As most of you know, twice a year (or so) Microsoft launches a big-ass update ensuring that its Xbox 360 userbase is keeping track with the times. Word on the Internet (Kotaku.com to be precise) is that Microsoft will be launching a Parental Timer, along with other stuff within the next update to hit the Xbox 360, sometime during Fall, this year...

...which is a good solution... no, actually, the perfect solution for parents with kids that spend time 24/7 in front of the TV set playing video games, skipping school and (God forbid!) piano classes, but a not so good solution for paranoid parents, or simply old fashioned parents that would rather have their kids reading 24/7 and watching nothing but educational programs on TV.

Of course, old fashioned parents' kids are less likely to own a 360 but hey, given that I myself had gaming systems and old fashioned parents at the same time when I grew up (I'm sure you saw that I was getting here), I can only imagine that there are more of us out there.

Just so everyone's on the same level, the update will basically allow one to set a password-protected timer, limiting the use of gameplay hours. What, you didn't think there would be a knob to turn, or anything like that, did you? Jeez...! Exactly how old fashioned are you?

But seriously now, a Parental Timer is the best thing for parents who can't keep an eye on their offspring all day long and that's the case of most parents. Any parent on the planet will tell you that the timer idea is great and will probably ask: "Why on Earth didn't they implement this on all consoles and even TVs, and from earlier times?"

Good luck answering that one Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo (and pretty much every company involved with computer entertainment) out there! Hey, I know. Why don't we see what a real parent has to say about this? Sure at least one of you reading this piece is a parent, so by all means, leave a few thoughts in the comments column below. It would make a world of difference.