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 – Xbox One

Xbox One

This post is part of my Video Game Platform series.

The first video game platform I am going to cover is the Xbox One. Here is the basic information on it:

Alright, let’s dig into these a bit.

Xbox One Hardware

First off, let’s take a look at the hardware. Currently, there are 3 different versions of the Xbox One available.

  1. 500GB (starts at $349) – This is your base console. The “500GB” represents the size of the hard drive in the console.
  2. 1TB (starts at $399) – This model has twice the hard drive space of the base version. This will allow your gamer to download and install many more games. In my opinion, this is worth the extra $50, if you can afford it.
  3. Kinect ($499) – This is the original version of the console that includes the Kinect accessory. The Kinect sensor recognizes voice commands and has motion sensor cameras. This is required for games like Just Dance or Xbox Fitness. This is probably not worth the extra $100 unless your gamer is interested in a game that requires it.

One thing to keep in mind when you are looking to purchase a console is the game or games that come bundled with it. The Xbox One currently (as of August 18, 2015) has bundles with Halo 5 (a special edition that is $499), Madden 16, FIFA 16, Forza Motorsport 6, Gears of War Ultimate Edition, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and Assassin’s Creed Unity and Black Flag (with Kinect, my review).

The two other pieces of hardware your gamer may want are a second controller and a nicer headset. You will especially want a second controller if you have more than one gamer in your house.

The Platform Holder – Microsoft

Microsoft is the company that manufactures the Xbox One hardware and curates the games that are allowed on the platform. The Xbox One is the third console in their Xbox line.

There is one major difference between the Xbox One and the other consoles given that Microsoft is the platform holder. As you probably know, Microsoft is also the company behind Windows, the operating system that runs the majority of the worlds home PCs. This allows them to integrate the Xbox One and home PCs unlike anyone else.

Microsoft has ramped this integration up with the recent release of Windows 10. Windows 10 comes with the Xbox app that allows you to stream Xbox One games to your PC, create gameplay clips just like on the Xbox One, and chat with players on either the PC or console.

Platform Exclusives

I listed some of the major platform exclusives above. The Halo and Gears of War franchises have been ones that have driven the sales of Xbox consoles for a while. They are the heavy hitters in that list for sure.

You might notice that I have “timed” in parentheses next to Rise of the Tomb Raider. This means that it is exclusive to Xbox (it’s actually coming out for the Xbox One and 360 initially) for a while but will eventually come out on other consoles as well.

There is one other thing to keep in mind with Xbox One exclusives. A lot of gamers are hoping to see more Xbox One exclusives come to the PC, given how Microsoft is working to integrate the two. We have already seen this some with Gears of War Ultimate Edition announced for both platforms.

You check the full list of Xbox One games to see what other games are exclusive to the console.

Online Subscription with Xbox Live Gold

The online platform the Xbox One uses is called Xbox Live. New accounts created by a user are free but have certain restrictions. The premium membership is called Xbox Live Gold. It cost $9.99 for a monthly subscription, $24.99 for 3 months, and $59.99 for a year. The advantages to having a Gold account are:

  • Free games – The Games with Gold program gives the user a selection of free games for being a Gold member. These include games like Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Child of Light. New games are released each month with others dropping out after they have been available for a while.
  • Deals on games – The Deals with Gold program gives Gold members discounts on games. For example, as of this writing, Gold members can get Batman: Arkham Knight and LEGO Jurassic World for 25% off.
  • Multiplayer – Your gamer must be a Gold member if he wants to play multiplayer with his friends. Free members cannot play multiplayer on Xbox Live.

So, is the $60 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 play 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 Xbox One is no exception.

In the future I am going to do a detailed video going over the parental controls on the Xbox One. 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.