My kids are clamoring for an Xbox One.
They don’t want any specific game, but are aware the system is the next iteration of Xbox ‘magnificence’ so they are all in. I am not. My relationship with XBox 360 began 3 years ago, long after the system’s release. I didn’t believe in the system and still have doubts, so I waited. The kids don’t want to wait, but what is the benefit of going all in now? Games operate on a two year cycle. A game comes out, the second year release is usually a weak update, and then year three is solid. We are in the weak year of the games I love most–especially in regards to Madden where the 15′ release looks underwhelming at best. The 16′ releases will be strong all around, and with an extra year of development under their hats, the game development teams will be able to deliver big.
Mass Effect Big.
Instead of pouring cash into an Xbox, I trickled a few dollars into the Loft Development Fund and was able to successfully purchase the components to move to a 3 screen gaming/entertainment system powered by Ps3, Wii U, Direct TV, and Chromecast. This alleviates the problem of 3 kids fighting over screen time and looks really freaking cool to boot.
So, instead of upgrading to new systems, I’ve put (very little) cash into sprucing up what we have and making it more enjoyable and networking it for academic purposes. The kids are helping too, so they will know how to run wire and do al that other techy stuff that the average person ends up spending a great deal of money to have done for them.