New Parental Controls Limit Xbox Time

An anonymous reader writes "As part of a new marketing blitz to promote the Xbox 360 as a "family friendly" video game console, Microsoft on Wednesday rolled out a new feature called Family Timer, which will show up in the Family Settings Screen. The Timer will let parents limit the number of hours their kids can play the Xbox on a daily or weekly basis. When the time limit is reached, the console will automatically shut off, ostensibly after saving the game."

Time's up

[gringer]

Sorry, I was going to do a verbose post about all the reasons why I should stay on the computer, but my timer is about to kick...

Cunning Plan

[ozmanjusri]

In a very clever move by Microsoft, the indicator showing the console is on standby will be a lit red ring on the front of the unit...

Re:Why is the box smarter than me?

[Anonymous Coward]

Ask your parents for an unlimited, second Xbox to be used exclusively by your friends. Problem solved.

How about for PCs?

[aero2600-5]

My mother would love to have something like this on my father's computer. She calls Diablo II 'the divorce game'.

Aero

Re:not the root of the problem...

[feepness]

In my experience, the parents who would be responsible enough to use such a feature don't need it anyways. The problem is the parents who want their kids lifeless in front of the Xbox (or the TV) so they'll be "out of their hair".

As a new parent, may I ask, dies this work for five-week olds?

Re:Cunning Plan

[ozmanjusri]

The red lights were clearly meant to signify any problem, minor to major, and now people just associate it with a dead xbox.

Only 'cause that's more common than an unplugged A/V lead...

TV That does this

[Joebert]

Must have been 5 years ago now my buddys' stepdad had a TV that did this.
It would just show a message on the screen that said you watch too much TV & no matter what you did you couldn't get it to go away untill the off timer was over.

I just so happened to discover this on the day his stepdad wanted to watch a big football game, & somehow I managed to set it for the time the game was on while playing with it.

Needless to say I didn't go over my buddys house for a few days after that.

Re:Why is the box smarter than me?

[slyn]

Posts like this getting modded insightful scare the shit out of me.

Re:not the root of the problem...

[darthflo]

wine WoW.exe -opengl & sleep 3600 && killall WoW.exe -9

:)

Re:Why is the box smarter than me?

[Anonymous Coward]

Also, I used to watch cartoons and play the Super-Nintendo (I know, this dates me)

Shit dude, you must be at least 21. You're over the hill buddy.

Re:Why is the box smarter than me?

[Gabest]

exactly, the kids will use this to lock out their own parents! what a great tool

Re:Why is the box smarter than me?

[Anonymous Coward]

If only you'd read /. *before* buying the ring... ;P

Re:Time's up

[slater86]

so overheating and shutting off *is* a feature

Thanks God I'm an adult now!

[Cumanes-alpha]

I wouldn't make it if my old NES told me "Your Time is UP! go to bed, Scumbag!!"...Now I'm married and can play ANYTIME and ALL THE TIME I want...except when I go to work, and when I'm with my wife, and on sundays and saturdays.

Re:not the root of the problem...

[Stuart Gibson]

All the teens and early 20-somethings that joined /. in it's first few years are now ten years older and have developed sproglets. They've asked for advice on everything else here, so why not on the kids

Re:not the root of the problem...

[Anonymous Coward]

And who needs to get a girlfriend more than somebody who's long married?

Please...

[PixelScuba]

What a stupid question. Sex with computer games is the obvious answer. Oh, hello cake, I think I'll eat you AND have you, too!