ESA: Next-Generation Game Consoles to Ship with Parental Controls

Washington, DC -- All three next-generation video game consoles -- the
Microsoft Xbox 360, the Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution -- will
feature parental controls, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) said.
Similar to the "V-Chip" that was federally mandated to ship with all new
televisions, the game consoles will let parents determine which games their kids
will be able to access, based on the game ratings defined by the Entertainment
Software Ratings Board (ESRB). Microsoft's Xbox already ships with the
controls, and Sony implemented them with the release of its PSP handheld
system. "With the average age of game players now 30, our industry naturally
creates content appropriate for a wide range of audiences," said Doug
Lowenstein, the president of the ESA. The Xbox 360 was released last week,
and the PlayStation 3 and Revolution are each due for release next spring.
http://www.theesa.com/archives/2005/11/all_new_video_g.php