One of the key arguments in the fight for an R18+ rating for video games is that each and every next gen console has parental lock settings to make it much harder for your kids to play your copy of Modern Warfare 2. But how many people actually use them?
My little one is still a little small to need the parental locks switched on just yet, but it’s definitely something I’ll be using once he’s developed his Dad’s passion for gaming. But do parents actually use the settings? Are you even aware that they exist?
If you do use them, what are your thoughts? Do you find them effective?
Andy Rogers
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 12:37 PMIf I had kids, i definitely would… as well as monitoring gameplay
James
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 1:05 PMAgree
Heath
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 1:09 PMSame, especially for DVD’s/TV – which in my opinion is much worse than video games.
ash
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 1:14 PMI’m in the same boat.
+ have to monitor who they’re talking to in MP games, so replys through speakers it is :)
David Wyndham
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 1:12 PMWhere is the ‘I don’t have a console’ option?
Grayda
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 1:46 PMIn my opinion, parental controls are useless. 1) Parents don’t use them or don’t know how to use them 2) The password is usually something their kids would know (4321, last 4 digits of phone number etc.) and they can watch you enter it in with the controller. 3) You can get the original parental key for the Wii via an online script. Just feed it the “emergency” code and it’ll give you the parental code back. 4) Your child will play games on the internet or at a mate’s place while you’re not around.
If you REALLY want to know your child is safe while playing games, take an interest in the game. Don’t fake it, or your kids will know and still go behind your back. Build up a good relationship with your son or daughter so they don’t “oh piss off Mum / Dad” when you suggest you play a game together.
Same goes for the internet. Don’t take the heavy hand with them, take an interest. Works MUCH better. Trust me, as a 90′s child AND as a computer tech who works with kids every day, I know.
norp
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 1:59 PMThe funny thing about the parental controls thing is that I have heard people argue that “their kids will work out the code” so it is useless.
You know what, that is bull. I set a code on my XBLA account and had to spend a whole day learning how to reset and recover my gamertag on my own xbox because i couldn’t guess my own password (for those that haven’t played with these features the parental controls use the same system).
By the way, it is very possible for the kids to reset the controls but as long as you test them out every now and then to make sure the haven’t been bypassed you can punish them for it after the fact.
Shane
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 2:11 PMI agree with Andy, if I did, I would!
In fact, having kids would probably mean I would change my game playing habits significantly. I would choose to buy games more suited for kids and play them with them.
Maybe we need parent locks on the games stores instead?!
Morris Umali
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 2:46 PMI don’t have any kids living with me, but the first thing I do when I get a console is set the Parental Lock code and put it on the appropriate setting.
Last thing I want is for friends to come around and play a prank by setting the lock without me knowing.
Grant
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 3:59 PMI certainly use them.
Two teenage boys in the house. I monitor the content myself but use the parental lock to limit their gaming time, which they regularly exceed. That reminds me time to change the password. The problem is that the lock is global for all users. Often I have gone for some presonal game time on the X-Box only to be foiled by my own lock.
On top of that I have a timed lock on internet traffic for their connected devices (curfew). That was done after I discovered them using their iPod Touches for chatting in bed until the wee hours of the morning.
Kif
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 4:33 PMI find that not only do parents not use it, they go and buy the games for their kids, too.
Also, most kids these days are up to date and tech savvy. A mate’s 12yo quickly found a help topic on-line to reset the PS3 to default settings, and therefore reset the password to 0000. The 360 has a slightly more difficult approach, but there’s plenty of info on-line to tell you how to disable parental controls.
Anyone who plays these games on-line should be well aware that most of the players are kids.
I’d like to see a credit card based community, so you have to be 18+ and can be easily identified and banned if abusive.
josh
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 5:58 PMi don’t have kids but if i did i wouldn’t use it anyway.
i grew up playing games like GoldenEye64 and DOOM and alike and i still play violent and bloody games.
why would i stop my children doing something that i did when i was their age?
(but of course if they were under 10 i wouldn’t buy them violent games and i would keep mine on a high shelf or locked away)
Gregory Opera
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 9:18 PMMy Sony PlayStation 3 has classifications controls for Blu-Ray movies and games, but not Sony PlayStation/PSOne “classics” and Sony PlayStation 2 games… As I understand it, these classifications controls also apply to the downloadable versions of PlayStation 3 games, though I have not yet put this to the test.
The best part is that unlike my Sony PSP (PlayStation Portable) which uses extremely confusing and proprietary classification controls, the classifications controls on my PlayStation 3 are SPECIFIC to AUSTRALIA!
Nick T
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 11:33 PMI have kids, I monitor their gaming, and I have enabled parental locks…
Now please excuse me, my 7 yr old needs help with Assassins Creed 2!
hehehe
Kris
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 10:55 AMWe have two small kids, and use parental locks on the Wii, but not on the XBox. There’s no real substitute for keeping up with what your kids are doing. No doubt when they’re older we’ll have the time-limit locks on for both consoles (or whatever console we have going then), but we reckon it’s more important to know what’s in a game than just the censor’s ratings, and to keep an eye on what our kids are up to.
When the kids were all preschoolers, we limited the Wii to G-rated only, but we found it didn’t stop negative effects. For example, they were developing “bad losing” habits from Sonic & Mario at the Olympics. Yep, that’s a really hardcore title, isn’t it? But after one short playing session, they were stamping their feet and using all the catchphrases in all of their non-console playtime. They were like little sponges.
The ratings aren’t as important as the content of the game. Censors’ ratings only cover the violence/gore/sex issue, but they don’t look at the messages the game’s putting across. It’s possible to have a “kiddie” game that teaches kids to have tantrums when they don’t win, or to rub it in the faces of the other kids who didn’t – which doesn’t make for a pleasant child in RL. It’s also possible to have a more “grown-up” game that teaches the value of teamwork etc etc.
Parental controls can stop kids from accessing the hardcore stuff (at least until they’re old enough to reset the systems themselves), but it shouldn’t replace being involved in your kids’ gaming, and taking notice of what they’re doing. :)