Wii vs. 360 - Help me Decide!

Carman Bulldog · 09-24-2008, 09:20 PM

Alright, I'm quite torn here on which direction to go in finally making the jump to the next gen console. When it came to the old consoles, I had both a PS2, which I purchased originally, and followed that up later with an XBOX.

Having said that, in the six plus years that I owned a PS2, the only six games that I bought were the three GTA's, GH1 and GH2, and Pride FC. I bought the XBOX around the summer of '04 and the only game I purchased was NFL 2K5, with the only other real game getting any other play being a borrowed version of the original Splinter Cell. Back in the Genesis and PS days I was a big sports game fan but never found that much enjoyment with last generation's efforts (outside of NFL 2K5). And to be honest, I don't think I had as much fun with either of those systems as I did with my Sega Dreamcast (which I picked up on its decline thanks to many cheap games).

That brings us to where I'm at today, in which I should also note that I have a wife as well as two kids, both girls, aged three and seven (who haven't really been exposed to video games yet for the most part).

To me, one of the biggest issue might be Rock Band 2. Obviously RB for the Wii was scaled down, but RB2 is supposed to be up to snuff. However, does anyone know how the DLC as well as exporting songs from the original RB is going to work on the Wii for Rock Band 2?

As far as games out there, the big one that the 360 has going for it is GTA IV as well as possibly UFC Undisputed down the road and perhaps the next Splinter Cell. The other bonus is the backwards compatibility, which would mean that I could junk the original XBOX but still play NFL 2K5.

When I look at the Wii, there is MLB Power Pros for me (along with the aforementioned RB2/GHWT) while other games such as Wii Fit, Animal Crossing, Order Up and Mario Kart could provide some enjoyment for the family as well as me. Also Sam and Max Season One could be promising as well as some other upcoming titles.

As for other games such as Call of Duty World Warfare or Quantom of Solace, both look to be available on both systems. While I'm sure that the 360 versions are superiour graphically, that sort of thing has never made much of a difference to me.

Anyway, what way should I go?

cartman · 09-24-2008, 09:24 PM

I don't see how they will be able to do the export of songs on Rock Band, since there isn't a hard drive in the Wii. That means for downloadable content, it will have to go onto memory cards.

Based on how casually you play video games, then the Wii is probably the way to go. But if you are really getting a video game to just play Rock Band, then a 360 is probably a better option.

MJ4H · 09-24-2008, 09:29 PM

There is supposed to be a storage solution in the works for Wii.

mtsouth · 09-24-2008, 09:29 PM

Get both!

Just kidding. I have both and can see the problem in deciding. If RB2 is a deal breaker, then get the 360. I do not think the Wii version will have the export utility for RB1. Also, I've played RB1 over Xbox Live and it's great. 2 people in one location, another in another part of the city, and then a 4th in California, all playing the same song on different instruments.

If you get the 360, rent RB1 and pay the $5 to export all but 3 of the songs to the hard drive. Then buy the RB2 bundle and all of the RB1 songs will be available on it. You get 140 ish songs to start with.

I have MLB PP for the Wii and it's fun, but I do most of my gaming on the 360. If I had to choose, I'd go for the 360. The only drawback is the red ring of death, but Microsoft is pretty good about taking care of those in a timely fashion.

Big Fo · 09-24-2008, 09:34 PM

Rock Band 2 is already out for the 360. I know that Guitar Hero: World Tour will have DLC for the Wii just like it will on the HD twins so it is possible that RB2 could have DLC, but I'm not sure how gimped the Wii version of that game will be.

MLB Power Pros 2008 is awesome and you and your family might enjoy Mario Kart in addition to the games you listed. Also, Super Mario Galaxy is the greatest game of all time so that is something you may want to consider.

The newer 360s are meant to be not quite as unreliable as the ones people bought closer to the launch a few years ago, if you were concerned about that. There are a number of good games that only come out for the 360/PS3 that don't even have "lesser" Wii versions.

From your post it looks like a tough call, it sounds like you're interested in a similar number of games on each console.

Carman Bulldog · 09-24-2008, 09:47 PM

Both might not necessarily be out of the question although ideally it's not the direction that I would go.

When it comes to the Red Ring of Death, is there anyway to distinguish the systems?

Also, I notice that the 20gb hard drives are selling on Ebay for about $20-30. I assume those work on the 360. Would it not be possible then to pick up an arcade version for $200 and then a 20 gb hard drive off the web?

