Microsoft promotes parental oversight in gaming with Jerry Rice, PTA

by Dan Dormer { Nov 7th 2007 at 2:25PM }

Along with the Xbox 360 family timer announced today, Microsoft has kicked off the second year of their "Safety is no game. Is your family set?" campaign. They're also releasing PACT, a contract being distributed to Parent Teacher Association members nationwide. PACT is an abbreviation that isn't so brief: "Parental involvement; the amount of Access children can have, including who they are allowed to play and interact with online; the types of Content children are allowed to play or watch; and the amount of Time children can use media." Spare a thought to the parents yelling "Turn that damn thing off, Dan!"

Joining Microsoft in this crusade are two allies, one likely, the other not so much. The PTA and Jerry Rice lent their support to Microsoft's "Safety ... Set?" campaign, all lauding praise on one another at Stuart-Hobson Middle School in Washington, D.C., today. Rice stated "it's so rewarding to join Microsoft and the PTA today to promote a healthy balance for our kids in this exciting digital age." Oh, get a room.

Tags: Microsoft, parental, timer

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

jhchevy1 @ Nov 7th 2007 2:44PM

Big brother can raise your children for you since parents can't. They want to be their friends. Ain't that special.

kinshadow @ Nov 7th 2007 2:48PM

I wonder if the Fall Update will have a "babysit my kids option". That'd be sweet!

I'm goin' drinkin'!

HineyWipe @ Nov 7th 2007 2:51PM

To punish me, my father would not take away the 2600. Instead, he took only the RF Modulator. That was enough.

Parents need respect. And in that, it is earned, not bought nor taught to you by some Meg-corporation bent on taking your $60 each time you kid asks for it.

Be a parent. ACT like one.

hoagie @ Nov 7th 2007 3:34PM

In this day and age, a fitting punishment would be to take away the HDMI/Component cables and make them play with an RF Modulator. xD

Dash @ Nov 7th 2007 2:55PM

Hey, wasn't Nintendo suposed to be the kid friendly console? Now we are playing Manhunt on the Wii while the X-box says "time to go to bed kids".

I see Microsoft and Sony more and more going with the family thing in their ads. Guess they want the casual slice of the pie.

What's next? Friend Codes?

DangerMouse @ Nov 7th 2007 3:27PM

Nintendo learned that money talks when they got their asses handed to them after Mortal Kombat came out. They changed their stance when the second game came around.

Zoidberg Jesus (a.k.a. Jebo) @ Nov 7th 2007 3:10PM

This is a good campaign because it shifts the focus away from the game makers and on to the parents. It is like a move a politician would make. 360 for president!

Squirrel3D @ Nov 7th 2007 6:18PM

Hopefully this will finally get parents off their asses and start doing their freaking job.

jhchevy1 @ Nov 7th 2007 3:53PM

I made a PACT with my child. Your homework needs to be done, you can only play the games your mother and I have approved and when I say turn it off it is time to turn it off. If our PACT is broken I take the system away, meaning unplugged and removed. Parents need to understand that todays systems are not handheld football games anymore( which I have and it still rocks!!). Anyone that is a parent and comes on sites like this knows already. Most of us have grown up with videogames for most of our lives. Don't buy the games for them that they shouldn't play. I don't play my games until they go to bed because they aren't allowed to even watch unless it's sports or guitar hero. Stop being their buddies and be a PARENT. Someday they might just thank you for it. Maybe.

Izzy @ Nov 7th 2007 5:57PM

This is a waste of resources on the xbox360. Most parents don't have a clue about the settings in an xbox360. All they know is where the power button and eject button is.

Once the update does happen most won't even know it's a newly added feature.

If my kid pissed me off by playing too much, I would just simply turn the xbox off and tell him to go to his room. Then occupy the xbox myself :)