Stop the kids playing GTA and scoring with hookers
For a while now a growing concern among gamers and parents is the access that children have to unsuitably violent video games. Sure, a lack of knowledge or care on the part of the parents is somewhat to blame but kids are crafty little buggers and if their Dad plays Grand Theft Auto, there’s not a lot to stop a determined child having a go on a game that is essentially for 18s or over.
With the PS3 just around the corner (and hopefully patched so PS2 games work) we can see many PS2s making their way into the kids’ bedrooms as that coveted spot under the telly is taken over by the PS3. So other than popping in to check on them every five minutes, how do you stop your child from playing Murder Death Kill 7 that his mate brought over?
Well perhaps Blaze have the answer with the Xploder Parental GameLock. This is designed to give parents of children within certain age groups peace of mind when their children are playing their PS2 games unattended. The software has been designed in the UK in response to the growing number of reported cases of younger children getting access to adult themed games without their parent’s knowledge.
The way it works is very simple: On initial installation, the Parental GameLock software installs a program onto the users’ memory card. Each time the PlayStation 2 is turned on or reset, the console will access the software installed onto the memory card prior to loading a PlayStation 2 game. Depending on the parents initial configuration of the age group allowed, the Parental GameLock software will not allow games with an age rating higher than that specified to be played on the console.
Parental GameLock comes pre-installed with thousands of games, and the parent simply selects the age rating required to allow their children to play those games. Should any games the child owns not be listed, the parent simply loads the Parental GameLock software, inputs their unique password via the on-screen menu, enters the game name and “allows” the game to be played. The software on the memory card will then be updated and the child can then play the game whenever they wish without any further parental involvement or supervision. The memory card can still be used to save games as the child requires.
And before you go off thinking that the kid can just whip out the memory card and use another, GameLock comes with a physical lock that blocks Slot 2 and locks the memory card into slot one... and little Johnny ain’t getting that off without busting his memory card and possibly his PS2.
Expect tantrums and sulks to become a national problem when GameLock goes on sale in the UK very soon.
Check back soon for more from Blaze and CES 2007.
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