Microsoft Launches Xbox ‘Safety for Children’ Campaign
‘With success comes responsibility’
Parents are becoming increasingly worried about their children playing unsuitable videogames. We know this to be a fact, not only because of the annoying preponderance of scaremongering stories in the tabloid press, but also because many of SPOnG’s staff, friends, family and colleagues have children of their own who play games.
So it’s good to see Microsoft taking the initiative in the US this week, by launching a campaign to educate parents about how they can make gaming safer for their children.
Any as anybody who has a ten to fifteen year old son or nephew who plays games will tell you, they want to play games which they really should not be allowed to.
SPOnG remembers pondering this very issue one Christmas holiday a few years ago, as our ten-year old nephew was explaining to us in frightening detail how awesome it was that he’d just murdered a prostitute in Grand Theft Auto. Then nicked a car and ran over her too.
When we explained to a horrified brother-in-law that the game carried an 18-rating and thus wasn’t really suitable for anybody under that age he was rightly appalled. Not at the game’s designers, you understand, but at his own lack of knowledge about controlling his children’s access to suitable games (the nephew had borrowed the game from an older friend).
We all can probably recount similar stories and it is this type of ignorance amongst parents, guardians and educationalists which inevitably leads to those fearful, scaremongering pieces in The Daily Mail and its ilk. This is why responsible adult gamers and the games industry needs to constantly promote safe gaming for children.
Microsoft’s 20-day bus tour kicks off in the US today, with the 360-equipped buses bearing the clear strapline, "Safety is no game. Is your family set?"
Parents will be helped to understand the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) ratings and provided with clear information on how to use Xbox 360’s integrated safety settings, which prevent children accessing unsuitable age restricted content.
Robbie Bach, president of the entertainment and devices division at Microsoft, is spearheading the campaign, noting that, "with success comes responsibility.”
Back continued, “we are unwavering in our commitment to address the genuine concerns of families on how to keep interactive entertainment safe and fun for our children."
The cynics in the SPOnG office have noted that this is clearly an exercise in Microsoft gaining the PR moral high ground over its competitors, which can’t be denied.
But if it convinces other publishers and hardware manufacturers to stop and think about what they might do to help promote sensible, responsible gaming in the home, then it also should be applauded.
The bus tour kicks off today in New York City at the Digital Life conference, and continues from there.
First Four Bus Tour Dates:
Hartford, Conn. - Oct. 24
Boston, MA - Oct. 26
Atlanta - November 2
Miami - November 8
The remaining cities on the tour (dates tbc) are:
Las Vegas, NV
Los Angeles, CA
Phoenix, AZ
Austin, TX
Washington, DC
Philadelphia, PA
Indianapolis, IN
Chicago, IL
Minneapolis, MN
Denver, CO
Salt Lake City, UT
San Francisco/Bay Area, CA
Seattle, WA
So it’s good to see Microsoft taking the initiative in the US this week, by launching a campaign to educate parents about how they can make gaming safer for their children.
Any as anybody who has a ten to fifteen year old son or nephew who plays games will tell you, they want to play games which they really should not be allowed to.
SPOnG remembers pondering this very issue one Christmas holiday a few years ago, as our ten-year old nephew was explaining to us in frightening detail how awesome it was that he’d just murdered a prostitute in Grand Theft Auto. Then nicked a car and ran over her too.
When we explained to a horrified brother-in-law that the game carried an 18-rating and thus wasn’t really suitable for anybody under that age he was rightly appalled. Not at the game’s designers, you understand, but at his own lack of knowledge about controlling his children’s access to suitable games (the nephew had borrowed the game from an older friend).
We all can probably recount similar stories and it is this type of ignorance amongst parents, guardians and educationalists which inevitably leads to those fearful, scaremongering pieces in The Daily Mail and its ilk. This is why responsible adult gamers and the games industry needs to constantly promote safe gaming for children.
