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 – Wii U

This post is part of my Video Game Platform series.

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

Now let’s dig into these a bit.

Wii U Hardware

One thing you will notice about the Wii U is that the hardware is cheaper than either the Xbox One or the PlayStation 4. Nintendo works really hard to keep the price of its hardware down. The downside to this is it is not as powerful as either of the other consoles.

So why would you buy a Wii U instead of an Xbox One or PlayStation 4?

There are two things that set it apart from the other consoles. The first is the platform exclusives, which I will detail in a little bit.

The second is the hardware itself. When the Wii came out in 2006, it started a revolution with its motion controls. Both Microsoft and Sony jumped on the motion control bandwagon, although without anywhere near the success of Nintendo. Between its novel controls, the inclusion of Wii Sports that brought non-gamers in, and the lower price ($249.99 in North America), the Wii was a huge success, selling over 100 million units.

Nintendo attempted to similarly revolutionize the industry with the release of the Wii U. This time, they added a tablet to the console.

Unfortunately, the tablet has not revolutionized the industry as they hoped it would. That being said, there are two features of it that make it pretty cool.

  • Asymmetrical play – The tablet allows developers to create games that allow for asymmetrical play. This means one player will be doing one thing on the tablet while up to 4 others will be doing something different on the TV. The greatest example of this is Nintendo Land, which lead to a great, recent video game memory for me.
  • Play off the TV – The other thing the tablet allows is for the player to play a game on it instead of the TV. This can be good if there are several people in the house wanting to use the screen at the same time. So your gamer can play something on his Wii U while you watch something on TV.

The negative of these things is Nintendo is really the only one taking great advantage of the features.

The Platform Holder – Nintendo

Who is Nintendo anyway?

Nintendo is the granddaddy of platform holders these days. It has been around since the 1800s and has been making consoles since the early 1980s, when they released the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The follow system to the NES, the Super NES, is considered by many to be the best console ever made.

Nintendo, more than any other platform holders, marches to the beat of a different drummer. While Microsoft and Sony are chasing more and more powerful hardware, Nintendo is willing to try something different. Sometimes it works, as with the Wii U. And the sometimes it does not.

The other area Nintendo sets itself apart is in its treatment of its exclusive franchises. Instead of going for big budget action and pushing the limits of content, Nintendo strives to create high quality, family-friendly games. If it is a Nintendo game, you can bet it is good and the content is acceptable.

Platform Exclusives

Platform exclusives is where Nintendo really shines. Nintendo owns some of the most iconic franchises in video games. Nintendo consoles are the only places you can play Super Mario Brothers, Zelda, Metroid, and Kirby games, among others.

The thing that makes these franchises great is not just the characters but also the quality of the games. Two of my favorite games of all time are The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Super Metroid, both on the Super Nintendo. Looking at this list of “video games considered the best“, you will see 5 Nintendo games in the top 10.

These platform exclusives and the lower price makes the Wii U the secondary console of choice for many gamers. They may go back and forth between the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 but they will also have a Wii U.

Parental Controls

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

Check out this video from Hungry Gamers on how to setup the parental controls on the Wii U.

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.