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Microsoft announces Xbox 360 "Parental Timer"

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On November 7, 2007, 4:14 PM

Microsoft today officially announced the long-rumored parental timer for the Xbox 360, which will let parents restrict their children’s time playing games or watching movies on the console on a per-day or per-week basis. When a child nears the maximum playtime, a notice will appear to warn the player to save the game and once the clock hits zero, the console will turn off automatically.

The feature is part of a joint effort between Microsoft and the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) to encourage a healthy balance between work and fun, as Microsoft attempts to portray the Xbox 360 as a family friendly console. The Family Timer feature will be available for download via Xbox LIVE in early December. More details on xbox.com.

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  1. November 7, 2007 4:16 PM
    bushwhacker said:
    It should auto-save the game before shutting it down, regardless the children's decision.
    Reply
  2. November 8, 2007 4:06 AM
    Mictlantecuhtli said:
    My 360's clock reverts to 2005 if I unplug it from mains for a while. I wonder how this will affect such timers?
    Reply
  3. November 9, 2007 4:16 PM
    skip9494 said:
    I agree with bushwhacker. What if they accidentally chose Do Not Save or whatever it says. I wonder how'd they save in an online game?They say you can download it via Xbox LIVE, which means its probably going to cost money, and if it does then I doubt parents will get it. Then again, it's not a HUGE feature, so we'll just have to see.
    Reply

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