Nintendo Puts Emphasis On Parental Control

Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo will allow parents to control what games can be played on the Revolution based on game ratings and other factors. From the article: "The password-protected system will let parents set which rating categories are acceptable for their children, and prevent the system from running any software outside the approved range. The system is based on the Entertainment Software Ratings Board's industry standard ratings, and each game's rating will be encoded on each Revolution disc. Nintendo says the system will be instituted on every Revolution console worldwide, presumably utilizing the local ratings system of each region."

Comments

What you really need...

[xenocide2]

is non-parental control. I wonder how much less greif there'd be in online games if the Mature audiences only recommendation was followed.

Re:so essently a video game version of the v chip?

[ReverendHoss]

I may just be overly pessimistic here, but I don't think Nintendo intends this feature to get used. If someone starts screaming at them that one of their "overly violent" video games caused their son to... I don't know, jump up and down on the family pet turtle... Nintendo could reply:

"How awful! We're very sorry that this violence made it through the hardware lock-out we have in place to let parents control this sort of thing. Your machine MUST be defective. Oh, wait, you WEREN'T using the lock-out? Even though we broadcast it as a feature on the front of our box, in the packaging, at initial start-up, on the instruction manual for the console, on the box of each game, and in the instruction manual for each game? Er... right. We'll let our lawyers take care of this."

Re:A little late.

[LoverOfJoy]

It just didn't get much use, for obvious reasons.

Because there weren't any fun rated-E games made for the xbox?

Actually, that wasn't meant as a flame or troll. I don't have an xbox but I've heard that kind of stuff about it. I'm asking because I don't know and you said there were obvious reasons it didn't get used. Is this what you were talking about?

I can imagine this being a great way for Nintendo to attract more adult gamers without losing those who think Nintendo systems are great for families.

Re:Another good idea

[Red Flayer]

Not to troll, but I think it's better to have your kid(s) understand that you are setting the limits, that you are enforcing them as well.

It's important that they learn to make the right decision, and not have automated restrictions on their behavior control them... otherwise, what happens when the restrictions are removed?

Although, since constant monitoring is neither possible nor desirable, there's got to be a way to limit their time. My kids use a windows box, perhaps timed access for each userid? Anyone know of any free solutions for this?

Yes, there is.

[MeanderingMind]

Is there any explanation for it that doesn't make the game industry look either absent minded or greedy?

Having been a child in those days, I believe I can answer this question.

The answer is yes.

Parents, even now, will have their own movies. Being adults, they would have adult movies. These aren't movies for junior, these are movies for mom and dad.

However, kids being kids, they'll find some way to reach you movies if they want to (barring you locking them up in a safe). Making it important to have some way to keep kids from playing inappropriate DVDs on the PS2, as they are very likely to be lying around the house.

Until recently, very few gamers were parents, let along parents of children who might play games. Beyond the whole issue of parents buying M rated games for their children, there are now parents who want to play M rated games. However, they would rather not let their kids do so. Having a parental lock is important to these people.

The parental lock is also useful for non-gaming parents, but the non-greedy reason for its lack of appearing before now is as above.