Steam Getting Parental Controls via "Kid Mode"

[Cognimancer]

Steam Getting Parental Controls via "Kid Mode"

A technical slip-up may have revealed the next feature to come to Steam - a PIN-based parental control mode.

Gaming has always been a hobby for all ages, though obviously not every game is suitable for young'uns. Modern game consoles address this with optional parental controls, though the PC has always been more difficult to monitor. Valve may be taking the initiative on this front, if rumors of parental controls coming to Steam are true. A Steam user recently stumbled into something called "Kid Mode," possibly unveiling the next feature in development for the digital distribution client.

"My client has been putting me into 'Kid Mode,'", the confused user explains in a bug report. "I have not configured or set it up at all, and you can't turn it off without a PIN." It's hardly an official feature list, but it looks like the owner of the Steam account will be able to toggle "Kid Mode" to somehow restrict access to certain games. It's unknown how exactly it will work: it might block games above a certain ESRB rating, or the account own may have custom control over which games are allowed to be played in Kid Mode.

A Valve representative responded to the post, remarking that nobody should be able to access that functionality. When another user commented, "I never knew Steam had Parental Control," the Valve rep replied: "It's not supposed to yet."

Judging by the language used by Valve's techie, this is more than just a rumored development. Combined with the already-implemented Big Picture mode, Kid Mode would put Steam that much closer to rivaling consoles for control of the living room, with all the options we've come to expect in that gaming environment.

Source: Steam Community [http://steamcommunity.com/groups/SteamClientBeta/discussions/0/864976837774750483]

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[l3o2828]

So, instead of the gritty and dark grey layout it's going to be Pyro Vision at all times?
Please tell me it's that!

 

[OldNewNewOld]

I would like a "family mode" where I could play a game from my profile on my PC and my brother play another game from the same profile on his laptop. A game can only be played by one person at a time.

It makes no sense that we would need to buy the same game 2 times.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

"It's not supposed to yet."

Hahahaha

Anyways, while I'm not interested in the kids mode in itself, I hope it means Valve's going to implement more game-sharing features.

 

[Erttheking]

Well, this can't hurt. Maybe it's a preemptive measure measure just in case crazy anti-video game activists scream about how their kids spent hundreds of dollars on Steam.

 

[octafish]

Awesome. Lego Batman and Hotline Miami are both on my Living Room PC and I'd like to limit my 5 year old's access to the more "mature" games while Grandma and Grandpa are watching them. As it is they aren't allowed to play without an adult in the room, but anything that can streamline the process for my parents is good.

 

[Strazdas]

Well, steam is making a tool for parents to restrict their children it seems. Because blocking off information is always easier than teaching children to be responsible. Always blame everyone but the parent. always.

 

[Ken Sapp]

Well, steam is making a tool for parents to restrict their children it seems. Because blocking off information is always easier than teaching children to be responsible. Always blame everyone but the parent. always.

How is this putting the blame on everyone but parents? It is allowing parents to restrict the games their children have access to without having to hover over their children's shoulders at all times. Parents should talk to their children and teach them to be responsible, but creating tools to enforce the word of law helps to remove the temptation to bend the rules when the supervisory units aren't standing watch directly over the kids. Most children, even the most obedient, will try to bend the rules just to see what they can get away with especially when the popular thing is what is not allowed to them.

 

[Infernal Lawyer]

Well, steam is making a tool for parents to restrict their children it seems. Because blocking off information is always easier than teaching children to be responsible. Always blame everyone but the parent. always.

I'd rather Steam gave us a tool to stop our kids playing inappropriate games than that the government release some law or other restricting or punishing Steam users who are underage or let underage users play mature games. I get that you have a vendetta against the whole "it's everyone's fault/responsibility but the parents'" mentality, but I think you're taking it a bit far. If anything, such parental tools are putting the responsibility in the parent's hands.
I for one let my little brother use my account regularly, and I'd like the option of being able to leave him alone when he plays Portal, rather than keeping an eye on him in case he decides Dead Space sounds interesting.

OT: So they only just decided to implement this? Every other modern console and handheld on the market already has this. Come on Valve, little things like these keep us from being the true PC master race we're destined to be.

 

[Sofus]

Oh god... if this doesn't backfire then I will consider all of us lucky.

I actually expect that angry misguided facebook parents will start to take alot more notice to steam and demand that it be made a safe enviroment for everyone to use.

 

[Strazdas]

Well, steam is making a tool for parents to restrict their children it seems. Because blocking off information is always easier than teaching children to be responsible. Always blame everyone but the parent. always.

How is this putting the blame on everyone but parents? It is allowing parents to restrict the games their children have access to without having to hover over their children's shoulders at all times. Parents should talk to their children and teach them to be responsible, but creating tools to enforce the word of law helps to remove the temptation to bend the rules when the supervisory units aren't standing watch directly over the kids. Most children, even the most obedient, will try to bend the rules just to see what they can get away with especially when the popular thing is what is not allowed to them.

