Topic: 360 or Wii? (Not an elitist console war forum, I need your help!)

[Hero_of_time113]

So my brother is going to be getting married next month, and as a gift for the bachelor party me and the other groomsmen are going to buy him a game console. But which one??
They both have many pros and cons, and I want to get him one that he'll really use.
He's a huge Nintendo fan, especially of the Metroid and Zelda series. But he also is a big fan of shooters.
And this is kind of an aside, but he uses Netflix instant watch a ton.
Any suggestions?

[broodwars]

Whatever your intentions, you can readily find this information elsewhere and this can only devolve into a forum console war so the mods are pretty likely to lock this.  Just pick the console you think is best based on what your recipient will like most.

[NWR_insanolord]

Yeah, this could only end badly.

[Hero_of_time113]

Hmm very true, maybe I put too much trust in the internet. haha

[Pale]

I'll let this one go, but I will only allow discussing the merits of either consoles to avoid flame wars.  What I mean is, you can say what is good about a Wii and you can say what is good about a 360, but you can't say anything bad about either.

Maybe that will keep it civil.


Each console has a single primary benefit that outways all others in my opinion.

Wii has an outstanding line-up of first party titles as well as the great Virtual Console.  It's a Nintendo fan's dream console in that regard.

360 has a robust online system that easily facilitates online gaming with friends.

[S-U-P-E-R]

Buy him both. Problem solved

[Peachylala]

If you are into PC games, most of them get released on the 360. Ditto the FPS shooters from Valve. If that is your area of interest, the 360 is your choice.

Like Nintendo games? Get a Wii, plain and simple. A great line up of Wii games, WiiWare and VC await to take the hard earned money from your wallet.

[Ian Sane]

I think the RRoD plays a part in your decision.  The Wii is clearly more durable.

I think the Wii is a lousier choice for a hardcore gamer but for someone who just plans to own a few games, its flaws aren't as significant.  So I guess it depends on how interested your brother is.  Is he someone who will want to play the latest greatest titles every month or someone who needs only a game a year or so to satisfy him?

Keep in mind since this is a wedding gift his wife might prefer the Wii.  Does it matter that he plays the console with her?

Make a list of games you figure he would like and see which console has more of them.  That should be the difference maker.

[ShyGuy]

Does he like dual analog control in shooters?

Does he want the Netflix to be in HD?

[NWR_insanolord]

My response would be that you should get both, as they offer complementary experiences and it makes sense to have both of them, but that doesn't really help you when you're trying to choose a gift. The Wii is the cheaper option (if you're getting a 360 you really need a hard drive; the Arcade is not acceptable), so you could get a second controller and a game for the same price as just a 360.

[broodwars]

I suggest the 360 just because it has a much wider variety of games and dramatically better online, though the RRoD is a severe issue that should very much factor into your purchase decision.  Also, as noted the cost is a real issue considering all the things you really should have if you want to use a 360 (HD TV with proper HD cables, multiple controllers, HDD, XBox LIVE membership, etc.).  The Wii's the cheaper console and may have a robust lineup of games in the future, and it has several notable games already right now both from 3rd parties and Nintendo themselves.

[S-U-P-E-R]

RRoD or not, I play my 360 for hours daily and haven't hooked up my Wii in months

[BlackNMild2k1]

Nintendo Wii = all the Nintendo games + a new Metroid and possibly the most EPIC Zelda ever, coming this year. Not to mention that Netflix is coming to Wii in a few months but there are only a handful of shooters.

Xbox360 = tons of shooters. lots of them, almost too many of them. and Netflix HD (with $50 a year LIVE subscription). They also have Darksiders which is very Zelda like from the things I've read in the tread about it

Question is, does he like a huge selection of shooters more than he likes Metroid, Zelda & Nintendo? Is the new Zelda coming this year important to him or would he not mind a game that's very similar to it? Does he need his Netflix on his console now or is it he satisfied with where he is already watching it?

You also have to consider that if he's already watching netflix, he has a PC. maybe it would be cheaper to upgrade his PC and he can play lots of Xbox360 games on it and more shooters than he can ever get around to and buy him a Wii. Or just buy him both, you can't go wrong with both.

p.s. There is a new model of Xbox360 coming out this year that is supposed to be more reliable than all previous versions while rumored to also be a slimmer/smaller unit.

[Sundoulos]

I'll approach this question from a different angle.  I give the following advice with the assumption that your buddy's wife is not a gamer, and not a Xbox 360 gamer in particular.

As a married guy (nearly five years, thanks), I'd say that if you actually want this to be a game console for both your friend and his wife, I'd choose the Wii; if it's just for him, you might go with the 360.   Most of the couples I know who play games together play them on the Wii; since your friend likes old console games, then I'd throw in some Wiiware point cards as well.

When you get married, if you want to have a good relationship with your wife, it's just a fact that your gaming time is going to get cut somewhat.  For many of my friends who like to game,  the amount of time they spend on their consoles is a major point of contention between them and their wives early on.   When you have kids, like I do, gaming time goes down even more (if you're not a completely worthless parent.)   

So my advice is, give them a console something that will allow them to spend time together. 

If his wife happens to like FPS's or just has a love for all things Microsoft, then just throw my advice out the window.

[ShyGuy]

Sundolous has the best advice so far.

Get a Wii Bundle with Wii Sports Resort plus a copy of Red Steel 2 with motion plus. You get an A grade first person game and two motion pluses so the happy couple can sword fight each other on their honeymoon.

[vudu]

Get a Wii Bundle with Wii Sports Resort plus a copy of Red Steel 2 with motion plus. You get an A grade first person game and two motion pluses so the happy couple can sword fight each other on their honeymoon.

Two MotionPlus units but only one Wii Remote and Nunchuk. 

[Stogi]

I would get him a Wii, Metriod Prime 3, and some GH game.

He'll love Metriod for the Shooting aspect, and his wife will love GH.

[ShyGuy]

Oops, I thought the WalMart Wii plus Wii Sports Resort bundle had an extra Wii remote.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Some Punch-Outs have Nunchuks, right?

[Ian Sane]

Nintendo Wii = all the Nintendo games + a new Metroid and possibly the most EPIC Zelda ever, coming this year.

I'm very much of the idea that when trying to sell someone on a console only use titles currently released.  If it hasn't been released yet you don't know if it's any good.  You can assume but you don't truly know.  And Zelda we know virtually nothing about and don't even know for sure if it's coming out this year (Reggie gave the "it's ready when it's ready" speech).
 
Compare the games that are out now that we know are good.  So sell the Wii on the strength of NSMB Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3.

[BlackNMild2k1]

He is a Metroid Fan and a new metroid game is coming out, he is also a huge Zelda fan and a new Zelda game is coming out. Why would I not throw those into the arena when weighing a purchasing decision? We know they are coming, and we know that this Zelda is built from the ground up by Nintendo and they have been working on it for 4+ years.
I think that is a very big factor on making sure they recipient will be happy with his gift if they were to get him a Wii.

[NWR_insanolord]

This could open a whole other can of worms, but I have to ask: why isn't the PS3 being considered?

[Stogi]

That's true.

I have both a 360 and PS3 and I use the PS3 way more. If I'm not playing a game, then I'm streaming movies to it or watching blu-rays.

[NWR_insanolord]

In addition to the better media capabilities (with the exception of the 360's better Netflix implementation), I think the PS3 has a much more interesting lineup of exclusives than the 360, especially if you don't count things like Mass Effect or Left 4 Dead since they're available on the PC.

[ShyGuy]

Resistance 1&2 plus Killzone vs. Halo series and L4D? Hmmmm