduction to My Gaming Platforms Guides

One of my goals as I am ramping up my posting schedule is to have all the information you need about the different gaming platforms out there, especially in the run up to Christmas. This post breaks down how these guides will look.

Before I do that, however, I want to make sure we are on the same page with the words I am using. When I use the term “gaming platform”, I mean the hardware. Here are the hardware platforms I will be covering:

For each platform, I will break down this information:

  • The platform holder – This is the main company in charge of the platform (i.e. Microsoft for the Xbox One and Sony for the PlayStation 4). They manufacture and distribute the hardware. They also set the rules for the platform, such as what games can be released on it, how patches and extra content are released, and what tests a game must pass to be released. Every platform listed above has a platform holder except for the PC. I will talk about what that means for the PC when I get to it.
  • Cost – How much does it cost to get everything you would need for your gamer to play games on the given platform? This will include more than just the cost of the console. It will also include the cost of games, any accessories you might need, and any subscription you need for your gamer to play online.
  • Platform Exclusives – Each platform has “platform exclusives”. These are games that can only be played on the given platform. For example, Halo 5 will only available on the Xbox One and Super Mario 3D World is only on the Wii U. If your gamer is interested in one of these games, you will need to get the correct platform.
  • Online Play – Each platform takes a different approach to online play. I will cover this with each platform so you know what to expect.
  • Online Store – Each platform also has its own online store. I will go over what is in it and how to set limits on it, if you can.
  • Parental Controls – In these posts, I will be including brief information about the parental controls on each platform. I will be creating videos in the future that go over this is much greater detail.

So this is what is coming over the next few weeks. There are a couple ways you can keep abreast of when I release these guides.

First, you can bookmark this page. I will be updating it with links to each guide as it goes up.

Second, you can signup for my email newsletter. I will be sending out an update every Friday with all the posts I have released that week, including these guides. Plus, signing up will get you a copy of my e-book Connecting With Your Teenager Through Video Games.