Xbox 360 Console Family Settings

On Xbox®, they were called "Parental Controls;" on Xbox 360™, this concept has expanded into the new Family Settings feature. Family Settings perform two functions on the Xbox 360 console. When playing offline, Family Settings can be set to grant or restrict access to games based on the OFLC rating. When playing online, Family Settings can be used to restrict access to content and contact based on the parent's choice.

Family Settings are customizable tools that give you the power to create a family friendly gaming and entertainment experience, on and offline, on Xbox 360.

Controlling the Console
Console Controls come into play whenever Xbox 360 is turned on, and help parents keep an eye not just on games, but movies and online access as well.

Access Family Settings from the System blade.

Get to Family Settings from the System blade, and from the next menu select Console Controls. Console Controls include:

The Console Controls menu.

• Game ratings: Xbox 360 reads from the disc what OFLC (Office of Film and Literature Classification) rating a given game has received. Select the games you want your child to play based on the rating.
• DVD movie ratings: Xbox 360 also recognizes ratings encoded into many DVD movies (not all DVD movies encode their rating, however, so in those cases the DVD will play by default). You can set Xbox 360 to play G, PG, M, or MA15+ rated movies.
• Access to Xbox Live: Go online and check out the Xbox Live Family Settings. In addition to what games can be played based on rating, you can restrict access to your child's friends list or gamer profile. On the other hand if you want to restrict access completely, you can do that just as easily.
• Original Xbox games: Original Xbox games do not include the same kind of encoded data as Xbox 360 games, meaning Xbox 360 doesn't know the OFLC ratings of original Xbox games. Therefore, you can either disallow all original Xbox games, or allow all of them. Your call.
• Set pass code: Log in with your Passport Network account to set a separate pass code that will keep your Family Settings protected and ensure that you are the only one that can access or change them.
• Turn off Family Settings: No kids? No problem! Shut down Family Settings here.

Xbox Live Controls
The other half of Family Settings can be found under Xbox Live Controls, and it governs the interaction with other users and access to the features of Xbox Live. Check out our accompanying article to learn more!

Article by Danny Chihdo