Make gaming safe for children

All restrictions are global ­ they apply to everyone. If players try to do something that’s not allowed, such as starting a game with a rating higher than the maximum you’ve set, for example ­ they’ll be asked for the Pin. This allows you to enter the Pin and play any game you want, while kids will be locked out.

Microsoft Xbox 360
The Xbox 360, like the PC, can play many games that are designed for an adult audience. A large proportion of its titles carry BBFC age ratings of 15 or 18, with no shortage of violence. Thankfully, it also includes an excellent set of parental controls.

At the Dashboard use the controller’s left joystick to navigate to My Xbox. Move to System Settings, scroll to Family Settings, then press A. This assumes you’re using the new-style Dashboard, introduced in November 2008. If you’re using the older silver-coloured interface, Family Settings is found on the System panel.

The controls are spread across two groups. Under the first ­ Console Controls ­ you can set the maximum allowed age ratings: one for games and one for DVDs and items downloaded from the Xbox Marketplace. You can also limit when the console can be used, with options very similar to those in Windows Vista. Access to the Xbox Live online gaming service can be blocked, and you can prevent children from creating new Xbox Live accounts. There’s no way to restrict web access, as the Xbox 360 doesn’t have a web browser.

To protect the settings, you need to set a passcode. This is a sequence of button presses. Optionally, you can also set a secret question and answer. As with the Wii’s settings, the console controls are global ­ they apply to everyone. To override them or change them, the passcode must be entered.

The second group of options, Xbox Live Controls, only becomes available if your console has an Xbox Live account set up for a child. This kind of child account has to be linked to an adult’s account and is then configured by entering the adult’s email address and password. Several child accounts can be created, each with its own different restrictions.

The options are many and varied. For example, you can prevent a child from adding new online friends, or specify that an adult must approve all new friend requests. You can also limit who can view the child’s online profile, and which profiles the child can view, and restrict downloads from the Marketplace.

Sony Playstation 3
The Playstation 3 has more in common with the Xbox 360 than the Wii, with many adult games. At the home menu use the left joystick to navigate to the Settings icon, then press the X button. Next, select Security Settings. These settings apply to everyone and making any adjustment to them requires a password.

The chief setting is Parental Control, which allows you to specify the highest allowed game rating, but this isn’t done by selecting a PEGI or BBFC classification. Instead, you need to choose a level from 1 to 11 ­ the lower the number, the tighter the restriction. There’s no indication which levels correspond to which age groups, which is incredibly annoying, but you can find a comparison online at the PS3 Parents website.

Among the other settings, you can control access to the internet. As with the Wii, there’s no way to filter out specific websites: the browser can simply be turned on or off. The Playstation 3 is also a Blu-ray disc player, so you can control which films can be viewed. To get started, select ‘BD/DVD Parental Control Region’, then change United States (the default) to United Kingdom.

The Playstation 3 also provides a system for online gaming. To access this and to sign up, select the Playstation Network icon from the console’s home menu. There are two types of account: master accounts for adults; and sub-ac counts for children. A sub-account has to be linked to a master account, and the owner of the master account can set up parental controls.

With these controls you can block in-game text, voice or video chat. You can also tell the console to allow only games suitable for the child’s age ­ as the child grows older, these restrictions will be relaxed accordingly. It’s also possible to control access to the associated master account’s ‘wallet’, used to buy content from the Playstation Store, either by blocking the child from spending or by setting up a monthly allowance.

Filter tips
If you have a Windows XP computer or want further protection there are extra services available. If your PC is running Windows XP and you’re missing out on the parental controls provided by Vista, investigate Blue Coat K9 Web Protection, which is free. For a greater array of features, try Net Nanny. Also, if you’re using a paid-for security suite it may have a parental controls module built in.