It is a system which in is essence is restricting children from unvanted content by locking them out, implying that lack of this system is the reason kids wanted to play these games. A good parent teaches and explains, not deny acess. IF you are a good parent your child will be able to determine whether he wants to play certain game or not, removing the need for age restriction to begin with.

I'd rather Steam gave us a tool to stop our kids playing inappropriate games than that the government release some law or other restricting or punishing Steam users who are underage or let underage users play mature games.

Id rather have parents doing, you know, actual parenting than creating more tools for parents to allow PC be the nanny and continue ignoring their children. Such laws already exist in many countries and are one of the most fucked up things in existence.

but I think you're taking it a bit far. If anything, such parental tools are putting the responsibility in the parent's hands.

how is a tool which is meant for restriction are going to teach children responsibility? all this does is allow parents to make PC do their parenting without needing to do actual parenting.

 

[Doom972]

Well, steam is making a tool for parents to restrict their children it seems. Because blocking off information is always easier than teaching children to be responsible. Always blame everyone but the parent. always.

How is this putting the blame on everyone but parents? It is allowing parents to restrict the games their children have access to without having to hover over their children's shoulders at all times. Parents should talk to their children and teach them to be responsible, but creating tools to enforce the word of law helps to remove the temptation to bend the rules when the supervisory units aren't standing watch directly over the kids. Most children, even the most obedient, will try to bend the rules just to see what they can get away with especially when the popular thing is what is not allowed to them.

It is a system which in is essence is restricting children from unvanted content by locking them out, implying that lack of this system is the reason kids wanted to play these games. A good parent teaches and explains, not deny acess. IF you are a good parent your child will be able to determine whether he wants to play certain game or not, removing the need for age restriction to begin with.

I'd rather Steam gave us a tool to stop our kids playing inappropriate games than that the government release some law or other restricting or punishing Steam users who are underage or let underage users play mature games.

Id rather have parents doing, you know, actual parenting than creating more tools for parents to allow PC be the nanny and continue ignoring their children. Such laws already exist in many countries and are one of the most fucked up things in existence.

but I think you're taking it a bit far. If anything, such parental tools are putting the responsibility in the parent's hands.

how is a tool which is meant for restriction are going to teach children responsibility? all this does is allow parents to make PC do their parenting without needing to do actual parenting.

I agree with you, but you have to admit that it's impossible to stop lazy parenting, so it's better that they have this tool rather than not. It's not like a PC gaming kid won't figure out how to bypass it anyway.

 

[Hagi]

Well, steam is making a tool for parents to restrict their children it seems. Because blocking off information is always easier than teaching children to be responsible. Always blame everyone but the parent. always.

How is this putting the blame on everyone but parents? It is allowing parents to restrict the games their children have access to without having to hover over their children's shoulders at all times. Parents should talk to their children and teach them to be responsible, but creating tools to enforce the word of law helps to remove the temptation to bend the rules when the supervisory units aren't standing watch directly over the kids. Most children, even the most obedient, will try to bend the rules just to see what they can get away with especially when the popular thing is what is not allowed to them.

It is a system which in is essence is restricting children from unvanted content by locking them out, implying that lack of this system is the reason kids wanted to play these games. A good parent teaches and explains, not deny acess. IF you are a good parent your child will be able to determine whether he wants to play certain game or not, removing the need for age restriction to begin with.

You seem to be working on the assumption that children are completely logical and rational beings that never do stupid things against their better knowledge...

That doesn't even go for adults. I'm sorry, but explaining to a child he needs to go to bed at 9pm to get enough rest for school without actually sending him up to bed isn't going to end well in most cases. There's a decent chance he'll take your explanation for truth and plan to go to bed on time, although that's certainly no guarantee. But he'll just watch one more TV-show before doing so. And then just a single one more after that. And well, since it's already past time, it wouldn't hurt much to watch a single one more after that right? And hey, at this point you won't get enough sleep anyway so might as well watch that other cool show coming up.

A child's brain is still very much in development and lacks cognition regarding long-term consequences. You can't expect them to behave exactly as an adult, that's what makes them children. You can't teach and explain everything right away, there's a development children need to go through. Some things come much later in that track and until that time you deny them access to it.

 

[iniudan]

So, instead of the gritty and dark grey layout it's going to be Pyro Vision at all times?
Please tell me it's that!

It's parental control, but having a pyro vision colored layout would be nice (btw big picture is more blue/gray). I guess it is in preparation of steambox, has currently steam condition require to be 13+ for an account, if I am not mistaken.

 

[Strazdas]

I agree with you, but you have to admit that it's impossible to stop lazy parenting, so it's better that they have this tool rather than not. It's not like a PC gaming kid won't figure out how to bypass it anyway.

Yes, defeating lazy parenting is impossible in current conditions. However i would not like to encourage lazy parenting by giving them the tool where many parents could abuse it to extreme situations.

You seem to be working on the assumption that children are completely logical and rational beings that never do stupid things against their better knowledge...

