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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 2:38 pm
Seems to me that this is the preferred system for little kids. (At least compared to PS2 and XBOX.) Any comments? This is for a 4 year old boy who has no prior experience with video games. Or is it a bad idea to start him on it if he hasn't asked for it yet?
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Draheid
Moderator
09-09-2001
| Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 3:17 pm
Julieboo: My personal recommendation, and what we purchased for our 10yo, is the PlayStation2 - this decision was based primarily on the huge number of software titles already available. Because the PS2 will also play PS1 games, you have the widest selection of games available for any platform. Another nice feature is the PS2 can double as a DVD player for the family with the addition of a DVD Remote kit where the Gamecube uses a propietary disc format instead of the standard DVD size. This article was posted here in November.
Updated November 2003 This may well be one of the shortest reports we've ever written here at ConsumerSearch, and that's because reviewers from CNet to The New York Times to Newsweek all say pretty much the same thing: Xbox, GameCube and PS2 are all great systems. Your choice between the three depends more on the games you want to play and the folks you want to play with online than any other factor, including price. Console prices have come down yet again—the GameCube's sticker price has fallen $50, and Xbox and PS2 cost $20 less than a year ago. All three machines now offer some provision for online gaming, but if you want to play with friends across the globe (or across town), you’ll have to pay a monthly fee, and you may also have to spend an additional $40-$70 for accessories. The latest news is a slow down in PlayStation 2 game sales and a lead for the Xbox in online gaming. The hot system of three years ago, the Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2) (*est. $180), is still a strong contender due to its large library of games (nearly 600 compatible titles, including those for the earlier PlayStation). Experts also say the most sophisticated games are currently being made for PS2; that’s because this was the first of the new generation of game systems, and developers have had a couple of years to take full advantage of its format. However, experts report Sony has seen a sharp drop in profits in 2003 with PS2, and the other consoles have been catching up. GameCube (*est. $100) is now featuring strong titles (like the new Metroid) exclusive to Nintendo. Xbox (*est. $180), in spite of concerns raised by some developers, has taken the lead in online games, with a selection of 50 titles on Microsoft’s own Internet gaming service. Two years ago, CNet's Darren Gladstone wrote, "If your biggest priority is the widest selection of quality games possible rather than hardware bells and whistles, the PlayStation 2 is currently your best choice. However, a year from now, the Xbox may very well have the upper hand." That's almost, but not quite true today, according to reviewers. Despite the Xbox’s 733MHz Pentium III processor and 8GB hard drive, this system still hasn’t developed the wide, deep game library of games that fanatics have come to expect, though the marquee titles have been blowing reviewers away. Hope this helps.
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Tabbyking
Member
03-11-2002
| Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 3:17 pm
well, it's cheaper to not start him on it if he hasn't asked about it yet!
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Jed245
Member
11-01-2002
| Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 3:17 pm
Well Julieboo... I'm a hardcore gammer so I'll try to be fair. heheh :o) The pro's and the con's... Game cube is perfect for kids. Does he like pokemon`? Pokemon games are only out on nintendo platforms. The graphics are as nice as the other two consoles out there. And the game disks are smaller and might be easier for him to care for. There is also the joy stick for game cube.... kinda klunky, but, they are easy enough to use. The bad point of the gamecube for a kid from what I can tell are.... the small easy to care for disks.... well they are disks and easy to scratch, but, you'll get that on any of the current consoles. The controler's joy stick seems to be fairly easy to wear out. Then again you're hearing this from a grown man that plays the game like his life depends on it... heheh :o) One more.... no internet play... well not as of yet anyway. And the content is "mostly" kid friendly, which, is a drag for older players that might share the game with him. Xbox MY weapon of choice. Pro's XBOX LIVE! online play... comes with a headset so you can play your games online with people all over the world. And you can talk to them at the same time. This is alot more fun then you might think it is. great assortment of games, sturdy controllers, and it has a hard drive. So that means you don't have to buy a memory card. Cons... Well online play is great, but, the language your sometimes subjected to isn't exactly what you want a 4 year old to hear. Not to mention the trash talking that can take some of the fun out of playing online. Also the online play requires 50 bucks a year,and a broadband connection to the internet. Xbox is a bit more adult then gamecube. PS2... Pro's. Lots of role playing/stradegty games. Great for the nerd in all of us. PS2 is also backwards compatable. Which means you can play any ps one games on it that you currently own. Playstation 2 has the largest selection of games out there. con's Just like the gamecube no hard drive so you'll have to buy a memory card. Online play is currently possible, but, you'll need to buy a modem for it. PS2 seems to suffer the longest load times. Although gamecube is a close second. Overall I'd have to say that gamecube is a good choice. But, that really depends on you and him. If he likes pokemon and the like then gamecube will be fun for him. As for a good idea... well no one can answer that one for ya... not really anyway. :o)
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Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 3:18 pm
I have a son who prefers Gamecube and one that prefers Xbox. We have both. It depends on the child and what games they're interested in. Xbox also doubles as a DVD player.
