Xbox 360 - That's it Kids. Gaming Time is Up!

Well no more rumors, no more predicting launch dates and features, the Xbox 360 Dashboard Update is here. Microsoft has even rolled out a report entirely dedicated to the Family Timer it includes, which they so proudly use to remind us that the Xbox console was the first video game and entertainment system that featured built-in parental controls for both online and offline use.

And why shouldn't they? It's true isn't it? Surely young PS3 owners stay up late to enjoy the quality of Blu-ray high-definition visuals, while Nintendo's Wii users learn professional killing methods playing Manhunt 2 using the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, so the Xbox 360 is the most logical choice for parents whose offspring "should know better than that," right?

Eh well, if you ask me it's all about how you raise the little vermins, but what do I know about that kind of thing? Anyway, according to this report, Microsoft has launched the Xbox 360 Family Timer worldwide, making it available for download via Xbox LIVE in 26 countries.

The electronics giant has actually conducted a survey, revealing that European parents embrace the idea of limiting gameplay hours for their kids, "with 75 percent of them welcoming built-in technology or software to monitor the time their children spend playing video games," as the report goes. Parents living in the States seemingly like the idea of managing their children's interactive entertainment use too, as 62 percent of them have said YES to the Parental Timer, in a similar survey.

"As a leader in interactive entertainment, it has been our priority to innovate and improve our Family Settings technology to help parents worldwide manage their children's video gaming and online experiences," said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft.

Just so everyone knows what this particular feature of the Xbox 360 Dashboard Update is all about, the Family Timer will enable parents to set the appropriate amount of entertainment time on the Xbox 360 console for their kids, on a daily or weekly basis. Notifications will pop up to warn kids that the session is coming to an end so they have sufficient time to save their game. Then the timer automatically turns off the console when the predetermined time limit has been exceeded.

They didn't have these timers when I was growing up, playing Tomb Raider on my PlayStation! Mom would just come and pull the power cord out of the socket if I hadn't washed the dishes. Save Game my shorts!

Here's where you can find the list of countries eligible for the respective service.