Which console for you?

So I really just have to say that if this decision were actually to be made in real life, I should NOT be the one to make it! I don't know much about gaming at all.

That said, I would of course undertake a lot of research before making a selection. Let's say I'm working in a school library, and we want to implement some gaming that can be used to both A) attract students to library events and B) increase learning. I'd start by surveying the students themselves, and faculty as well. I love the site SurveyMonkey
for purpose of creating quick and easy online surveys that people can fill out.

What are some other criteria I'd use in making my selection, besides the survey results? Here are some questions I'd ask:

• How popular is it? Older consoles are pretty much out--no one's going to be interested in say, old-school Nintendo with Mario Brothers!
• What level of interactivity does it offer? We don't want users to just come in and then sit in isolation in front of the console. We want them to interact with each other.
• What games are available--specifically what educational games? I'm working in a school library, I want the kids to learn!

Based on the above criteria, and my limited knowledge of gaming consoles, I think I would probably end up going with Wii or Xbox 360. Not only are those popular and likely to draw kids in, but they also seem like they'd offer the degree of interactivity I'm looking for.