Xbox 360 debuts video game industry's first and only Family Timer.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft Corp., the
Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and Super Bowl champion Jerry Rice joined
forces today to unveil new parental tools as part of the second year of the
"Safety is no game. Is your family set?" campaign. They include a PACT, a
family contract intended to foster family discussion about screen time
guidelines, as well as a new parental control feature, the Xbox 360 Family
Timer. The Family Timer will enable parents for the first time to set the
appropriate amount of gaming and entertainment time on the Xbox 360 for
their kids, on a daily or weekly basis.
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"As a leader in interactive entertainment, it's Microsoft's
responsibility to provide parents with tools they can use to manage their
children's video gaming and online experiences, and we have made that a
priority from the very start," said Robbie Bach, president of the
Entertainment & Devices Division at Microsoft.
Through this all-new educational partnership, millions of PTA members
nationwide will receive information on the fundamentals of the campaign,
which encourages a balanced approach to interactive media use and families
to come to an agreement on how their children spend their screen time.
"As times change and technology advances, the role of the parent stays
the same in raising a safe, healthy and successful child," said PTA
National CEO Warlene Gary. "PTA is proud to partner with Microsoft to
provide parents with more resources that keep them involved in their
children's lives. Using the PACT will help parents and children talk about
and agree on interactive media use."
The family PACT is a comprehensive, proactive approach to setting rules
on media use, and asks parents and children to agree on the level of
Parental involvement; the amount of Access children can have, including who
they are allowed to play and interact with online; the types of Content
children are allowed to play or watch; and the amount of Time children can
use media. The family PACT is available for immediate download at
http://www.xbox.com/isyourfamilyset.
Another all-new parental tool unveiled today is the Xbox 360 Family
Timer, an addition to the console's existing set of industry-leading
parental control features. Similar to its Windows Vista counterpart, the
new Xbox 360 Family Timer can restrict children's activity time and can be
set on a per-day or per-week basis. Helpful notifications will appear to
warn the gamer that the session is nearing the end, and the feature will
automatically turn off the console when the predetermined time limit has
been exceeded. The Family Timer feature will be available for download via
Xbox LIVE in early December.
Microsoft expects the news of the Family Timer to be received very
favorably by parents based on independent* research it unveiled today that
showed 62 percent of parents would welcome a tool to control the amount of
time children spend using the video game consoles in their homes.
Bach, along with PTA CEO Warlene Gary and Super Bowl champion and
"Dancing with the Stars" finalist Jerry Rice, talked to more than 400
students and parents gathered at Stuart-Hobson Middle School in Washington,
D.C., today, about the benefits of being a kid in the digital age and the
challenges parents may face in navigating this complex new world.
The independent research sponsored by Microsoft released today asked
parents a series of questions about their children's use of digital media
and represented feedback from 800 parents of children between the ages of 5
and 17 who have a video game console in their home. The research showed
that 45 percent of parents say that enforcing rules about their children's
media consumption creates tension at home. Nearly all families (99 percent)
have some rules, but less than half (47 percent) have comprehensive rules
concerning access, content and time. The research revealed that only 16
percent of families actually put media-use rules in writing, and 40 percent
of parents involve children in related discussions.
Rice spoke to the middle-school crowd about how important it is to have
balance to be successful. "I'm a Super Bowl champion and a 'Dancing with
the Stars' finalist, but my most important accomplishment in life is being
a father," Rice said. "I try to teach my kids that no matter what they do,
they have to find a balance between work and fun. That's why it's so
rewarding to join Microsoft and the PTA today to promote a healthy balance
for our kids in this exciting digital age."
Microsoft's Commitment to Families Is Ongoing
Xbox was the first video game and entertainment system with built-in
parental controls for both online and offline use. Known as Family
Settings, these controls allow parents and caregivers to set guidelines for
which games work for them, make informed choices about content, and decide
with whom their children can play online. Earlier this year, Windows Vista
launched with a similar set of parental controls that allows parents to
guide children's game playing, Web browsing and overall computer use. These
controls help parents determine which games their children can play, which
programs they can use, which Web sites they can visit -- and when.
"We've seen a tremendous response to the robust parental controls
offered on Xbox 360 and Windows Vista, and the Xbox 360 Family Timer will
continue to deliver on our promise to provide safer, balanced and fun
entertainment for everyone," Bach said. "Professionally, I am proud of my
division's work in this area, and personally, as a parent of three
school-aged children, I know how important it is to be engaged in an
ongoing dialogue with my family in order to uphold our household screen
time rules."
According to Bach, with more than 13 million Xbox 360 consoles sold,
the company's drive to empower parents is a core Microsoft responsibility.
Last fall, the company launched the "Safety is no game. Is your family
set?" national grassroots campaign (http://www.xbox.com/isyourfamilyset)
with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Best Buy Co. Inc. to educate parents
about the tools and resources available to help them manage their
children's interactive entertainment experiences on both Xbox 360 and
Windows Vista. Year two of the campaign will continue with the support of
these partners and others such as the PTA.
About PTA
PTA comprises more than 5.5 million parents and other concerned adults
devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of parent
involvement in schools. PTA flourishes in more than 25,000 school
communities nationwide by harnessing the energy and talents of millions of
volunteers to be: voices for all children; relevant resources for families
and communities; and champions for the education and well-being of every
child. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Membership in
PTA is open to anyone who is concerned about the education, health, and
welfare of children and youth. Visit http://www.PTA.org for more
information.
About Xbox 360
Xbox 360 is a superior video game and entertainment system delivering
the best games, unique entertainment features and a unified online gaming
network that revolve around gamers. Xbox 360 will have a portfolio of more
than 300 games and will be available in nearly 40 countries by the end of
2007. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/xbox360.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize
their full potential.
* In a national random digit dial telephone survey conducted by The
Glover Park Group for Microsoft from Oct. 22 to Nov. 4, 2007, The
Glover Park Group asked parents a series of questions related to their
children's use of media. The survey represents the views of 800 parents
of children 5 to 17 years of age. In addition, all households included
in the survey had a video game console. With a sample of this size, one
can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a sampling
error of +/- four percentage points of what they would be if the entire
population of these parents had been polled with complete accuracy.
SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
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