So does the XBOX360, and probably the PS3 as well.
They technically do, but there are few games that really take advantage of it, let alone age-appropriate ones.
Go strictly on which one four children will be able to play at the same time: Wii.
The XBox rarely has multiplayer for people in the same room and on those rare occasions when it does then it’s only for two people. I can think of one game on the PS3 that all four could play at the same time. So the Wii with a few games like Mario Kart or Smash Brothers or even the new Super Mario Brothers will prevent fighting over who gets to play.
Of course fighting over who killed who will continue as it has since the beginning of video games.
Calling All Cars? 
Then you have little exposure to either console:
LittleBigPlanet: 4 players, PS3
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 & 2: 4 players, 360 and PS3
All of the Buzz Me! games: 4 players, 360 and PS3
Baja: Edge of Control: 4 players, 360
Call of Duty 2, 4, World at War, MW2: 4 players, 360
Halo 3: 4 players, 360
MotoGP '07: 4 players, 360
Perfect Dark Zero: 4 players, 360
Stuntman Ignition: 4 players, 360
Tom Clancy GRAW 1 and 2: 4 players, 360
Tales of Vesperia: 4 players, 360
Rock Band 1 & 2: 4 players, 360 and PS3
Guitar Hero World Tour and on: 4 players, 360 and PS3
The Lord of the Rings: Conquest: 4 players, 360 and PS3
Heavy Weapon: Atomic Tank : 4 players, 360 and PS3
Haze: 4 players, PS3
Gauntlet II: 4 players PS3
Dude, split screen. Many games that have LAN capabilities can also do so over split screen.
You must have stretched out lips to fit the entire Wii in there. Really, why can’t he just ask his kids what they want or just find out what his friends have and go from there? Having a Wii isn’t the worst thing in the world.
I understand. You like the Wii. Great. It’s just not what I’d choose. That reminds me. I have to pick up the new Super Mario Brothers game, too.
What are you talking about? Is it true that some games with LAN have split-screen? Yes. Is that what we were discussing? No, not at all. You’re changing the subject.
What?
It’s not a matter of who likes what, or what you would choose, it’s a matter of what likely works best for the OP’s situation, and I can’t even fathom how there’s debate in regards to this, particularly in regards to some of the points brought up (LAN, really?)
I was alluding to you performing oral sex, or at least sucking your Nintendo Wii console. Then again, if I could suck my Wii, I’d never leave the house.
Thus demonstrating my point about Xbox Live users.
I’ll admit to not having much exposure to the PS3 but I’ll stand by my statement of the 360 rarely having local multiplayer. It’s the exception rather than the rule on the platform.
I listed 22 games that 4 people can play on the same screen at the same time. There are a few games I’ve never heard of, but there are some great games in there. The Wii has:
Mario Kart
Smash Bros.
New Super Mario Bros.
Alien Syndrome
Blast Works
Dr. Mario Rx
Ghost Squad
Guitar Hero World and on
Rock Band 1 & 2
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 & 2
Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor
Nerf N-Strike
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New Worlds (battles only)
World of Goo
16 games.
When you miss the game in the box (Wii Sports) then it’s safe to say that you’re overlooking more than a few things.
Let’s see:
Wii Sports
Wii Sports Resort
Wii Play
Wario Ware Touched
Mario Party
Mario Tennis
Mario Super Sluggers
Super Monkey Ball
And that’s off the top of my head.
I wasn’t really thinking about Rock Band or Guitar Hero, which are their own sort of niche. Popular and fun of course, and great party games, but a huge expense on top of buying the system. When the kids are a little older, it’d be neat to set them up with their own band, though.
Of the other games on that list, how many of them are fun & appropriate for kids 5-12?
Then you have a very different definition of “at the same time”. There isn’t a single game on Wii Sports or Wii Play that all four play at the same time. Take turns, sure. But that’s an entirely different creature than at the same time. I don’t know about the others - they weren’t mentioned on the link I gave several posts ago.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance is a fantastic game that’s appropriate. LittleBigPlanet is one of the most underrated games of this generation. It’s Super Mario Bros. but in addition to that, you can create your own worlds. The Buzz Me! games are great. But the others seem to be a lot of shooters that probably wouldn’t be a good choice for the younger one. But then, I wouldn’t say that really any game would be all that appropriate for that age, either.
And frankly, there aren’t many 4 player games for any of the consoles where those ages playing together are going to be all that fun, IMO. The 5 year old is going to be left out of the equation in anything that’s not two player.
Wii Sports Tennis allows all four to play at the same time.
I have all 3 consoles, and I have a 6 and 10 year old. My son (6) plays the 360 almost exclusively (Lego games, racing games, Hulk). He will only play the Wii if his friends are over and they want to play Smash Bros. The only reason they want to play Smash Bros is because they only have a Wii at home. They only have a Wii at home because the parents aren’t gamers and bought into the hype that the Wii is more “family friendly” than the 360 or PS3 and, to ensure their kids stay sheltered from the world, they got Wii’s to feel like they were giving their kids “good, wholesome entertainment”.
My daughter plays Rockband and GH on the 360.
The reality is that the 360 is just as family friendly as the Wii, but it also happens to have top shelf adult games that cannot, under any circumstances, be enjoyed on the Wii other than waterd down, poorly controlling, ports.
Just to put your mind at ease, on my shelf right now, I have SMB Galaxy, SM Kart, Zelda, Punch Out, Metroid, Wii Music, Smash Bros, Warioware, and Lego Star Wars. The kids DO have many choices on the Wii but choose not to play any of them. In fact, we have Lego Star Wars on Wii and 360 and my son will ONLY play it on 360, and he’s 6.
Bottom line, IMHO, is that if you are buying it as a temporary distraction, like any other toy that will be used for a little bit then set aside to collect dust, then go ahead and get the Wii. If you want to give your kids the opportunity to really experience the best video games have to offer, in both value and quality, and risk having them actually pick up gaming as a hobby then get a 360, or even a PS3.
My family ranking (mot my personal ranking but my ranking of my family’s interest and what they use) is:
360
.
.
PS3
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Wii.
Maybe it’s off-topic, maybe it’s valuable information, you decide:
We have 360, PS3 and an old Nintendo 64. Kids are in their early to late teens. Individually they will play new games on new platforms, etc., but whenever a group of their friends come over they fire up Smash Bros. on the old Nintendo 64. It’s pretty entertaining to see them choose 1996 tech over current stuff.
Like I said though, the only reason they play Smash Bros is because thats the only video game they all know how to play because that’s what their parents bought. Not because it’s a fun game (which it can be, don’t get me wrong) but because they all know how to play it.
Almost all of the kids I’m referring to have played Halo for years, have their own xbox, etc. There is something about Smash Bros that really seems to be more fun for them when in a group compared to the other games.