.....I have a Wii and a 2 and 4 year old who will no doubt soon want to play these type of games. Now the Wii is a lot of fun but you have to hold those controllers and strap them to your wrists. Whereas the XBox has that Kinect which allows all the motion control without having a controller. The PS3 has a similar function but same as the Wii, you have controllers.

I'd quite like a games console as the new Fifa 12 comes out on Friday and can't bare another season playing it on the Sony PSP I have. You can get FIFA on the Wii but its not the same. Really has to be an Xbox or PS3.

I have no interest in Blurray so the fact I had an original Playstation and PS2 doesnt mean I have to go for a PS3.

Just wondering what others think????

But I will say this: I have an Xbox Kinect and it's amazing. Witchcraft. I have no way of comparing it to the PS3 in any informed way, though, other than to say that AFAIK, the PS3 has no real Kinect equivalent.

Can't imagine you being unhappy with either, though.

I went with it for the multiplicity of functions, such as Blu-ray, the chance to watch all the TVOD channels on a big screen (as well as some smashing retro pop videos on demand) and ultimately for the games themselves. I've always enjoyed the strategic stuff and am not particularly bothered about jumping around in front of the TV at my age.

I asked some of my 6th form students when I was weighing up the options and the basic agreement was if you only want games, go with the Kinect, if you want the other features also, go with the PS3.

I like my PS3 and am happy with what it gives me. Can't say fairer than that.

Never used an Xbox, so just how good they are I can't say. So maybe it's as good, as versatile. Dunno for sure.

As Grant says the PS3 does great games, but also does blu ray very well, and offers BBC iPlayer, 4OD etc, and will also stream video and music from my PC will very little set up. A very happy user.

his friends have. Then buy the same one because that means he'll play online with his friends rather than strangers.

Edit - and mean that they don't ask for the other one in 18 months time.

PS3 is a bit more hardcore - XBox has some more fluffy family games - especially Kinect games. You can get motion and camera games for the PS3 but they are inferior.

Echoing some of the comments above - XBox is probably a better games platform but the extra functionality of the PS3 puts it streets ahead as an entertainment platform.

When you are choosing, pay attention to the hard drive side. they both come with a basic model that has limited (or no) storage. Avoid unless your budget won't stretch. The low storage ones are OK but you hit limits pretty quickly if you want to store stuff on them.

Also be aware that online gaming is free on the PS3 and has a cost on Xbox but the Xbox live online system is massively superior to the PS3 equivalent both in terms of ease of use and family controls.

Ultimately both are great platforms so, as Leedsboy says above, get them the same one as their friends, it'll pay off as they get older.

I have both but I play my Xbox more. The PS3 is great as a multi entertainment platform with the blu ray and all that.

But for a strictly game console I prefer the Xbox. It's also cheaper with a 250GB hard drive than the PS3. However, there is one big difference between the two besides the blu ray drive.

If you want to play Multi player online with the Xbox. You will need to subscribe to Xbox Gold. You can download game patches and updates for free but to play the games online you'll need a gold account. It's not much. Something like 50 quid a year. While the PS3 is free for online play. So just ask him what his friends have an get that one.

PS. If you do get an Xbox DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT buy a gold account on your credit card. They have automatic renewal and you can't remove it unless you call Microsoft. Which is a bitch cause they'll sing and dance to do anything to avoid you stopping payment. Plus if your credit card expires and you want to use another card you'll have to do the same thing.

You can purchase Gold account cards at the store just like those Itunes Cards. You can also buy cards with MS Points to use for buying game add-ons etc..

In fact even if you get a PS3 I would still advise buying the PSN Cards at the store since they had their recent hacking problems. It's just best to do that to keep your credit card safe.

For 11 year olds i'd say go for X-Box.

For the simple fact it's cheaper and has a huge range of games. Personally i prefer the PS3 because the exclusive games are better and it's also a very good home entertainment hub with Blu ray, Iplayer, ITVplayer,4OD,internet,Love film etc but it's more of a big boys toy. (it does also have the Move controller which is like Wii but works.)

A couple of things to remember with the 360 though. For Kinnect you need a BIG living room or it won't work and you have to pay a subscription for on line gaming. (Although i'd keep an 11yr away from that side of gaming.)

at least 8 foot clear space. No coffee tables etc...

Some excellent points made on here already, but something not mentioned so far is the respective controllers of the 2 systems. I'd advise anyone who is about to use one for the first time to try both the 360 and PS3 controllers before they buy, to see which they prefer.

I have both systems (being a keen gamer since their 70s inception, and hence enjoying all the meats in the ludological stew!) and vastly prefer the 360's variant - its an ergonomic masterpiece - whereas I find the PS3's too small, and dislike the twinstick and L1&2/R1&2 design intensely, and have had to alter them with triggers for the R1 and L1 and non-slip mats for the analogue sticks.

In fact, I dislike the PS3's controller so much I usually play multi-console titles on the 360 and only fire up Sony's box of delights for PS3 exclusives. But that's just me - the thing is have a go yersen to see which fits best for thee.