Sony PS3 to Feature Parental Controls

Sony's PlayStation 3 will add parental controls to limit access to violent video games, according to statements made on Monday by the Entertainment Software Association.

The commitment by Sony means that all three next-generation consoles would offer some type of method to give parents greater control over what video games their children are playing. Sony had already offered some tools to limit access to movies viewed on the PlayStation 2, but the protections did not work on video games.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 has similar controls that will lock out games and movies with certain ratings. Furthermore, parents can restrict whom their children can interact with through the console's Xbox Live online service.

Nintendo has also announced it would employ a parental solution based on the ratings. "Even though many Nintendo games are rated E, E10+ or T, we believe this kind of feature should be included in the hardware. It's the right thing to do," Nintendo marketing vice president Reggie Fils-Aime said at the time.

The major game manufacturers have come under increasing criticism recently over their failures to protect children from violent material. This reached a crescendo earlier this year after a highly publicized modification in the PC version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas allowed the main character to engage in sexual acts.

The incident heightened awareness of the overall issue and spurred government investigations into lewd and violent content within video games.

However, attempts by states and municipalities to restrict the sale of these games to minors have been struck down successfully by the industry. Most have been overturned in court as violations of the industry's First Amendment rights.

"It is not up to any industry or the government to set standards for what kids can see or do; that is the role of parents," ESA president Douglas Lowenstein recently said.

Sony is the leader in video game sales, with over 102 million consoles sold. The company was not immediately available for comment on the issue.