Should I get a PS3 or PS4?

Been mainly a nintendo family. We have a Wii U and an Xbox 360 (although it doesn't really work anymore). Going to get a Xbox One to replace the Xbox 360. We have never had a PS system but have a little bit of extra money this christmas so I thought I would get the kids a PS system too. I was going to go ahead and get the PS4 but after I researched it (not backwards compatible?) and then looked at the games available I was thinking maybe I should go with the PS3?

My kids don't seem to have a preference. They like RPG's and sports games (although I think thats covered with the Xbox). Favorites are Final Fantasy & Dragon's Quest series. I had heard about Until Dawn and was thinking I would like that game but seems a waste to get the PS4 just for that.

We have tons of nintendo games and tons of Xbox 360 games but no PS games so I guess not being able to play older system games on the new one isn't a problem.

Anyway...any advice? Which one should I get?

I'm a Playstation guy and have a Ps4 and would prefer that for myself, but you should probably go with a Ps3 to start. For one, it is probably much cheaper and you can load up on a stack of games because they are much cheaper as well. And Ps3 doesn't require PS+ to play online. Warm up to Playstation and if you like it, you can go with a Ps4 the next year when I'm assuming the prices to get one will be even better than they are right now.

I see a deal right now to get a Ps3 and controller for 100 bucks flat. Then you could stack up on used Ps3 games and maybe get another controller for another 50-100 depending on what you want. Seems like a good idea. There are many other factors that go into it depending on what games you like, if you want to play online or with friends etc. But if Ps4 doesn't have much of a personal advantage for you and it is even a debate, the Ps3 will save you much more money.

Also, even being loyal to Playstation, I must warn you that their controllers are usually crappy. All of my ps3 ones broke at some point. They were still usable depending on the game, but the plastic always broke under the analog stick when I hit it down so much. My Ps4 one isn't the greatest either as the rubber is peeling off the analog sticks. Not a huge deal but annoying.

The PS3 system also plays the original PS disc games so you'll have two generations worth of games.

I don't know if you bought digital games for the 360 but something to keep in mind if you decide to buy digital games for the PS3, the system will occasionally ask you to verify your license for the digital games you bought. I mostly game on the 360 and just recently started putting some time on my PS3 but decided not to connect it to the net and it only allowed me to play a limited time until I verified my license. I disconnected it again and a few days later it asked me to connect to verify my license. It's a pain so now I leave it connected. It's not a problem to keep my PS3 connected I just don't think I should have to once I bought the game.

Thank you both for the advice. I think I will go for the PS3. Looked around and couldn't find the deal mentioned. (PS3 & controller for $100) Where is that?

Good to know about the original PS games working too. Like I said we have never had a PS system so there's a lot to discover.

One thing to keep in mind too, all PS3 systems will play PS1 games, but most of them do not play PS2 games. They all can play PS1 games using software emulation, but only certain models of the original "fat" style PS3 are able to play PS2 games. The "slim" and "super slim" models don't do PS2 games at all.

Just wanted to put that out there in case that was something you wanted.

If you are serious about this then go for the PS4 otherwise the PS3 to test the waters. 

You could get a ps3 and a few rpg's for them for a lot less than a ps4. Plus if they mainly want it for rpg games. The ps4 doesn't have as many as the ps3.

I owned four PS4s and sold them all. Why? No matter how much I tried getting into it, I just didnt have much fun. Yes the graphic a are superior but,,once you get past that,there isn't much content to me.

The PS3 has a lot more exclusive games. God of War collection, Uncharted series, every Metal Gear(from 1-5 are playable), Killzones, Resistance and etc. A lot of awesome exclusives to play that you,should strongly consider.

That being said, PS4 will keep you up to date with modern games him,whether you like those games are on you.

I personally have an Xbox one now because I enjoy the fact that there are more exclusives available now(Forza,Halo and etc) but, again it's your choice.

Do the new games appeal to you? Do upcoming games appeal to you? That's for,you to decide.