Mustang · 09-25-2008, 07:28 AM

If you are planning on having your daughters play, I'd go the Wii route.

PurdueBrad · 09-25-2008, 07:37 AM

We own both and played the Wii a ton earlier. I still come back to it but the 360 is a constant for me. I continously play it. That being said, if you're having your kids play, then go Wii.

Mizzou B-ball fan · 09-25-2008, 07:40 AM

If you have daughters that will be playing, there's no question that the Wii should be your choice. There's so many more options for girls on the Wii as far as game selection goes. Toss in the console failure problems on the 360 and it would appear to be a no-brainer.

FYI.....RB2 for the Wii will not be scaled down like its predecessor. All of the features will be in the Wii version and Nintendo has been working on storage alternatives that will likely be available early next year.

Marc Vaughan · 09-25-2008, 03:21 PM

Get a 360, if you get a Wii then it'll be of interest to yourself/kids/missus for a few months or so after which it'll gather dust largely imho.

(at least thats the case with nearly everyone I know myself included - both my kids and I err away from Wii titles in favour of 360/PS-3 whenever the choice arises because we hate the Wii controller so much - it suits a very limited scope of game (ie. WiiPlay, WarioWare) and a lot of the others force you to use it for games which aren't suitable)

Mr. Olympia · 09-26-2008, 01:52 AM

I use my Wii and Wii Fit for about an hour every day for a quick workout. I still think the boxing program that comes free with the system in Wii Sports is the best calorie burner. I have already preorder the Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2009 workout game from Amazon.

Amazon.com: Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2009: Video Games

I don't know if you or anyone in your family is into this type of Home Workout thing, but I enjoy the variety it offers.

SackAttack · 09-26-2008, 02:04 AM

Interesting note on the Wii, Samba de Amigo just came out, and does, in fact, feature downloadable songs.

Now I have no idea why they were able to make it work and Harmonix can't/won't do it with Rock Band yet. Perhaps Sega expect Samba downloaders to be more casual and only grab a song or two?

SackAttack · 09-26-2008, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

Get a 360, if you get a Wii then it'll be of interest to yourself/kids/missus for a few months or so after which it'll gather dust largely imho.

(at least thats the case with nearly everyone I know myself included - both my kids and I err away from Wii titles in favour of 360/PS-3 whenever the choice arises because we hate the Wii controller so much - it suits a very limited scope of game (ie. WiiPlay, WarioWare) and a lot of the others force you to use it for games which aren't suitable)

Eh, I know for me mine is gathering dust, but it isn't because I'm not interested in it.

It's because I unhooked it to take it to an Easter Sunday BBQ, and couldn't be bothered to get behind the TV to hook it back up proper when I got home.

There's maybe six games I've gotten for it since that I want to play that will have to wait until I get things re-established in a couple weeks.

MJ4H · 09-26-2008, 08:13 AM

I use Wii Fit every night. Spent about 7 hours Saturday playing Metroid Prime 3 (finally beating that stupid boss that I was stuck on. It took almost an hour, and that was one attempt, not multiple deaths and retries). We play Brawl from time to time and a gameshow game on Wii Ware called TV Show King when we have friends or the in-laws over. I still have several games I need to get back into and finish, but I don't have a whole lot of time for gaming this time of year. I also have several games I'm looking forward to. For every person that complains that they never use their Wii, I'm pretty sure there are many that use it regularly. I'm definitely one of them.

PS: Wii Fit is terrific. I have lost a lot of weight and toned a lot of muscles just from it. It also helps you think about your bad eating habits a lot more outside of the game just as a side effect. I highly recommend Wii Fit.

Mizzou B-ball fan · 09-26-2008, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ4H

PS: Wii Fit is terrific. I have lost a lot of weight and toned a lot of muscles just from it. It also helps you think about your bad eating habits a lot more outside of the game just as a side effect. I highly recommend Wii Fit.

I think we need a fact check on Aisle 9. Before and after pixs plz k thx.

MJ4H · 09-26-2008, 09:01 AM

I was just thinking about that last night. I wish I had taken a before picture.

Rich1033 · 09-26-2008, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

Get a 360, if you get a Wii then it'll be of interest to yourself/kids/missus for a few months or so after which it'll gather dust largely imho.

