If you have a somewhat high-end PC then you can't beat the pricing on games and you have a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge library of games to play, including all the awesome indie stuff. Also, with Steam Big Picture it's gotten REALLY easy to hook your PC up to your TV and play on that.

I worked in a game store last christmas and over this summer and I always had customers coming in asking what system they should get. The Wii is not an option unless you have small kids. They're simply obsolete. The Wii U is on par with the 360 and PS3, both released six and seven years ago. Next year (likely) they will both release new systems which will put the Wii U back in the stoneage, just like the Wii was severely underpowered this generation (which is not the third... just the third Sony generation... there WERE actually game systems before the first PlayStation ).

Every time a customer came in and asked me about 360 and PS3 I would say this:

Pros 360: Best online gameplay bar none even if it costs money (there is free online, but only for downloading add-ons and XBLA games, it's pay to play online multiplayer). Better voice communication and party handling. Kinect is a better experience than PS Move since it's more unique (Move is a Wii ripoff) and has more casual games like Fruit Ninja. Most multiplatform games (which makes up 95+% of all released games) are optimized for the 360 and some games, like Skyrim, become virtually unplayable on the PS3 in some circumstances because of bad programming. Most people like the 360 controller better.

Pros PS3: Free online multiplayer. Blu-Ray player (pretty huge if you're into movies and you don't have a blu-ray player yet). Better and more diverse console exclusives.

The console exclusive games depend on interest. On Xbox you have Forza, Halo, Gears of War and Microsoft often pays to get most DLC exclusive for the Xbox at first. On PS3 you have God of War, Uncharted, Killzone, Gran Turismo, Little Big Planet... But on the whole the console exclusives don't really matter unless you're religious about Halo or Uncharted.

After I bring up all of those points, I get down to the most important thing to the customer. What matters the most for people who get a game console is that they can play with their friends. So I tell them that if they have a few friends who have PS3s, then they should get a PS3. If the friends have 360s, they should get a 360. That is far and away the most important factor because you suddenly have a bigger game library since you can borrow games and you can play with your friends online.

If it weren't for the fact that I have a huge mountain of unplayed games for my 360, my PC and my PS2, I would have gotten a PS3 a looooong time ago, because I want to play the Uncharted series and some of the other exclusives. But in the grand scheme of things, you will mostly be playing multiplatform games and mostly with your friends.

Also, when you get a console these days, you're not just getting a game machine. I watch MLB and Netflix on my 360 and I stream movies from my PC through the Windows Media Sharing thing. You can do that with the PS3 as well.

The Red Ring of Death that plagued early versions of the 360 is irrelevant since several years. It's not an issue anymore and in my experience at the game store, we had roughly the same amount of returns for 360 and PS3. When you hook it up you can have it either standing up or laying flat. I recommend having it flat because it means less of a risk to ring scratch the discs.

__________________
GO WINGS!

12 team H2H dynasty, most categories under the sun, incl. hits/blocks. Main team, farm

C: Kopitar Backstrom Stepan Cammalleri Little Bolland Laich Johnson
LW: Parise Lupul Erat McDonald Martin Silfverberg Nyquist Schwartz Morin Nieto Conacher
RW: PKane Doan Pominville Nash Clowe Lupul Rinaldo Stafford Rattie Stone Chiasson Ritchie
D: Green Suter Seabrook Dillon Beauchemin Schenn Letang Schultz Hamilton McNabb Rielly Harrison
G: Bryzgalov Pavelec Holtby Neuvirth Nihlstorp Lack CalPickard Andersen Stalock Sateri Eriksson
IR: Halak

You can get a Wii (not the Wii U) really cheap these days and then have it around when he gets old enough for it, but you'll still be waiting a few years. I think the easiest thing will be to get him an iPad or something like that. They're fairly cheap and most kids get them intuitively really fast, plus they have loooooaaaads of good pedagogical apps/games for kids.

If you're into Skyrim and RPGs your primary choice should be PC because you have the whole mod community making free, awesome stuff every day. The PS3 is not an option if you want to play Skyrim, because when you're a certain amount of hours into the game, it will start to stutter and freeze because of the huge save files. But the PC also has all the old games (gog.com etc) that you can get into.

