[Tervuren]

My personal recommendation is to go with a PC, and go for off the beaten path older games where you can create your own content.

Nintendo tends to be ok.

Racing sims are the only thing worthwhile on the other platforms.

Avoid anything 2002 and up from a company called Electronic Arts.

Some online games can be very useful in learning how to work and communicate with a variety of people. Most online games you will find these days are a huge drain on the player, see the idiot thread. The ones that abuse their customers the most have the marketing dollars to spend to be what you find.

So unfortunately, as much as I just recommended online games, what you will likely find today is bad.

I was fortunate to have gotten to play when I did before some gaming companies took things into a very evil business model, now it proliferates.

Un-ethical companies try to make a gaming experience that is addictive, initially fun and rewarding, then create an experience of diminishing return on the rewarding feelings. You have to start paying or playing more to get that same feeling.

Once games were a great way to play with others, to learn, build mental skills. Now they are platform to rob and steal the life and money from people.

But, the good experience, the good games, can still exist, just be careful!

I've never been a console gamer, so I'm not sure on advice on console specific things.

I made a few thousand dollars income from age 14-17 from my video game activities but I am not a normal person.

The one thing I would add to what Seahawk said, if it is multi player play it with him. That way you'll know what is good or bad.