(at least thats the case with nearly everyone I know myself included - both my kids and I err away from Wii titles in favour of 360/PS-3 whenever the choice arises because we hate the Wii controller so much - it suits a very limited scope of game (ie. WiiPlay, WarioWare) and a lot of the others force you to use it for games which aren't suitable)

+1. Same thing has happened to every person/couple who I know that owns a wii.

Big Fo · 09-26-2008, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ4H

Spent about 7 hours Saturday playing Metroid Prime 3 (finally beating that stupid boss that I was stuck on. It took almost an hour, and that was one attempt, not multiple deaths and retries).

Mogenar or the purple shape-shifting thing? Both of those were pretty rough.

Marc Vaughan · 09-26-2008, 12:20 PM

Oh while i'm here if anyone wants to PM me an offer for my Wii Fit then feel free, its a novel concept ... but I'm sticking to the gym thanks all the same.

MizzouRah · 09-26-2008, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich1033

+1. Same thing has happened to every person/couple who I know that owns a wii.

Yeah, the 360 is back to king in my house as well.. but mainly from me. The kids hardly ever touch the wii anymore... but I'm sure the cycle will come back at some point.. right now it's iPod nano mania around here.

With NCAA Football, Head Coach, NHL 09, etc.. there are some really great titles for the 360/ps3 right now.

mtsouth · 09-26-2008, 01:07 PM

Just an aside - I got Force Unleashed for the Wii instead of the 360 and I've already beaten it with less than 10 hours of gameplay time. It was fun and being able to swing the remote as a lightsaber was cool. However, you can get to parts where you are using the force powers to take care of baddies instead of the lightsaber. The graphics are not as good as the 360, but not much else is left out. Overall a fun game, but I'd suggest renting it first unless you are a hardcore SW fan.

jaygr · 09-26-2008, 08:00 PM

Add me to the list of people with both that plays the 360 regularly while the Wii collects dust.

The Wii is great at first, but once you sit down with it for a while you realize that barring a select few games, the controls are more of a pain then anything. Not to mention there just aren't that many games that typically interest an adult male.

I know you have young daughters, so they may enjoy the Wii. But it appears that even the kids are tiring of the Wii after a while.

Eaglesfan27 · 09-26-2008, 08:20 PM

I think Head Coach could be a deciding factor for the 360 if you like NFL Football, and don't mind coach only. Post patch, I think it is easily going to be my most played game the next year.

ColtCrazy · 09-26-2008, 08:48 PM

I have both and it would be hard for me to say which I like better because they have different strengths.

I've had the Wii longer. My son and I love playing Mario Kart, Super Monkey Ball, and Wii Sports. I also have the new Tiger Woods game on there, and it is INCREDIBLE! The Wii is a fun system, just a lot of fun.

I haven't had the 360 long and only have Madden with it but have played some demos of the Force Unleashed and Lego Star Wars. It's a much more "adult" system and graphically is superior. Madden is a lot of fun on that system and I can't wait until Fable 2 comes out.

Question is, do you want a system for some great fun, and maybe less hardcore, or do you like more serious gaming? Nothing wrong with either, which is probably why both systems get a lot of play at my house.

MJ4H · 09-26-2008, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Fo

Mogenar or the purple shape-shifting thing? Both of those were pretty rough.

Mogenar. Fucking bitch.

EagleFan · 09-27-2008, 12:38 AM

360 if you are into serious games, Wii if you are into good games but not with the same depth. I have both and each have their strengths. I find myself playing the 360 the most, especially now with NHL09 and XBox Live. I find that my kids usually play the Wii more than I.

With that said, I love PES on Wii and the bowling that comes with the system is actually one of the better games ever (I know that sounds corny but it is done very well even though it is cartoony).

Taur · 09-27-2008, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaygr

The Wii is great at first, but once you sit down with it for a while you realize that barring a select few games, the controls are more of a pain then anything.

Truer words have never been spoken. If your wanting a game you can "Sit Down" and play I would stay away from the Wii. Sitting on your ass eating chips would make the Wii controls a real pain to use.

The Wii needs to be played standing and jumping to have real fun with it.