Microsoft’s 20-day bus tour kicks off in the US today, with the 360-equipped buses bearing the clear strapline, "Safety is no game. Is your family set?"
Parents will be helped to understand the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) ratings and provided with clear information on how to use Xbox 360’s integrated safety settings, which prevent children accessing unsuitable age restricted content.
Robbie Bach, president of the entertainment and devices division at Microsoft, is spearheading the campaign, noting that, "with success comes responsibility.”
Back continued, “we are unwavering in our commitment to address the genuine concerns of families on how to keep interactive entertainment safe and fun for our children."
The cynics in the SPOnG office have noted that this is clearly an exercise in Microsoft gaining the PR moral high ground over its competitors, which can’t be denied.
But if it convinces other publishers and hardware manufacturers to stop and think about what they might do to help promote sensible, responsible gaming in the home, then it also should be applauded.
The bus tour kicks off today in New York City at the Digital Life conference, and continues from there.
First Four Bus Tour Dates:
Hartford, Conn. - Oct. 24
Boston, MA - Oct. 26
Atlanta - November 2
Miami - November 8
The remaining cities on the tour (dates tbc) are:
Las Vegas, NV
Los Angeles, CA
Phoenix, AZ
Austin, TX
Washington, DC
Philadelphia, PA
Indianapolis, IN
Chicago, IL
Minneapolis, MN
Denver, CO
Salt Lake City, UT
San Francisco/Bay Area, CA
Seattle, WA
Companies:
Microsoft
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Comments
realvictory 12 Oct 2006 16:19
1/3
It's good that it's happening, except I didn't think XBox had a lot to do with children that age.
Also, is it really necessary? What parents need to know is, "look at the age rating on games, and don't buy a game where the age rating is higher than your child's age," which they should already know about from other media. What shops need to know is, don't sell underage people adult games.
Although, ideally, what would happen is that - like in the good old days - children's games were actually better and more respected than adult games.
Also, I think some developers/publishers are in the wrong by focusing more on the images in the game (graphics) than actual gameplay.
Also, is it really necessary? What parents need to know is, "look at the age rating on games, and don't buy a game where the age rating is higher than your child's age," which they should already know about from other media. What shops need to know is, don't sell underage people adult games.
Although, ideally, what would happen is that - like in the good old days - children's games were actually better and more respected than adult games.
Also, I think some developers/publishers are in the wrong by focusing more on the images in the game (graphics) than actual gameplay.
dr_faulk 12 Oct 2006 16:51
2/3
My two little brothers played GTA San Andreas. They got bored of it relatively quickly, despite having a couple of weeks great laugh out of it. They were amzed at how large the world was and how you could do anything in it. They were probably 13 and 14 at the time.
But they're just normal kids, who've seen enough 18 year old movies and games, and they're no psychos. In my opinion, violent videogames are catalysts for destruction in children who are otherwise neglected, emotionally and psychologically by parents, family, and a weak schooling system.
I saw Aliens when I was 6 years old. I remember crying my eyes out, and my Mam said at the end, "But it's all just men in masks having a laugh." She was right. I think of all the violent movies I've seen throughout my youth, but my parents were always there to remind me of what good sense is.
Sorry if I'm simplifying the situation too much, but I think Jack Thompson should be spending more time hunting down abusive and unfit parents.
But they're just normal kids, who've seen enough 18 year old movies and games, and they're no psychos. In my opinion, violent videogames are catalysts for destruction in children who are otherwise neglected, emotionally and psychologically by parents, family, and a weak schooling system.
I saw Aliens when I was 6 years old. I remember crying my eyes out, and my Mam said at the end, "But it's all just men in masks having a laugh." She was right. I think of all the violent movies I've seen throughout my youth, but my parents were always there to remind me of what good sense is.
Sorry if I'm simplifying the situation too much, but I think Jack Thompson should be spending more time hunting down abusive and unfit parents.
dr_faulk 12 Oct 2006 16:52
3/3
I see what you did there, Spong. Very clever. =)