That doesn't even go for adults. I'm sorry, but explaining to a child he needs to go to bed at 9pm to get enough rest for school without actually sending him up to bed isn't going to end well in most cases. There's a decent chance he'll take your explanation for truth and plan to go to bed on time, although that's certainly no guarantee. But he'll just watch one more TV-show before doing so. And then just a single one more after that. And well, since it's already past time, it wouldn't hurt much to watch a single one more after that right? And hey, at this point you won't get enough sleep anyway so might as well watch that other cool show coming up.

A child's brain is still very much in development and lacks cognition regarding long-term consequences. You can't expect them to behave exactly as an adult, that's what makes them children. You can't teach and explain everything right away, there's a development children need to go through. Some things come much later in that track and until that time you deny them access to it.

Children, like all humans, are logical. Their logic is different basedo n thier perspective however. Rationality is something that is parents responsibility to teach, it does not magically apear on thier own. you did touch the elephant in the room. they do things because of their lack of knowledge. and this is poor excuse to treat them as lesser beings. instead we should try to increase such knowledge. giving a parent a tool that can just make a roadblock to certain games is not giving any such knowledge.
If your explanation ends with "you need enough rest" of course it wont end well. though lets not pretend thats an example of good parenting.
A child's brain is still developing, however at the age when we let childrens use PCs and they know how to go around playing steam games, a child is old enough to understand long-term consequences. problem is - most parents never tell him that. in fact, most parents dont even know. there are still many parents including mine that throw phrases like "rotting in front of PC" because they consider it some evil deed.
Of course you cant explain everything right away. thats why you have, you know, 18 years to teach him. however most parents just imagine that they should "let the child grow up" without actually teaching him anything.
When you deny acess you have to explain it in such a way that the child would understand, and not just say "this is bad" because thats never going to teach him anything.

Capcha: win hands down.
first it calls me idiot, now it tells me im winning.

 

[Lieju]

IF you are a good parent your child will be able to determine whether he wants to play certain game or not, removing the need for age restriction to begin with.

Tell me, how many children do you have? And if you have children, do you also work? Because no matter how good a parent you are, it's not reasonable to assume you're constantly watching over your kid's shoulder. And considering how important computers are for schoolwork and such these days just not letting a kid to use a computer at all or under supervision has its problems.

It's not even a matter of letting a kid choose if they want to play a game, it's making sure they don't stumble upon something they weren't ready for.

This is the complete opposite of absolving parents of responsibility, it's giving them more tools to let their kids play games responsibly.

I agree with you, but you have to admit that it's impossible to stop lazy parenting, so it's better that they have this tool rather than not. It's not like a PC gaming kid won't figure out how to bypass it anyway.

Yes, defeating lazy parenting is impossible in current conditions. However i would not like to encourage lazy parenting by giving them the tool where many parents could abuse it to extreme situations.

Parents already could just take away the computer from the kid and not let them play any games. Or not let them have Steam.

 

[rofltehcat]

Features like these are great. However, many parents either don't care or are too technology-illiterate to activate something like this. But at least some may find good use for this.
I once configured parental controls in Windows Vista and it was pretty horrible, would let some stuff through that clearly needed filtering, blocked legitimate content and constantly asked for the password even for operations that didn't need checking. And I'm normally pretty good with setting up and configuring...

I also wonder which rating system it will rely on. For example, the German USK rating and the US-ratings can be pretty different with violence and nudity/sexuality often being rated very differently.
So how is it applied? Do the parents decide which system to use? Or is it based on which Steam servers you are connected to? In that case it could be circumvented by choosing a server in other countries.

 

[mateushac]

I think this might be a very useful tool for households in which parents can't be at home much. I just wish they let parents choose, one by one, the games their children are allowed to play.
Sometimes it's fine to let your kids play something above their age rating for a change.

 

[Strazdas]

IF you are a good parent your child will be able to determine whether he wants to play certain game or not, removing the need for age restriction to begin with.

Tell me, how many children do you have? And if you have children, do you also work? Because no matter how good a parent you are, it's not reasonable to assume you're constantly watching over your kid's shoulder. And considering how important computers are for schoolwork and such these days just not letting a kid to use a computer at all or under supervision has its problems.

It's not even a matter of letting a kid choose if they want to play a game, it's making sure they don't stumble upon something they weren't ready for.

This is the complete opposite of absolving parents of responsibility, it's giving them more tools to let their kids play games responsibly.

I agree with you, but you have to admit that it's impossible to stop lazy parenting, so it's better that they have this tool rather than not. It's not like a PC gaming kid won't figure out how to bypass it anyway.

Yes, defeating lazy parenting is impossible in current conditions. However i would not like to encourage lazy parenting by giving them the tool where many parents could abuse it to extreme situations.

Parents already could just take away the computer from the kid and not let them play any games. Or not let them have Steam.

Its not reasonable to assume you constantly need to watch over your kids shoulder. And i never said i wouldnt let a kid use computer, now did i? Or are you going on assumptions again?
Werent ready for? you mean you failed to prepare them for?

Yes, parents can already do that and it only serves to illustrate the point of how silly it is to begin with.

 

[The Hungry Samurai]

So does this mean we'll also be getting allowed to have multiple profiles on a single steam account? I really would like to have my son stop earning my achievements.