09-24-2008, 09:24 PM	#2
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	I don't see how they will be able to do the export of songs on Rock Band, since there isn't a hard drive in the Wii. That means for downloadable content, it will have to go onto memory cards. Based on how casually you play video games, then the Wii is probably the way to go. But if you are really getting a video game to just play Rock Band, then a 360 is probably a better option. __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

09-24-2008, 09:29 PM	#3
MJ4H Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hog Country	There is supposed to be a storage solution in the works for Wii. __________________ My YouTube channel My Twitch channel My Sharona

09-25-2008, 07:28 AM	#7
Mustang Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Wisconsin	If you are planning on having your daughters play, I'd go the Wii route. __________________ You, you will regret what you have done this day. I will make you regret ever being born. Your going to wish you never left your mothers womb, where it was warm and safe... and wet. i am going to show you pain you never knew existed, you are going to see a whole new spectrum of pain, like a Rainboooow. But! This rainbow is not just like any other rainbow, its...

09-25-2008, 03:21 PM	#10
Marc Vaughan SI Games Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Melbourne, FL	Get a 360, if you get a Wii then it'll be of interest to yourself/kids/missus for a few months or so after which it'll gather dust largely imho. (at least thats the case with nearly everyone I know myself included - both my kids and I err away from Wii titles in favour of 360/PS-3 whenever the choice arises because we hate the Wii controller so much - it suits a very limited scope of game (ie. WiiPlay, WarioWare) and a lot of the others force you to use it for games which aren't suitable) Last edited by Marc Vaughan : 09-25-2008 at 03:24 PM.

09-26-2008, 01:52 AM	#11
Mr. Olympia n00b Join Date: Aug 2008	I use my Wii and Wii Fit for about an hour every day for a quick workout. I still think the boxing program that comes free with the system in Wii Sports is the best calorie burner. I have already preorder the Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2009 workout game from Amazon. Amazon.com: Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2009: Video Games I don't know if you or anyone in your family is into this type of Home Workout thing, but I enjoy the variety it offers. Last edited by Mr. Olympia : 09-26-2008 at 01:54 AM.

09-24-2008, 09:29 PM	#4
mtsouth n00b Join Date: Nov 2004	Get both! Just kidding. I have both and can see the problem in deciding. If RB2 is a deal breaker, then get the 360. I do not think the Wii version will have the export utility for RB1. Also, I've played RB1 over Xbox Live and it's great. 2 people in one location, another in another part of the city, and then a 4th in California, all playing the same song on different instruments. If you get the 360, rent RB1 and pay the $5 to export all but 3 of the songs to the hard drive. Then buy the RB2 bundle and all of the RB1 songs will be available on it. You get 140 ish songs to start with. I have MLB PP for the Wii and it's fun, but I do most of my gaming on the 360. If I had to choose, I'd go for the 360. The only drawback is the red ring of death, but Microsoft is pretty good about taking care of those in a timely fashion.

09-24-2008, 09:34 PM	#5
Big Fo Pro Rookie Join Date: Jan 2005	Rock Band 2 is already out for the 360. I know that Guitar Hero: World Tour will have DLC for the Wii just like it will on the HD twins so it is possible that RB2 could have DLC, but I'm not sure how gimped the Wii version of that game will be. MLB Power Pros 2008 is awesome and you and your family might enjoy Mario Kart in addition to the games you listed. Also, Super Mario Galaxy is the greatest game of all time so that is something you may want to consider. The newer 360s are meant to be not quite as unreliable as the ones people bought closer to the launch a few years ago, if you were concerned about that. There are a number of good games that only come out for the 360/PS3 that don't even have "lesser" Wii versions. From your post it looks like a tough call, it sounds like you're interested in a similar number of games on each console.

09-24-2008, 09:47 PM	#6
Carman Bulldog College Benchwarmer Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Canada	Both might not necessarily be out of the question although ideally it's not the direction that I would go. When it comes to the Red Ring of Death, is there anyway to distinguish the systems? Also, I notice that the 20gb hard drives are selling on Ebay for about $20-30. I assume those work on the 360. Would it not be possible then to pick up an arcade version for $200 and then a 20 gb hard drive off the web?

09-25-2008, 07:37 AM	#8
PurdueBrad Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: DeKalb, IL	We own both and played the Wii a ton earlier. I still come back to it but the 360 is a constant for me. I continously play it. That being said, if you're having your kids play, then go Wii.

09-25-2008, 07:40 AM	#9
Mizzou B-ball fan General Manager Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Kansas City, MO	If you have daughters that will be playing, there's no question that the Wii should be your choice. There's so many more options for girls on the Wii as far as game selection goes. Toss in the console failure problems on the 360 and it would appear to be a no-brainer. FYI.....RB2 for the Wii will not be scaled down like its predecessor. All of the features will be in the Wii version and Nintendo has been working on storage alternatives that will likely be available early next year.

