Playstation 3? Nintendo Wii? Xbox 360 Live? Kids and Media helps you decide which games console suits your family best!

Nintendo Wii

Active playing
“Nintendo Wii is a games machine for the whole family. Here we find all of Nintendo’s childrens and family heroes alongside a number of childrens and family games,” says Games Manager Odd Arild Olsen in Kids and Media.

The unique controls will make the player more active. You steer the games mostly by moving the actual control. There are also workout games available for Nintendo Wii.

On Nintendo Wii you can surf the internet, look at pictures you´ve taken with your digital camera, check the weather and the news. It’s also possible to buy many games directly from the web shop. On the Nintendo Channel you can see videos and read about games soon to arrive on the market. The machine doesn’t have quite the same graphics quality as Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Games quality in focus
“Nintendo has developed a system where the games are at the center of attention. Everything else is just a bonus,” Olsen says.

This is also the games console with the most extra equipment, something there is a growing market for amongst children and young people.

Of the three main competing consoles, Nintendo Wii is the best selling machine worldwide.

“Nintedo’s new way of defining gaming appeals to children, and especially to girls,” thinks the Games Manager.

Go to the official Nintedo web page

Parents can define different settings on the machine to regulate what children will have access to.

Go to Nintendo’s Parental Guide

Xbox 360 Live

Extended offer of games
The games console from Microsoft appealed mostly to adults in the beginning, when the offer consisted mainly of many sports games and shoot’em’up’s. Many of the games for the console are made for boys from twelve years of age and above. But there is also a good selection of games on offer for both children and adults.

“The selection has been extended now, and there are quite a few games the whole family can play,” says Odd Arild Olsen.

Good graphics and extra functions
Like on Nintendo Wii you can look at pictures and download games. In addition, you can test demo’s of new games, see movies you’ve recorded on your digital camera, and download new games packages for the games you already own. You can chat on MSN while you play, and not least you can soon download movies too. Xbox 360 also gives you the option to buy old games online. You can aslo use your console as a media centre.

“This is the machine which will appeal to the boys, young people and men in the family,” thinks Olsen.

“This group often demands better graphics in the games, and they get that on this console. As well as this the machine has many good extra functions,” says Olsen.

Go to Xbox 360’s Family Settings

Xbox 360 on healthy gaming

PlayStation 3

Sequels to PS2
Sony’s PlayStation 3 has many of the sequels for PlayStation 2 games, like Singstar, Buzz and Eye Toy.

“PlayStation has a broad offer when it comes to games, which makes it a good alternative for those who want a console for everyone to play on,” Odd Arild Olsen thinks.

The games on the whole have good graphics. Those who liked PlayStation 2 will recognize many of the heroes in the games released for this machine.

Technically superior
PlayStation 3 is the technically superior machine. Here you can play games demos, see videos, surfe online, see pictures and movies, chat in a channel called Home, buy games online, and not least you have the possibility to see Blu-Ray movies.

Greater offer for families
PlayStation 3 is first and foremost bought by adults and young people.

“We now see the selection of children’s games is growing. This is a sign that Sony is including families in their target group,” Olsen thinks.

“PlayStation 3 will also offer movement controls in the spring, like Nintendo does, and this will help the machine to reach further into the mass-market,” Olsen thinks.

“The graphics aren’t quite superior to Xbox 360, but the potential is there,” says the Games Manager.

Go to PlayStation 3’s Security Settings