With media talk about video game addiction and the recent conviction of the "Halo killer," parents are hopefully getting the message that it's time to get involved in their children's gaming habits. The ESRB system is a good way to get started, but if you want to improve communication, Microsoft and the National Institute on Media have collaborated on a special campaign that's available at Get Games Smart. Other partners include the Entertainment Software Association, the Entertainment Software Rating Board, GetNetWise, and many others.
The PACT campaign offers parents (or main caregivers) and kids to agree " to make our home a safe, healthy and fun place to use media, such as video games, TV and the Internet" and how to they plan to go about doing it. The four steps include a checklist for parents that clearly states what is and isn't acceptable online use, including webcam use, online profiles and friends, websites that are off-limits, what ratings are acceptable for video games, TV, and movies, and how much time is allowed online or gaming. Once the pact is completed, you can print it out and everyone can sign it.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 site offers plenty of tips on how to get involved and also information on the console's family settings. In addition to its PACT program, Microsoft is partnering with Best Buy and the Boys & Girls Club on a campaign called "Safety is no game. Is your family set?" The campaign is designed to publicize the family settings, how they work, and how parents can use them to their full advantage.
Microsoft states that its "Xbox was the first video game and entertainment system with built-in parental controls for both online and offline use." The PlayStation 3 and PSP also offer parental controls for Internet browsing, playing online, and ERSB settings, and the Wii does as well, with additional controls for purchasing games online from the Wii Shop Channel. However, the Xbox 360 offers the most flexible family controls, which makes sense since it also offers the most options for streaming media and voice communication. It also has the most user-friendly site when it comes to explaining how to use family controls.
Although the Xbox 360's target audience is slightly older -- think 18- to 34-year-olds -- it's very popular with teens and even tweens as well. Plus, Microsoft's PC roots mean it's already more savvy when it comes to controlling media access for users.
So, while the Wii has more family-friendly games, there's no denying that the Xbox's popularity combined with its media capabilities means Microsoft has a lot to gain from appealing to parents with easy to understand and flexible parental controls.