09-26-2008, 02:04 AM	#12
SackAttack Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Green Bay, WI	Interesting note on the Wii, Samba de Amigo just came out, and does, in fact, feature downloadable songs. Now I have no idea why they were able to make it work and Harmonix can't/won't do it with Rock Band yet. Perhaps Sega expect Samba downloaders to be more casual and only grab a song or two?

09-26-2008, 08:13 AM	#14
MJ4H Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hog Country	I use Wii Fit every night. Spent about 7 hours Saturday playing Metroid Prime 3 (finally beating that stupid boss that I was stuck on. It took almost an hour, and that was one attempt, not multiple deaths and retries). We play Brawl from time to time and a gameshow game on Wii Ware called TV Show King when we have friends or the in-laws over. I still have several games I need to get back into and finish, but I don't have a whole lot of time for gaming this time of year. I also have several games I'm looking forward to. For every person that complains that they never use their Wii, I'm pretty sure there are many that use it regularly. I'm definitely one of them. PS: Wii Fit is terrific. I have lost a lot of weight and toned a lot of muscles just from it. It also helps you think about your bad eating habits a lot more outside of the game just as a side effect. I highly recommend Wii Fit. __________________ My YouTube channel My Twitch channel My Sharona

09-26-2008, 09:01 AM	#16
MJ4H Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hog Country	I was just thinking about that last night. I wish I had taken a before picture. __________________ My YouTube channel My Twitch channel My Sharona

09-26-2008, 12:20 PM	#19
Marc Vaughan SI Games Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Melbourne, FL	Oh while i'm here if anyone wants to PM me an offer for my Wii Fit then feel free, its a novel concept ... but I'm sticking to the gym thanks all the same.

09-26-2008, 01:07 PM	#21
mtsouth n00b Join Date: Nov 2004	Just an aside - I got Force Unleashed for the Wii instead of the 360 and I've already beaten it with less than 10 hours of gameplay time. It was fun and being able to swing the remote as a lightsaber was cool. However, you can get to parts where you are using the force powers to take care of baddies instead of the lightsaber. The graphics are not as good as the 360, but not much else is left out. Overall a fun game, but I'd suggest renting it first unless you are a hardcore SW fan.

09-26-2008, 08:00 PM	#22
jaygr H.S. Freshman Team Join Date: Nov 2003	Add me to the list of people with both that plays the 360 regularly while the Wii collects dust. The Wii is great at first, but once you sit down with it for a while you realize that barring a select few games, the controls are more of a pain then anything. Not to mention there just aren't that many games that typically interest an adult male. I know you have young daughters, so they may enjoy the Wii. But it appears that even the kids are tiring of the Wii after a while.

09-26-2008, 08:20 PM	#23
Eaglesfan27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: New Jersey	I think Head Coach could be a deciding factor for the 360 if you like NFL Football, and don't mind coach only. Post patch, I think it is easily going to be my most played game the next year. __________________ Retired GM of the eNFL 2007 Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles (19-0 record.) GM of the WOOF 2006 Doggie Bowl Champion Atlantic City Gamblers. GM of the IHOF 2019 and 2022 IHOF Bowl Champion Asheville Axemen. Last edited by Eaglesfan27 : 09-26-2008 at 08:20 PM.

09-26-2008, 08:48 PM	#24
ColtCrazy College Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Midwest	I have both and it would be hard for me to say which I like better because they have different strengths. I've had the Wii longer. My son and I love playing Mario Kart, Super Monkey Ball, and Wii Sports. I also have the new Tiger Woods game on there, and it is INCREDIBLE! The Wii is a fun system, just a lot of fun. I haven't had the 360 long and only have Madden with it but have played some demos of the Force Unleashed and Lego Star Wars. It's a much more "adult" system and graphically is superior. Madden is a lot of fun on that system and I can't wait until Fable 2 comes out. Question is, do you want a system for some great fun, and maybe less hardcore, or do you like more serious gaming? Nothing wrong with either, which is probably why both systems get a lot of play at my house.

09-27-2008, 12:38 AM	#26
EagleFan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mays Landing, NJ USA	360 if you are into serious games, Wii if you are into good games but not with the same depth. I have both and each have their strengths. I find myself playing the 360 the most, especially now with NHL09 and XBox Live. I find that my kids usually play the Wii more than I. With that said, I love PES on Wii and the bowling that comes with the system is actually one of the better games ever (I know that sounds corny but it is done very well even though it is cartoony).

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