* What would your criteria be?
* Which do you think you would get?
Having very no experience in the working in the library environment, I would begin by visiting libraries in the area as well as conduct online research to determine the following:
*Which consoles are the most popular?
*What is the average usage for each of the systems?
*What rules do each of these libraries have in place? (in house play, lending
rules etc)
*What equipment is necessary to run the systems?(internet connection,
*projector,speakers etc)
*Is there a trained staff member that to assist with gaming questions.
*What type of supportive documentation is on site to assist game play (gamers tips
and tricks journals and magazines)
Of course I would need to consider budgetary constraints in selecting the gaming systems, as well as the potential user population. However after dong some quick research I found an article that nicely lists some interesting pro's and cons from the various console units. However, keep in mind the purchase was for a fifteen year old boy.
I have listed some of the articles findings below:
"Xbox 360 - 64%: The Xbox 360 hands-down came out on top of the console heap as far as retail employees were concerned, beating out the Wii (for the most part) and PlayStation 3 by a very wide margin. Apparently 15-year-old boys and the Xbox 360 were made for each other. Out of all the responses I received to my questions, those who gave the Xbox 360 as an answer generally didn't dance around the decision.
Pros:
Largest game library with widest selection
Best system for online games
More user friendly
Cons:
Hardware reliability
Not as powerful as the PS3"
"Xbox 360 or Wii - 18%: A surprising number of employees across all three chains wouldn't answer the question without at least asking one question - is your nephew and indoor child, or an active outdoor child? A more active child would love the Wii, while one prone to sitting still would prefer the Xbox 360. Given that my criteria for asking the question didn't allow me to offer specifics about my theoretical nephew, I had to record the double answer. I guess that whole Wii60 idea people were kicking about prior to the Wii launch isn't as far fetched as it first sounded.
Quotes: "If he never had a video game system before he might like the Wii.""
"Nintendo Wii - 1%: This low score for Nintendo's console is a direct reflection of the age I picked. We all know this. If I had said 10-year-old then the graph would look very different, but according to many a store he's right at that age where he'll be growing out of it - and about 50 years too early for liking it a second time.Pros:
Promotes physical activity
Whole family can play
Cons:
Many of the games aren't good
Too "cartoony"
Better graphics on other systems
Quotes: "The Wii is for younger kids - and old people." Yes, he really did say this."
I really thought these assessments were great in providing a background to the positives and negatives of each system. If possible I would purchase both the Xbox 360 and the Wii as they seem to cover the full spectrum of the user population. It seems the Xbox 360 is popular among the teenage population while the Wii may better serve the younger as well as the older population. The Xbox 360 is more suitable for more passive users, while the Wii is more attractive to those more active and athletically inclined. These two consoles combined seem to nicely serve the greater community.
Some examples of gaming consoles in libraries:
ALATech Source Gaming in Libraries
ALA Games and Gaming
Gaming in Libraries Blog
Carvers Bay (SC) Branch Library: Gaming the Way to Literacy (August 2006)
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