With the holiday season upon us, most North Americans will be spending at least some of their time with family and friends.

Maybe you love the opportunity to visit with family and friends. Or maybe you suffer from "Cheek-Pinching Aunt Edna" syndrome and would rather undergo physical torture instead of visiting with them. Whatever your situation might be, Nintendo's Wii offers the opportunity for family and friends to come together and enjoy an easy-to-use gaming interface.

When the Wii was about to hit the market, analysts were befuddled. PS3 and XBOX 360 were competing for best graphics on the block, while Wii announced that their graphics processor would be decidedly low-tech. Then they announced that the Wii would be released with a funky new type of controller. The Wii controller senses its movement and pitch, so suddenly the controller wasn't just a lump of plastic in your hands. How you held it and how fast you moved it would determine what happened on screen.

Against the odds, Nintendo released a low-tech console that took the market by storm. The Wii is so easy to use that the previously mentioned "Aunt Edna" could give the kiddies a run for their money. My sister Julie brought one to a family gathering, expecting that I would be the only one interested. Before long my mom, who is NOT video game savvy, was playing alongside us and having a great time.

The Wii gets people up and moving, most notably with Wii Sports. If you play boxing, you'll be punching the air and working up a sweat in no time. Bowling is so simplistic and fun that I challenge people to try it and then say that they didn't get some enjoyment out of it.

If you are a parent and are worried about the types of games that your kids might be playing, then the Wii is a relatively safe bet. It'll get them up and moving, rather than just sitting on a couch. And, as any parent knows, that certainly adds extra value to a game.

For serious video gamers, I would still recommend the XBOX 360. If you are looking for something that the family can do together then the Wii is your best choice.