Apparently I live under a rock - Wii U?? huh?!

[moopdog]

My son got a Wii 5 years ago for his bday and it's finally died (I think). It skips every single game and it seems to be a console issue. I thought about replacing the system with an Xbox or Playstation, since he informed me that kids his age (almost 12) don't play the Wii anymore, and he's the only one who doesn't have the other systems.

Suddenly I start googling and realize that the Wii U is debuting in a few weeks and it sounds pretty cool. Best part - I would not have to get rid of our collection of Wii games (he JUST bought Madden 13 two weeks ago). But I really don't have much info on it. Is it going to be IMPOSSIBLE to get? And will he now become the coolest kid in town, having a Wii U or still the lamest kid in town for not having the other systems that are probably more popular with preteens and teenagers?!

Help!! His birthday is on December 2nd so I need to decide what I'm doing.

 

[pigletto]

I can only go by what I have witnessed here. WiiU hasn't gotten much buzz around here because the older kids don't really care that it's coming out. I would definitely go with the Playstation or Xbox for a boy that age.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I agree with the above. Go with an XBox 360 with kinect.

 

[undertheradar]

You will find yourself on waitlists at this time, as all of the presales are sold out. Wii U is getting lots of buzz, just not from the budget board.

 

[pigletto]

You will find yourself on waitlists at this time, as all of the presales are sold out. Wii U is getting lots of buzz, just not from the budget board.

My answer had nothing to do with a Budget Board perspective but more from a teen boy perspective. I have 2 teenage brothers and they and all of their friends could care less about the WiiU. Xbox and Playstation will have the titles they are going to want over the next 3 or 4 years. I am not saying it won't be fun but I don't think it's the best choice for that age bracket from if OP wants to get one system that will get the most use.

 

[DisneyDizzy]

We pre-ordered the Wii-U for a family gift for Christmas. My son (11) already has a PlayStation 3, though. However we play our Wii as a family a lot and he and his friends still have fun with it.

 

[undertheradar]

My answer had nothing to do with a Budget Board perspective but more from a teen boy perspective. I have 2 teenage brothers and they and all of their friends could care less about the WiiU. Xbox and Playstation will have the titles they are going to want over the next 3 or 4 years. I am not saying it won't be fun but I don't think it's the best choice for that age bracket from if OP wants to get one system that will get the most use.

There has been a lot of activity involving gamers when it comes to Wii U. I'm basing it on the hs kids that we know and what they are wanting. For the record, these kids are in 4 different states. So, just like anything else, ymmv.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

You need to find out what systems his friends have. Ask their parents not the kids.

Most of my sons friends have always had xbox 360 and added the kinect when it came out. It's been that way since my son was 12 so in our case, it was much better for us to buy the xbox.

 

[Fyrefly]

For a 12 year old I would say XBox 360, but if it were me I would hang on to the Wii games for a bit. After the Wii U launches people will trade in their Wiis and in a few months you might be able to get a refurbished one for quite cheap that will let you at least play what you have if he is still interested in playing those games.

 

[luvmy3]

I pre-ordered one because my ds 11 wants one. We have a Wii and an Xbox Kinect and the Xbox with definitely gets played more. Our Wii is older and my dses love their Mario games so I thought I'd just bite the bullet and get them the Wii-U. After really thinking about it I've decided to cancel my pre-order, I think the older the get the less they will be playing the Nintendo games because most of their friends play Xbox games.

 

[Jajone]

From what I've been told from several gamers, the wii u will have graphics as good as xbox/playstation and nintendo will be selling the mature games for the wii u as well. We were in the same boat and decided on wii u for those reasons. hated the idea of starting a whole new collection of games/accessories. plus, my other kids can still play their old wii games on it.

 

[disny_luvr]

We have the Wii-U pre-ordered for our six-year-old twins. Our Wii is on the fritz so we thought this would be a good time to buy the new Wii-U. My boys don't talk much about the Xbox, but they are only six. I teach middle school and hear more talk about the Xbox than I do the Wii. That said, I think the Wii-U looks pretty neat so your son may like it. I think if you don't already have it pre-ordered it may be hard to come by.