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Draheid
Moderator
09-09-2001
| Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 3:25 pm
Another thought to add: I occasionally like to browse through our local pawnshops for HAM radio gear (they don't have a clue what it is so I sometimes get it really cheap! shhh..) and I usually see 2 to 3 times as many PS games then any/all of the other systems. Again, hope this helps.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 3:28 pm
My sister bought the PS2 for her kids aged 9 and 7 and she says she is disappointed in the games for kids. She says she should have bought the GameCube because that has all the games that they want to play. My son has game cube but he is 21 and he also has other game systems too.
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Ddr
Member
08-19-2001
| Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 4:02 pm
Julie, at your son's age, Nintendo is probably better game wise. Check the games out first then decide on which system to go with. My son started on Nintendo and now has Playstation 2 (he's 16 though). For his birthday we just hooked him up online.
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Hippyt
Member
09-10-2001
| Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 4:14 pm
Ya know,we started out by buying an older used Nintendo. You can buy used games at a lot of places and they are really inexpensive. I don't see anything wrong with getting a game system for a kids,as long as you limit his play time. We stayed at my SIL's over Christmas,and my nephew,who is 5 would play for hours on end! All the other kids would be playing ,and he would just sit in front of the tv all day. I couldn't believe his parents let him stay on the game that long.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 4:25 pm
Thank everyone for your opinions and information!!! I really appreciate it!
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Maris
Member
03-28-2002
| Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 4:45 pm
My son has PS2 and Xbox. I started him on the original playstation when he was in first grade because I think Playstation has better games for little kids (tarzan, tomba, Crash Bandicoot were favorites). We bought the PS2 because of the better graphics but also because he could watch DVDs on the PS2 which saved us from having to buy him a DVD player. We bought him the Xbox because he wanted it for christmas one year. he plays both equally but considers the Xbox graphics better than the PS2, also he wants me to hook him up with Xbox live which I havent done yet. I dont want him gaming online yet, as I dont allow him to have internet access in his room and dont want to start with the tv. Most of his friends either have the Xbox or the Playstation. None of them have the game cube. My view is it all comes down to what his friends own that way they can play games at each others houses.
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Kady
Member
07-30-2000
| Wednesday, April 07, 2004 - 4:58 pm
My son likes both his Gamecube and PS2 both pretty equally. I would suggest renting games before you buy them. We get alot of used games from Gamestop at the mall. If I had to pick one system over the other, I would choose the PS2 because of the DVD feature. We take his PS2 when we go camping and he takes it to Grandmas so we can watch movies along with him playing games.
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Kep421
Member
08-11-2001
| Monday, May 03, 2004 - 12:30 pm
I play all games, PS2, XBox, Gamecube, PC and even N64. I'm a big RPG fan, and for me there is only one reason I chose the GC for my 5 grandchildren...and that reason is ZELDA. I became a gamer because of my grandchildren. The best way to know what your kids are playing is to actually play the games with them. Zelda is by far the best game ever for children. My grand kids love Pokemon, Mario and the other GC games, but Zelda is the one that surpasses them all. It teaches kids to think outside the box, while being so entertaining, grownups are drawn into its play. Game Cube may not have the multitude of titles that the PS2 has, but when it comes to children's games, the quality of the children's games on the GC surpasses them all. JMHO...
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Crossfire
Member
08-07-2001
| Monday, May 31, 2004 - 1:34 am
Super late to this party. I don't have one myself, but what about one of those portable jobbies like the gameboy/gameboy advanced? They are good for kids I assume? Not to mention leaving the TV free for the big kids. Any experts on the matter?
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