Revolution to Include Parental Controls

[Griking]

SEATTLE — Nintendo has become the latest console maker to promise parents the means to help restrict their children's access to violent video games.

The new version of Nintendo's videogame console, called Revolution and due out in 2006, will allow users to require passwords for video games that carry certain ratings, such as "T" for "teen" or "M" for "mature."

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Obviously parents will need to set up and use this feature for it to be productive but I think this is a great idea. Perhaps this will open the door to more adult games on the Revolution now that Nintendo has included a tool to keep them out of the wrong hands.

[googlefest1]

awsome - all systems should have this

too bad you cant target specific games - or shut down times - or operational hours

[slip81]

Good. Now parents can finally take the blame for letting their youngsters play violent games.

Instead of parents blaming Rockstar, EB, Gamestop, etc, the retailers and developers can just turn around and say "The console your kid played this game on has a feature that prohibits mature content when activated, why didn't you utilize it?"

[Mangar]

I have always felt that the blame lay 100% with the parents. I also have no problem with this feature, although i do believe that Nintendo has managed to find another way of making itself seem the least "Uncool" system of the three. At least in the eyes of the younger teen crowd.

Another distant 3rd place finish in the console wars i predict.

[Zilla]

Outstanding idea. I hope this allows more M rated games on the revolution but this could also condem it to the console for kiddies again which is unfair and unfounded. It is a great idea that hopefully will be picked up by other console makers in the future.

[Griking]

I also have no problem with this feature, although i do believe that Nintendo has managed to find another way of making itself seem the least "Uncool" system of the three. At least in the eyes of the younger teen crowd.

Another distant 3rd place finish in the console wars i predict.

I disagree. As long as the console has games that the kids want to play it will be considered cool. Mom or Dad on the otherhand may be looked at as "uncool" if they utilize this feature. I think that this is a long needed tool for game consoles and will help to take some of the heat off of developers by making sure that the parents know what their kids are playing.

[davepesc]

I also have no problem with this feature, although i do believe that Nintendo has managed to find another way of making itself seem the least "Uncool" system of the three. At least in the eyes of the younger teen crowd.

Another distant 3rd place finish in the console wars i predict.

I disagree. As long as the console has games that the kids want to play it will be considered cool. Mom or Dad on the otherhand may be looked at as "uncool" if they utilize this feature. I think that this is a long needed tool for game consoles and will help to take some of the heat off of developers by making sure that the parents know what their kids are playing.

Not exactly related, but you can set the PS2 to require a code to play movies past a certain rating. That didn't lead to a "kiddie" rating.
Funny enough, but most porn is unrated, so I could set my PS2 to block Forrest Gump, but not Forrest Hump.

[kevin_psx]

Outstanding idea. I hope this allows more M rated games on the revolution but this could also condem it to the console for kiddies again which is unfair and unfounded.

Why can't it be both?

- safe for kids
- and fun for the adults who are "kids at heart"

I admit it. When playing games - I smile & laugh like a kid again. Don't you?

[Mangar]

I disagree. As long as the console has games that the kids want to play it will be considered cool. Mom or Dad on the otherhand may be looked at as "uncool" if they utilize this feature. I think that this is a long needed tool for game consoles and will help to take some of the heat off of developers by making sure that the parents know what their kids are playing.

Oh - I agree that it's a needed feature. Anything which allows parents to more easily do their jobs, i'm all for. But despite the fact that it's the parents who end up purchasing the system, it's the kids who request it. You need to put yourself, or rather just remember back to when you were 13 years old. If there were three systems on the market, and only **ONE** of them had a parental lock feature - Would you choose that one over the other two? Especially when you spent the last 2-3 years playing violent videogames, and wanted this to continue.

Nintendo was already a heavy underdog vrs Sony and Microsoft, and i'd say that while this is a good feature - It simply feeds more into the "uncool" view that the Male 13-21(yrs) group already has for the company. A good idea simply because it's a good thing to provide, but from a marketing/competition standpoint it's nothing short of horrible. Especially in todays GTA-Inspired market.

[grimlock]

The 360 has built in parental controls as well. This was announced a long time ago. So, I'd say, neither company is concerned about image here, just providing something many other devices have been for quite some time. I'm all for it.

[davepesc]

How do the controls work? I know everyone with an internet connection (or a copy of the manual) knows the master unlock code for the PS2. Will this one be tough to beat?

[snes_collector]

I'm Not Telling My Parents


But anyway I guess that's fine. I usually don't play M games anyway, not usually my generas.

[Griking]

I guess the Xbox and Revolution aren't the only consoles that will look "uncool" to kids for providing parental controls. Sony just announced that the PS3 will have the same feature.


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