The introduction of age classification for games, under systems such as Pegi, provided a welcome guide for many parents concerned about the type of games their children were playing. 

The Xbox 360 gives parents control to enforce those guidelines, should they wish.  The console can be set up so games of a certain rating are barred.  The system also allows parents to make decisions on a case-by-case basis.

The recent development of online gaming has added a new dimension to the entertainment offered to gamers, but also new considerations for safe and appropriate use. 

Xbox Live, the online service available on the Xbox, is one of its major selling points.  The Xbox 360 allows parents to make specific choices about the level of access allowed to their child.  For example, communication possibilities can be limited to an approved "friends list", or online profiles can be restricted.  The controls cover a child's personal acocunt rather than the console itself, and so apply even away from home.

Microsoft developed these family settings to be compliant with the US Children's Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).  The Xbox 360 has proved a big seller in the US with 400,000 machines already sold.  Now released in Europe, a reported 75,000 consoles were sold in its first weekend of release in the UK alone.  However, it remains to be seen how many parents will take up the family setting controls available to them.