__________________
GO WINGS!

12 team H2H dynasty, most categories under the sun, incl. hits/blocks. Main team, farm

C: Kopitar Backstrom Stepan Cammalleri Little Bolland Laich Johnson
LW: Parise Lupul Erat McDonald Martin Silfverberg Nyquist Schwartz Morin Nieto Conacher
RW: PKane Doan Pominville Nash Clowe Lupul Rinaldo Stafford Rattie Stone Chiasson Ritchie
D: Green Suter Seabrook Dillon Beauchemin Schenn Letang Schultz Hamilton McNabb Rielly Harrison
G: Bryzgalov Pavelec Holtby Neuvirth Nihlstorp Lack CalPickard Andersen Stalock Sateri Eriksson
IR: Halak

Thank you so much.

I think I'm going to go the PC route. I already have a recent machine hooked up to my TV (Sandy Bridge i3, SSD, 4TB storage, etc) and all I need for that is a video card. So I'm going to do some research on a video card for my computer and go that route instead. Will cost a few extra bucks, but will be more future proof. And I have the added benefit of not having to find a spot for a new console.

__________________
Ultimate Dynasty League
16 Team Dynasty League H2H: G, A, P, PPP, SHP, +/-, PIM, SOG, W, L, GAA, SvPct, SHO

C: Stamkos, Getzlaf, Carter
LW: Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Brown
RW: Iginla, Pavelski, Horton
D: Byfuglien, J.Johnson, Goligoski, Hedman, Hamonic
U: Mueller
G: Schneider, Hiller,
B: E. Johnson, S.Kostitsyn, Neil, Biron, Giguere
IR:
Prospect: Nail Yakupov, Tangradi

__________________________________________________ ___________________________
UHL Dynasty St. Louis Blues
...a bad team trying to rebuild...

Like I said, since Steam added Big Picture the PC is suddenly VERY viable for couch gaming. Just get a wireless keyboard/mouse setup and a PC controller and you'll be set.

Also, this: http://www.gog.com/promo/dungeons___dragons_deal

__________________
GO WINGS!

12 team H2H dynasty, most categories under the sun, incl. hits/blocks. Main team, farm

C: Kopitar Backstrom Stepan Cammalleri Little Bolland Laich Johnson
LW: Parise Lupul Erat McDonald Martin Silfverberg Nyquist Schwartz Morin Nieto Conacher
RW: PKane Doan Pominville Nash Clowe Lupul Rinaldo Stafford Rattie Stone Chiasson Ritchie
D: Green Suter Seabrook Dillon Beauchemin Schenn Letang Schultz Hamilton McNabb Rielly Harrison
G: Bryzgalov Pavelec Holtby Neuvirth Nihlstorp Lack CalPickard Andersen Stalock Sateri Eriksson
IR: Halak

Haha yes indeed there were. Sega Game Gear for the mother effing win! Great helpful post by the way.

Definitely, if PC is a viable option for you then that's the way to go. I've never had the chance to PC game much (starcraft, diablo, wow.....I can play those but not much else), but I've always really wanted to get more into it. It's a more expensive gaming route, what with hardware becoming obsolete so often compared to the consoles staying relevant throughout their lifetime, but it's simply the best gaming route from all I understand. Good choice.

__________________
20 Team Dynasty (points per) - G (25, 50 for defense) A (25) PIM (3) +/- (5) PPG (15) SHG (25) OTG (15) GWG (25) HTr (50) GP (2) HIT (1) BLK (1) Use actual NHL salary

F: Malkin, Tavares, E. Kane, Parenteau, Havlat, Tarasenko, Galchenyuk, Brunner, Boyes, Kruger, Helm, M. Martin, Bergenheim, Carcillo, Stajan

D: Green, Ehrhoff, Ekman-Larsson, Coburn, Daley, Postma

G: Fleury, Mason, Montoya

Farm: Grigorenko, Grimaldi, Kucherov, D. Shore, Hartikainen, Stransky, Kerdiles, Joensuu, Pageau, Murphy, Ceci, Klefbom, Thrower, Donovan, Ekholm, Lehner, Dansk, Poulin, Nilsson, Andersen

With the help of my computer "expert" brother, I just ordered a GeForce GTX 660 TI video card along with an Xbox controller for my computer. Steam it is!

