Gaming setup for the near future?

[mikehende]

The older son will be off to College in Sept. and will be taking his PS2 [Sony Playstation2] with him [why? I haven't the foggiest, don't know who told him he'll have time for that?]. The younger son will be turning 7 next month and is already "demanding" a PS2 of his own to have when his older brother departs. I am pretty sure a lot of you here are in this same boat, meaning, having to deal with the games issues with your kids.

I see Sony just released a PS "3", my son already has the mobile games so I am looking to get some kind of gaming system to place permanently in his room that might last for the near future, maybe one that might provide for add-ons/upgrades? Any advice on which type of game system [Playstation, gamecube e.t.c] may be best to start with keeping the above in mind or should I wait for the PS3 from Sony?

[rVidia]

Mike:

Believe it or not, I know a thing or two about this! Used to work in an electronics store before I began my computer repair business; I was asked what to buy very often.

I'll start off with this: IMHO, the PS3 is not worth purchasing. It's going to be a powerhouse...my PC is a powerhouse. I wouldn't recommend paying such a high price for this gaming console - you would be paying for things your son would probably never need. If you're willing to wait (...or your son is willing to wait ;)), I'd go with the Nintendo Wii; it seems like it will be very impressive when compared to the other next-generation gaming consoles (Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Revolution/Wii). However, the release date and price for it isn't yet known. That information will probably be given out around Sept. when your son's off to college - congratulations! I bet you're proud.

That may be a while, so I would then definitely recommend GameCube. On the bottom, there are two jack-ins for GameCube add-ons such as a broadband adapter or modem adapter. It has strong graphics, performance, and is less expensive than Xbox and PS2, most likely due to the fact that it's only a gaming console (in other words, it does not play DVDs or MP3s, but you buy a console to play games, and I would assume that's why you would be purchasing one).

[mikehende]

I joined a game-specific forum to seek help with this issue, here is the thread

http://forums.filefront.com/showthread.php?t=266299

I have gotten many varied responses [obviously] but I like what you wrote concerning:

"That may be a while, so I would then definitely recommend GameCube. On the bottom, there are two jack-ins for GameCube add-ons such as a broadband adapter or modem adapter. It has strong graphics, performance, and is less expensive than Xbox and PS2, most likely due to the fact that it's only a gaming console (in other words, it does not play DVDs or MP3s, but you buy a console to play games, and I would assume that's why you would be purchasing one)."

Will consider this, thanks!

[rVidia]

I see at that thread you also mentioned your son has a Gameboy.

One other advantage to the GameCube is the fact that you can get a cable for a few dollars to hook up the Gameboy (to the GameCube) to "enhance" gaming in various ways, such as exchanging data, unlocking new game levels, or using it as an additional game screen.

Hope this helped, Mike, and good luck in finding the right system!

[mikehende]

I have absolutely no knowledge about pc games so all of this info is very good to know, thanks!

[Pi rules]

It seems like a lot of people are recommending GameCube. I've seen this device (I have no gaming consoles and never have) and it's pretty good. XBox 360 is more oriented towards teenages and young adults with some violent games and less games that a 7 year-old may like than GameCube does. The Wii may be fairly cheap (I've seen that one could get a 360 + Wii for the price of PS3), but it isn't out yet if you need something right now.