Im with the ball and glove guy. Take thim to basball games teach him to play, rase a ball player and when he is in MLB an he signs with the Dodgers for millions the buy him all of them.
TA
He has just as good if not better chance to be a world champion gamer. And yes there is such a thing. He doesn't have to impress a scout, worry about getting traded or cut out of the blue, or that 90 mph fastball thrown by a guy that may or may not be having a good day. He just has to play. One recent champion went home with a 6.6 million dollar prize. Not a bad payday for a kid playing video games. They even televise the tourneys now, and sell out at Staples Center with people packing in to watch. I would imagine more kids are trading Pokemon or Magic the Gathering cards than baseball cards like I, and probably most of us, did when were younger.
With that being said... teach the kid how to play baseball by all means. Teach him to hunt, fish, throw a tomahawk. Get him a Daisy Red Rider or a .22 and let him plink. Engage his creative side with arts and crafts. On a side note, I would rather my daughter and step daughter play video games than watch that crap on TV nowadays. There is a lot more educational shows on now to be sure with the History Channel and NatGeo but all the 11 year old wants to watch is that crap on Disney or NickJR. Gaming helps build problem solving skills, motor skills, reflexes and to an extent how to throw back a grenade from behind cover!! LOL Game consoles have their place in every kids bed room. As for family game night, try Life, Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly... Go Fish and Old Maid for crying out loud! (D&D anyone?)
Back to the topic at hand. First off, I am a Playstation man through and through. IMO the Wii was garbage. The controls were horrible. My toon would never do what he was supposed to do when I waved the nunchuks or whatever around. We have one here at the house that even the 11 year old rarely plays. She did play it more a few years ago when it was new. But... of the 3 consoles out there, it is more geared toward young audiences and family game night than the other two. Never had any experience with the Wii U but for a 7 year old, that will probably be your best bet. You can all play Mario Party and Smash Bros together and Mario Cart. I would be willing to say get a used Wii and a few games, but he will inevitably see a new game he wants and get heartbroken because it isn't on the old system, only the new one. Wii U is backward compatible to the Wii, or so I have read. Grab him a Wii U and few used Wii games and don't forget Skylanders. Zelda is usually a winner as well.
But be ready for him to outgrow the Nintendo in just a couple years. His friends will be telling him stories about the newest installment of Elder Scrolls or Fallout, or how they are smoking grown ups (like me) in Call of Duty. Then he will want the "better" games. The U will be shelved and he will absolutely die if he can not play one of those latest and greatest games. Sometimes Nintendo will get some of those big franchise hits, but they will be "watered down". And I don't mean only the blood and gore will be gone, I am talking about gameplay in general. Nintendo systems just don't have the raw power of the other two systems. The Wii U is their top of the line but is about on par with the PS3 and XBOX 360, which are both last gen systems.
And YES, each individual playing will need their own controller. Not necessarily the huge TV screen you hold but the other to be sure.
Maybe consider getting him a Nintendo DS handheld. Games are cheaper and he can sit and play that thing right there in the living room, or rocket room, while you do your thing. Or on road trips or at the kitchen table when he is supposed to be doing homework.
I guess what I am trying to say, get him a Wii U and Skylanders, and maybe Disney Infinity, 13 bucks a figure, wish I would have thought of that. He will love it and will get a few years out of it. And consider the DS, games are great stocking stuffers. You get about a 3 minute flight out of a 250 dollar rocket motor as compared to a few years for the Wii U. Come on Dad! LOL.
Hope this helps, I usually make things worse. :smile:
Good luck and Happy Holidays,
Mike