With its monster selection of kid-themed titles and its built-in ability to double as exercise equipment, the Wii understandably occupies prime mental real estate for those of us with kid gamers in the family. (Attention, Nintendo: Please send complimentary Wii to me at...) But despite lacking controllers that'll burn calories in your junior couch potatoes, the Xbox 360 comes pre-loaded with family-friendliness that, thanks in part to Microsoft's efforts to market it, has only recently gotten serious attention.
That noted, here are five reasons not to swap your 360 for a Wii on Craigslist -- and one more reason to drop $280 for an Xbox 360 Arcade (pictured above) if your family's still on the fence about which starter console to buy.
1) Family Settings: Go online with it, and the Xbox 360 is a veritable gateway to gamer heaven, much of whose content, naturally, is hell to explain to kids (unless you're the type who considers Halo 3 a familial bonding experience). With the 360's family settings, however, you can set up content-specific gamer profiles and limit access to Xbox LIVE, ensuring that your LEGO Star Wars fiend never ends up chatting with forces from the dark side. And since the 360 also doubles as a DVD/video player, you can further restrict the kids' movie settings, as well.
2) Family-Friendly Games and Downloads: Admittedly, not all of the Xbox 360's 200-plus "kid-friendly" games are suitable for younger players. (In my house, for instance, many of the "T"-rated games Microsoft recommends are off limits.) But from Viva Pinata: Party Animals to the aforementioned LEGO saga, there's still plenty of gaming for kids on the 360, as well as exclusive, downloadable Xbox LIVE content that enhances the games you already own.
3) Budget-Minded Arcade Games: You won't get top-shelf titles, but with Xbox LIVE Arcade, you can still download any number of simpler E-rated games on the cheap. Or, grab all the free demos your WiFi connection can handle (also a great way to road-test a new game before plunking down $60 for it), and let the kids play till their attention span gives out. You can also team up with family members for one of several monthly "Family Game Nights" -- see the Xbox LIVE calendar for dates.
4) Movie Night: Besides demos and the Arcade, Xbox LIVE Marketplace offers a mile-long list of movie and TV-show downloads, from Ratatouille to Invader ZIM. As with some of the flashier-looking games, it'll take a while to grab a full movie, but since you can start watching before the download has completed, kids will be unlikely to notice the lag.
5) Xbox 360 Arcade: Essentially a svelte, repackaged version of the 360's base system, the Xbox 360 Arcade is aimed at families as well as first-time gamers. Its paltry memory -- a 256MB unit -- won't be enough for the download-mad, but it still offers plenty of space, and in time you can upgrade to one of the bigger Xbox hard drives, which you'll also need if you want to play older Xbox games. Speaking of games, the five included with the Arcade system -- basic titles like Pac-Man Championship Edition and Feeding Frenzy -- will keep the kids busy enough that you can hold off on buying new games for a while. You can also use the bundled Xbox LIVE card to get up and running with a Silver membership, though if you really want to get the most out of the service, upgrading to Gold is worth the expense. Plus, an annual Xbox LIVE Gold card makes an awesome gift.
Got an Xbox 360 in your family? Found other ways to get everyone playing that don't involve fragging and chain guns? Let us know in the comments.