Thanks all!

__________________
Ultimate Dynasty League
16 Team Dynasty League H2H: G, A, P, PPP, SHP, +/-, PIM, SOG, W, L, GAA, SvPct, SHO

C: Stamkos, Getzlaf, Carter
LW: Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Brown
RW: Iginla, Pavelski, Horton
D: Byfuglien, J.Johnson, Goligoski, Hedman, Hamonic
U: Mueller
G: Schneider, Hiller,
B: E. Johnson, S.Kostitsyn, Neil, Biron, Giguere
IR:
Prospect: Nail Yakupov, Tangradi

__________________________________________________ ___________________________
UHL Dynasty St. Louis Blues
...a bad team trying to rebuild...

Today, the PC is the first route I would suggest. Both 360 and PS3 are using 6 and 7 year old technology and even longer, which is a lifetime in the computer industry. Everyone is expecting the Nextbox and PS4 to be released some time next year. My second 360 just crapped out and I won't buy a new one. It just seems like a silly time to buy one now. You definitely won't be getting bang for your buck.

With the Wii U releasing to less than stellar reviews, I would also avoid that route as well.

It sounds like you have already decided anyway. I completely agree with your decision.

Rylant

There's an outside chance I'll have the card on Friday. If not then, Monday. So I'll give an update once I get to try it out.

__________________
Ultimate Dynasty League
16 Team Dynasty League H2H: G, A, P, PPP, SHP, +/-, PIM, SOG, W, L, GAA, SvPct, SHO

C: Stamkos, Getzlaf, Carter
LW: Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Brown
RW: Iginla, Pavelski, Horton
D: Byfuglien, J.Johnson, Goligoski, Hedman, Hamonic
U: Mueller
G: Schneider, Hiller,
B: E. Johnson, S.Kostitsyn, Neil, Biron, Giguere
IR:
Prospect: Nail Yakupov, Tangradi

__________________________________________________ ___________________________
UHL Dynasty St. Louis Blues
...a bad team trying to rebuild...

So the card came a little later than expected. It just barely fit into my HTPC case, but it did fit, so I was thankful for that.

Downloaded steam and purchased Skyrim. Only had a few minutes to play before the family got home, but I think I made the right decision. Especially considering the availability of content on Steam.

Thanks for the advice all!

__________________
Ultimate Dynasty League
16 Team Dynasty League H2H: G, A, P, PPP, SHP, +/-, PIM, SOG, W, L, GAA, SvPct, SHO

C: Stamkos, Getzlaf, Carter
LW: Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Brown
RW: Iginla, Pavelski, Horton
D: Byfuglien, J.Johnson, Goligoski, Hedman, Hamonic
U: Mueller
G: Schneider, Hiller,
B: E. Johnson, S.Kostitsyn, Neil, Biron, Giguere
IR:
Prospect: Nail Yakupov, Tangradi

__________________________________________________ ___________________________
UHL Dynasty St. Louis Blues
...a bad team trying to rebuild...

Over the Christmas holidays I bought LEGO Indiana Jones for 5 bucks and it has provided HOURS of entertainment for my two kids. Meanwhile we borrowed a Wii from friends and after plugging it in and setting it up they played for a bit and then wanted to play LEGO Indiana Jones on the PC yet again.

With 2 USB controllers + some software to make them compatible with the PC Games it's soooo cheap to have my kids (and myself thanks to Humble Bundle sales and Steam Sales) gaming.

The same PC that acts as my Media Centre for all of my movies/tv shows as well. Total cost for cable is under 10 bucks/month because of a Netflix account (that we probably don't need but have anyways) + the cost of internet. We have yet to find a movie or television series that we can't find for free through streaming using an XBMC setup.

For gaming and all of my music/media needs the PC kills what I had setup with an XBox 360 for a fraction of the price overall. If I was a hardcore gamer who wanted to run everything at the highest graphic settings it might not work quite as well, but I have yet to have issues there with my homemade setup.