Hi again....
I've been looking in all the Christmas pamphlets, and now I am totally confused. My 10 year old wants the Wii Sports thingy or the PS3, and I have no idea which one to buy as I have no idea which is better. I figure that the PS3 is wanted because we have a ton of PS2 games already, but what makes Wii so special? My hubby and son are both such technowizards and unless it's a decent gadget, anything I buy hides in the cupboard, so I usually try and buy a joint pressie (My son has his birhday in December as well) that will not stay in the packaging until I take it back for a refund Please can someone enlighten me so that I can hopefully get them the right thing. I can not ask his hubbiness because I intend to but it for both of them

My take on this kind of situation: Surprises are fun, but getting the right present is even more important

What matters is which toy hubby thinks is best, not which one EFers think is best.

I would get Wii because it is different than the traditional game sets. With the Wii you can play the normal type of games but you can also play the more interative games such as Mario Cart, Wii Fit and Wii Sports.

I agree that the WII is great fun, easy to use and has the benefit of getting the kids (older and younger) off their back sides and moving around. It is also very clever, so should satisfy the techo-oriented.

Thanks we where thinking of buying th WII for our kids for christmas, was not 100%, but after reading your post you have given me that extra few % that i was missing

I need some help to convince the wife...is there any educational WII activities that I can highlight (to subsidise the low value and fun activities!)...please

I just googled Wii and they have some fantastic sites that you can show your wife that should convince her

Yeah tried that but couldn't deliver the killer activity. I am wondering if I am missing somethiing from the site or if all the games available are those on this page - http://uk.wii.com/wii/en_GB/wii_software_3.html
If this is all there is then I am fighting a losing battle. I need a couple like "operate on your own animal" or "build a rocket to go to the moon" or "steps you can take to make your village more environmentally friendly."

Oh well I am sure my daughter will enjoy the (multi coloured) abacus I plan on giving her...

We got the Wii for the family last Christmas and have had great fun with it.
I gave myself the Wii Fit with Balance Board for my birthday and Endless Ocean (diving) for quieter gaming moments for Mr C and myself. The boys prefer to play Mario Cart, Super Mario Galaxy.

Mr C likes the family ski game. The Mini-Golf game will find its way into one of the stockings for Christmas this year to add to our still relatively small collection.

The boys love all of the sports games, which come with the initial bundle, and still play with them. I like the fact that a lot of the games are for more than one player. And that you're not sitting on your bum/couch the whole time.

The only thing I can think of that you may want to consider is that the Wii is not a device for spontaneous 1/2 hour sessions. We have restricted use to "Wii-kends" (not even every weekend) as play seems to go on for 2 - 3 hours or more if we're not careful, and it flies by so quickly.

What about something like this?
My son and i spend hours together having a ball on ours.

PS2 games do not work on most PS3 consoles. Only the first PS3 consoles had backwards compatibility. Some time after the launch of the PS3, Sony reduced production costs and retail price by cutting out the parts required for PS2 compatibility. Don't get rid of your PS2 just yet.

My kids also have a large PS2 game collection but they have now redistributed it and their consoles to their grandparent's homes in England. They only play PS3 games here now.

hi there

i would suggest you to get the wii. its real fun for the whole family. we bought it last year in june for my daughter`s birhtday. she wanted either an i-pod or wii. i thought songs she can have on the phone as well but wii is real cool. when i have to work in the evenings my husband and both the girls (14 &11) have a blast at home.
i would seriously recommend it. actually we were looking to buy the wii fit attachment as well in the future.
all the best
pink pompom

Only an abacus! Maybe you should tell your wife that the Wii is so much more practical than going to the gym? She can even do it in her Pj's?

After reading your comment, I remember the tactic my hubby used. He told me that my bum is getting bigger (I do not have time to drive to gym, do gym, shower, and then drive wherever I need to go), and that got me thinking....

So, after reading all the responses, it looks like Wii is the way to go. My son gets excercise, it's more sociable, and everyone seems to have fun. I also noticed that there are less PS3 fans, and once you factor in that the PS2 games won't work on the new PS3 consoles, I may as well keep the PS2 and get the Wii.

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the feedback and have reached a decision! Shall let you know what hubby thinks after Christmas