 

[msp2mco]

I've been a video-game avoider in our family, but broke down a few years ago and got my DS13 a Wii. A week ago, he told me that Wii's are not popular anymore and that Playstation and X-box are the only thing that kids are playing with now. He doesn't play with the Wii too often, but he was sad about it because he likes it. I was sad too because I've liked the things we could do with it too. So, your post has reinforced his observations for me.

 

[SaraJayne]

For a teenage boy, I'd go with an xbox. My teenage boy (15) won't touch our wii.

It's all xbox for him and his friends.

 

[shoney]

ds11 and ds13 never play wii...it is xbox all the way.

Our wii is used for Netflix only!

 

[troane522]

We have all 3 systems in our house (plus multiple handhelds). We've had the Wii since it came out and DS16 has never really cared for it. There aren't enough of the games he plays on it. I'd be interested in seeing what games Nintendo claims they are getting for the Wii U that will compete with the PS3 and 360.

I did not pre-order the Wii U although I may purchase it at some point for the younger ones; none of them have mentioned it as a must have.

 

[DisneyDebbie]

We have both the wii, and xbox. The wii is hardly used. The xbox is used every...single...day. The reason is because they play games with their friends (in separate houses). They each designate a time w/ their friends when to log on, and they join in together to play. I would not buy a new wii, b/c their friends still won't be able to join unless they have one also. I guess you have to decide if you want your son to play separately & his own enjoyment, or to be a little more social (with more mature games). Also we pay a yearly fee to get xbox online, I think ps3 is free(not 100% sure).

 

[moopdog]

Thanks for the info. I think I already knew what the consensus would be telling me, but I just wanted to hear it for myself.

Xbox is what I'll be looking for then (Black Friday possibly???). This whole topic gives me a little anxiety because my son has Tourette's and to be honest having any gaming system at all is a double-edged sword for us. He becomes very "ticcy" and anxious and obsessed after he plays anything for too long. We have to limit his playing time to weekends only for one hour per weekend day (Fri, Sat & Sun). Otherwise he is a a FREEEAKK. LOL.

On the other hand, when he's having an especially bad day...we will make an exception and after playing for 15 or 20 min, he actually CALMS down. Confusing. But now that we've learned to "read" him, I think we have it nailed down.

BTW - I did have the ability to by a Wii U (preorder) on Walmart.com last night. It was a bundle and very pricey but for anyone that is looking - it was there last night around 9 PM. Might be gone again already though. Also - the game choices look awesome.

 

[troane522]

We have both the wii, and xbox. The wii is hardly used. The xbox is used every...single...day. The reason is because they play games with their friends (in separate houses). They each designate a time w/ their friends when to log on, and they join in together to play. I would not buy a new wii, b/c their friends still won't be able to join unless they have one also. I guess you have to decide if you want your son to play separately & his own enjoyment, or to be a little more social (with more mature games). Also we pay a yearly fee to get xbox online, I think ps3 is free(not 100% sure).

Yes, online play is free with the PS3. The holiday season is a great time for Xbox live deals though!

 

[Colleen27]

I can only go by what I have witnessed here. WiiU hasn't gotten much buzz around here because the older kids don't really care that it's coming out. I would definitely go with the Playstation or Xbox for a boy that age.

That would be my advice too. DS14 and his friends are all gamers but none of them is in the least bit interested in the Wii U. They're Xbox 360 all the way and the perception is that the Wii U is just Nintendo playing catch-up to some of the features of the better systems (specifically HDMI output and a better gaming network, along with more games that appeal to older kids) rather than any real innovation or advancement. We have both the Xbox and the Wii and the Wii is really the girls' system - my 11yo and 4yo both have games they really enjoy and it is a lot of fun for giggly girl slumber parties but I don't remember the last time DS14 played it alone or with friends.

For a tween or teen boy, I'd look for a good starter bundle on the Xbox 360 with the 250G hard drive. A headset with a mic is a good idea too, because the boys like to voice chat while gaming with each other online. And keep an eye out for deals on the Xbox Live Gold cards as well; I've been able to get 1 year cards as low as $35ish and I've never paid anywhere near the $60 they retail for.