Given what I do for a living one of the most asked questions
of me is what games console should I buy my child for Christmas? My answer is
always it depends… you wouldn't buy a sports car if you and your family lived
down a country lane would you? And you wouldn't buy a 4x4 if you lived in the city… oh, perhaps scrub that last bit.
To the uninitiated it might seem like an odd thing to say,
but pick the games console might suits you and your child’s needs. They’re not all the same; some are much more suitable
to different ages and types of entertainment.
If you don’t want to spend £300 for a very expensive box under the TV
that isn't touched, or on a console that is deemed ‘babyish’ in less than a year’s
time, read on.
Best Games Console For Child Under 5
If your child is under 5 my suggestion is don’t bother,
they’re far too young to really get the moneys worth out of a games console. Instead have a look at the Mobi-Go range
which offers a more educational learning spin and offers both a touch screen and
a Qwerty keyboard for learning the alphabet, spelling and numeracy.
I was extremely sceptical of thinking that the apps on
mobile phones or tablets are just as useful, until we purchased a mobi-go one
for Number 1 last Christmas. It costs
around £50 and new games are £10-£15. While it does chew through batteries it’s
simple to use, is of a solid build, chunky and portable it’s great for the kids
to use on their own without worrying they’re going to scratch or damage it like
you would with your tablet or smart phone (There is also no chance of having
them in app purchase £500 of smurfberrys either)
Best for Long Journeys
For your younger ones look no further than the 3DS for a
portable games console, it comes in a range of colours and has a large range of
games. It’s worth noting that Nintendo
themselves recommend that the 3D option isn't used by Children under the age of
7 (a simple slider bar means you can switch it off easily) it’s priced around
£130 and the games aren't cheap when you’re used to App store prices, at around
£30.
Sony’s PlayStation Vita is a lovely bit of technology
straddling the line of tablet and games console with multiple touch screens, internet
access and a massive range of music and films that can be downloaded (although
the PSN store is not a patch on ITunes) it’s perfectly suited to older children
& teenagers. However it’s range of
games are very expensive and quite limited, and while more are on their way,
there might not be a huge amount of games for the future. For those already owning a PlayStation 3 the
Vita offers even more, offering cross play and inter connectivity between the
two, really bringing value to the vita.
You can get some excellent deals pre-Christmas with the handheld and
games bundle for less than £200
Best For Families
The Wii was a staple in houses up and down the country a few
years ago, now seemingly consigned to the gathering dust in a cupboard it still
has a huge catalogue of games at very low prices and can be enjoyed by the
whole family offering that old fashioned board game fun on Christmas day.
However once the games are finished there is very little else to recommend
about the now rather dated Wii.
Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 are two of the
big boys in the market and offer the widest breadth and range of games
available everything from dancing & karaoke games to realistic military
shooting games. However connect them to
the internet and they come into their own as a central part of the living room,
both offer streaming of BBC’s Iplayer and equivalent Channel 4 and ITV
versions. If you have Lovefilm and Netflix accounts you can access them through
the consoles. Both consoles offer direct
purchase of Games and films (films can also be rented) as well as demo and
video downloads from their own stores. Both
consoles also have parental setting so you can control what your little monsters
can view & play.
As far as that family ‘board game’ at Christmas feel, Microsoft
has the Kinect an expensive, if somewhat flawed, camera that sits on your TV but
allows for some lovely group family experiences around the likes of Ubisoft's Disney Just Dance game & Kinectimals,
Sony’s offers the JK Rowling Wonderbook: Book of Spells, perfect for budding Harry Potters who will see
their book come to life on screen and cast spells with their wands on screen.
So which one to Pick?
Tough. Both have their merits and
there is very little to choose between them both. Find out what your circle of friends own so
older Children can play online with people they know. Failing that just go for the best deal and there are some excellent ones out there.
Prices for the
consoles begin at £130 and increase in price based upon the size of the HDD games retail for £15 - £50
Best for Dad Pretending he’s Buying it for the Kids
That’ll be the Wii U, Nintendo’s new hope, the console launches today stock is
limited and will be till after Christmas.
While Nintendo will be hoping that the console replicates the success of
the Wii some commentators are more sceptical.
The console comes with a tablet style controller that allows dad the kids to play while someone else is watching the TV and makes for some interesting game ideas, where the touch screen can be used.
Its expected that both Sony & Micorosft will launch their new consoles next year so you might want to hold off for a little while before taking the plunge
If you can find one, prices are around £259.99
