The rumor becomes reality as Microsoft announced today the addition of a parental control timer to the Xbox 360. Robbie Bach, president of MS's entertainment and devices division, confirmed the new feature, dubbed the "Family Timer." Bach says that as the customer base broadens, the demand for these types of options does too.
The timer can be set to limit playtime on "a daily or weekly basis, and turns off the console when the time limit is reached." Microsoft says that 90% of parents have a restriction on video game time and this will allow them to enforce their wills without prejudice. Now if we can only get research on how many parents will actually know how to use the timer (and remember their passwords eight months later).
Additional information can be found on Xbox.com.
Reader Comments (29)
Posted: Nov 7th 2007 12:09PM (Unverified) said
5 minutes after this photo was taken the timer activated and the kid punched his mom.
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Posted: Nov 7th 2007 12:40PM (Unverified) said
"Honey, the timer kicked on, grab the Cialis, and junior, off to your bed for you!"
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Posted: Nov 7th 2007 3:57PM (Unverified) said
5 seconds after the mom covered the dad's eyes he punched her in the face
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Posted: Nov 7th 2007 12:11PM (Unverified) said
so is this going to be in the fall update? is the update going to get here before winter?
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Posted: Nov 7th 2007 12:38PM jsgrill said
The announcement doesn't mention this as being part of the Fall Update. Just a download in December. Who knows. MS is super-secretive about when the Fall/Spring Update comes out and what is in it because they don't want people to get pissed if they miss a date or a feature has to be cut.
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Posted: Nov 7th 2007 12:22PM (Unverified) said
Sorry. The second I saw the picture it popped into my head.
It had to be done.
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It had to be done.
Posted: Nov 7th 2007 12:22PM (Unverified) said
no this ensures the mother is safely out of reach when the timer goes off. Gives her time to arm herself.
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Posted: Nov 7th 2007 12:25PM (Unverified) said
With an AK that she learned to use through the murder simulators right?
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Posted: Nov 7th 2007 12:29PM (Unverified) said
I was thinking more with the phone she has 911 on speed dial, Didn't you read about that last week?
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Posted: Nov 7th 2007 12:39PM (Unverified) said
Any way to set the timer to expire after X number of headshots or chainsaw decapitations? Because, you know, parents need to control the amount of blood splatter little Johnny is exposed to on a daily basis.
"Sorry Johnny - you've reached your slaughter brutality limit for the day. See you tomorrow!"
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"Sorry Johnny - you've reached your slaughter brutality limit for the day. See you tomorrow!"
Posted: Nov 7th 2007 12:43PM (Unverified) said
I wonder if it warns you when it's going to turn off.
I know it's not the same system, but if my Wii turned off right before I stepped on a save point in Metroid Prime, and I was 1 hour past the last one, I would probably punch the first thing with a face that talked to me.
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I know it's not the same system, but if my Wii turned off right before I stepped on a save point in Metroid Prime, and I was 1 hour past the last one, I would probably punch the first thing with a face that talked to me.
Posted: Nov 7th 2007 12:59PM mrmobius said
Now little Johnny can go to bed early so Mum and Dad can then have some of their own kinky fun. It does appear as if the Mum is up for anything in that photo and the Dad appears to be enjoying it, so only one thing they'll do as soon as little Johnny goes to his bed - make a little Timmy or Tabitha.
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Posted: Nov 7th 2007 1:13PM Batzarro The worlds WOrst Detect said
I'm sure kids won't be able to bypass it. They're stupid.(sarcasm shuldn't be warned, BUT...)
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Posted: Nov 7th 2007 2:46PM (Unverified) said
Believe it or not, i'd probably use this for myself, just so I can be like, alright im gonna play for a max of 2 hours today. Then it'll stop me after 2 hours and i'll know that its time for me to do other things with my life. I tend to get carried away when i play, then i realize the sun is down and i feel depressed for letting my time fly like that.
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Posted: Nov 7th 2007 2:51PM (Unverified) said
The guy in the green shirt is not little Johnny's dad and mom knows about it. She is covering dad's eyes to prevent him from noticing that little Johnny doesn't look at all like him.
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Posted: Nov 7th 2007 3:02PM (Unverified) said
she is punishing his cheating by letting him get pwned by Johnny in a deathmatch.
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Posted: Nov 7th 2007 3:19PM (Unverified) said
considering i learned at an early age that my father's password to everything was either the last 4 digits of our phone number, or when it would allow the word "password", i don't think this would have been very useful for us.
of course, that was back in the 80's, there were very few cases of little Jimmy punching mom in the kisser, and if he was it was probably because mom was beating him with a big wooden spoon.
but still, i doubt this is going to be very effective - as i said, what little kid hasn't figured out his parent's password to everything?
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of course, that was back in the 80's, there were very few cases of little Jimmy punching mom in the kisser, and if he was it was probably because mom was beating him with a big wooden spoon.
but still, i doubt this is going to be very effective - as i said, what little kid hasn't figured out his parent's password to everything?
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