It's not really possible to turn a computer (notebook or desktop) into a proper gaming console, in the end you generally will need to use a keyboard and/or mouse as opposed to a traditional controller to play games on it. Plus, depending on how powerful your computer is, a lot of newer games may not play (even if that's not an issue now it definitely will be eventually). That's a good thing about consoles - throughout it's entire life, even if you buy one from the very first batch, it will never be too underpowered to play any kind of game made for that console, even after a decade. It's not the same case with a computer.
I would recommend the Wii as well. I have all three of the current consoles, and that's definitely the one that is easiest to use and also has the more 'fun', family classics (Mario and Donkey Kong especially, which you can't get on any of the other systems). The other two consoles are marketed more as multimedia centres than solely as gaming consoles - the PS3 is generally marketed with Blu-ray and other devices (Move, PlayTV, etc) in mind. The Xbox 360 is generally renowned for it's online services, such as Xbox Live and it's integration with other services, and it's vast online store. Yes it does have Kinect, but that even has it's drawbacks - for one, it won't work if you're sitting down, so it becomes a bit of a paperweight unless you're willing to get up on your feet every time you want to play a Kinect-enabled game.
WII
Pros:
- Really easy to use. Just point at the screen and click the button on the remote.
- A fun range of games, some of the best games of the Mario series, one of the best Zelda's, an amazing Donkey Kong installment.
- Virtual Console, which basically means you can play classic games for older Nintendo consoles right on your Wii.
- Cheaper than the other consoles.
Cons:
- Won't play movie DVDs.
- Standard definition only.
- You need to replace the batteries in the remote when it dies
Great games:
- Super Mario Galaxy/Super Mario Galaxy 2
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Donkey Kong Country Returns
- Lots of stuff you find on Virtual Console
PS3
Pros:
- Blu-ray player (which is generally why it costs more than the other consoles)
- Pretty impressive range of exclusive titles (though a lot of them are shooters)
- Free online multiplayer
- The addition of some peripheral devices can greatly improve the use of the console (for example, I bought Sony's PlayTV adapter and can use it as a personal recorder)
- Rechargeable controller, just plug it into the USB port on the console and you're good to keep playing
Cons:
- A bit temperamental, and the menus can be confusing at times
- Some people will argue it's range of games isn't as good as the other consoles (I disagree)
Great games:
- Uncharted series (shooters)
- LittleBigPlanet (kind of like a modern take on Mario)
- Metal Gear Solid 4 (shooter)
XBOX 360
Pros:
- Amazing online experience (though costs $$$)
- Simpler to use in comparison to the PS3
- Kinect (though as I said above, it only works if you're standing up)
- Some of the most acclaimed games of this generation are 360-exclusive
Cons:
- Virtually everything extra costs money (online play, high def video players [and even then it's for the obsolete HD DVD format)
- Batteries in controller need to be replaced when they die, not a rechargeable controller like the PS3
- Known for it's higher failure rates even though Microsoft seem to slave over fixing the issues
Great games:
- Gears of War series (shooters)
- Halo series (shooters)
just want to touch on his xbox 360 pro/cons.
actually you can use the kinect sitting down, it has voice recognition so you can tell it if you want it to play a movie, or pick a certain "tile" to open in the xbox dashboard. it's quite neat.
I personally have an xbox 360 and kinect and love it and the potential it has.
It has two decent games, the one pre-packaged with the console which is kinect adventures and then kinect sports.
In the future better and more games will be released, especially since it is only a month old.
I have had a wii, and while it was fun and i loved the game selection, from mario to zelda to classics, the graphics and lack of use other than the system itself for gaming really cut the experience short for me.
i LOVE using my xbox 360 as a media extender and using it for netflix as well as the occasional video chat with the kinect sensor.
Live is the best online experience hands down, but like previously stated it costs money (60 per year, but you can find discounts on amazon, newegg etc)
not to mention the graphics are tremendous.
The ps3 pretty much copied the wii for it's motion sensing remote.
the xbox 360 detects your whole body and you need no separate controller for it.
if you don't care about graphics or using your console for much else besides gaming, get a wii. (wii online is awful btw)
If you care about a great online experience, and a new advanced motion gaming system, get a 360.
if you care about the best graphics and free decent online and a motion system that mimics the wii, but not as well, get a ps3.
