News Xbox 360 update to add parental timer

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/09/05/xbox_360_update_to_add_parental_timer/1

Word on the grapevine is that the bi-annual 360 firmware update will bring a whole load of new features to the console, including a parental timer of some sort.

 

I wish there was a way of disallowing people under a certain age into your games on xbox live. Also, Gamer Profiles should know how old the player is so that they can not play games that are rated higher than them.

 

Hahahaha this is ridicalous, most of the parents dont give a damn about the consoles their kid(s) are playing on. Most of the parents dont even know how the x360 works. Most of the parents gave the box to their kids just to get some time on their own anyway.

And it really IS the parents fault if a kid, of lets say 6 years old, plays on the console hours and hours in the evening. But hey! at least he/she is quite...

 

rofl.. like parents would even know how to turn on the xbox...

 

My folks used to password protect the only PC in the house when I was a kid - I spent way too much time on it, and always had to ask one of them to input the password when I wanted to play...until I discovered the BIOS reset jumper

Parental controls are a good idea for 'rated' games, but I've gotta agree with Joe when it comes to the timer wotnot - parents should verbally tell their kids they've been playing too long rather than relying on a machine to let them know...

 

you can already stop underage kids playing rated games at present, my little sister cant load GoW or Bioshock on her gamer profile, and i've password protected mine!

 

That's good to know

 

i could see some parents really liking it (if they knew about it)

 

Good idea of course and certainly a step in a positive direction, but as people have already pointed out, parents can't and shouldn't rely on technology to "parent" their children for them. At the end of the day, 100% of the responsability is down to the parents and always should be.

If couples want kids then it's their responsability, not that of the various media or entertainment industries.

Sick an tired of neglectful, ignorant parents who blame anything and everything but themselves for the anti-social behaviour of their children.

Bring back national service!!!!

 

Dont be so ignorant and ageist.

My brother is 30 and a parent of 3 and im 26 and hoping to be a parent soon. We both know how a 360 works and even my mum of 50 and my dad of 55.

This is a great update which saves the cost of buying one of those timer boxes you put the console in. It aids parenting and does not take over and do the job of parenting for parents.

When I have a kid and its at the age to play games, i would want something like this. If it stops them playing 15, 18 rated games etc then even better, because im a gamer and my child might be, and this will prevent them playing my 18 rated games for example, when im not looking.

I wont have to hide my 18 rated games like I do porn as they will not be able to play them. It should also have a password for creating new profiles so they cant cheekily create a new one to play my games.

Its a simple update with features that work, its useful and there is reason for it.

Kids stop crying, if your scared you parent might limit your play, then I think you need it, as you must be playing too much.

 

nono kids that´s daddys porn go get your own

 

But how many non-gamer parents will keep track of what the updates on the 360 actually do? Or even know that it gets updated?

While it's a useful update if you know about it, I can't see many parents using it (as they more than likely won't know it's there)...

 

@mikeuk2004
i was not referring to you specifically... but, go ask random people who are about 50 years old what a firmware is... trust me. less than 1 in 10 will have atleast a partial answer to it....

 

Pfft - that never worked, trust me. I was a terror as a child, forever doing what I was told not to do - like shoving lit sparklers into my brothers hand and playing with knives.

I'm much better behaved now though, honest.
(Read: Don't let Hiren ground me again )

 

Joe you cant imagine the kind of groundings that can be done with an evil kid like you.....

 

Trust me, my parents tried everything. They took away everything I had at one point or another, kept me in a room, sent me to the naughty step supernanny style, left me without dinner, made me stay with a parent at all times, etc. Whatever the case, I'd always just not care, ride out the punishment and go back to normal.

Guess it just took me a long time to develop a sense of empathy/manners/whatever

 

One Small Problem!!!

I am sure parents will get bored of parental controlling all of the many consoles they will own due to failure???

 

Sounds like a sensible idea- I don't know what the uptake of this feature will be but for parents with younger kids, it saves having to stick an egg-timer on every time their child switches on their 360.

<A88>

 

Things like WoW already have features like this, so IMO its a reasonable addition, as long as someone cant hack your xbox and stop you playing games ever again