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Microsoft is redoubling its efforts to attract families and encourages parents to not only buy an Xbox One for their children at Christmas, but also to prepare it for them before the big day.
The marketing campaign revolves around the Xbox Family Guide, a pocket-size flyer that covers everything from online console features to a brief explanation of the Xbox Game Pbad.
But, more importantly, the guide includes sections explaining why it is important for parents to set up their offspring with a child's account (and how family settings allow parents to control what they can access), how it works virtual currency and online spending, and the importance of paying attention to the PEGI age groups.
"We hope to give parents peace of mind knowing that their kids are enjoying positive and fun Xbox game experiences"
The guide has been printed with more than 100,000 copies and will be distributed throughout the month of December by leading British and Irish retailers such as GAME, Smyths, Gamestop, WH Smith and John Lewis. Microsoft is working with the retail business to ensure that they are available to customers who purchase Xbox consoles – or even consider it – so that they are aware of available parental controls, content restrictions, and purchase controls. .
Parents will also be informed that it may be advantageous to install the Xbox One before Christmas Day, to install or download the purchased games and to set the family and internet settings, in order to guarantee to children the risk of echoing those of Microsoft. marketing slogan – "jump in" immediately.
The Xbox Family Guide will also be available for download from family section of the website of the platform holder, where more details and videos "How to" will also be offered.
Harvey Eagle, Xbox
Harvey Eagle, director of Xbox for the UK and Ireland, tells GamesIndustry.biz that this family message will be one of the pillars of Microsoft's marketing efforts at Christmas.
"We know it's important to talk to families at this time of year so they have the right information to buy a console," he says. "In conjunction with our online and retail business, our new campaign includes a number of family-friendly titles, as well as outdoor ads, digital and on-demand videos, and more." strong impact, and this, throughout December. "
We attended a demonstration of the family settings of the Xbox One, which Microsoft communicates around four main pillars: screen time management, content filters, privacy controls and purchase limits. .
For the first, parents can set screen limits and schedules via a Microsoft website to control how much time their kids spend playing on the Xbox. This can be done for different child accounts, and the child can even ask the parent for more time on the screen if it runs out – by sending a quick email to which parents can respond. , thus leaving more time at a distance (if they wish).
One would think that a platform holder would like new customers to be involved as much as possible, but Microsoft is very much aware of the need for technology balance in children's lives.
"We view technology as an advantage for families today," Eagle said. "Used wisely, it is a positive force in the clbadroom, in personal growth and in adding quality time.
"However, it is important that children learn to lead a healthy digital life." Microsoft is committed to enabling everyone to turn screen time into quality time by offering choice and control. parents to continuously engage with their children on healthy habits in technology and We are committed to making play a form of positive and inclusive entertainment and, through the use of our home environment, the game can be a rewarding experience for all members of the family. "
100,000 of these guides have been printed and will be distributed to new Xbox customers in December
Content restrictions allow parents (you guessed it) to restrict the content their child sees, depending on their age, which does not just apply to games they can access, but also to the titles advertised in the menu and the store section of the console. In fact, if no one is connected to the Xbox One, the menus and the store pages display only the default family-friendly content. At the same time, the guide also informs parents about online privacy and security settings, which limit which contacts children can interact with (for example, voice chat for friends, but messages only for others).
"We see technology as a benefit for families today … However, it is important for children to learn how to live a healthy digital life"
Finally, the platform owner details their purchase orders, which help parents set up a six-digit authentication key that they must enter before children can buy anything with their Xbox One.
"By illustrating how these settings can be customized to meet the needs of each family, we hope to give parents peace of mind knowing that their kids are enjoying positive and fun Xbox gaming experiences," he said. said Eagle. "For many, the most important step is to make sure that children use child accounts over which parents have control. Advice is available on how to do it on our support site.
"We also encourage parents to take an active role in their children's online activities by doing three important things: using advanced parental control settings, talking to kids about their online activities, and setting clear rules for their family in their lives. We have recently updated Xbox.com to offer more information on family settings on Xbox and we have also updated the Xbox Assist console application to better guide homeowners. Xbox through the various settings of the family when configuring the console. "
The demonstration we saw is complete and involves many dives in the application settings of the Xbox One – and even a visit to the Microsoft website to change these screen calendars. While the menus were self-explanatory and accessible for those who are used to using game consoles, is Eagle not afraid that the amount of setup required can be a deterrent to parents?
"We tried to simplify as much as possible the process of setting up a child account and choosing the appropriate family settings on Xbox," he said. "The family settings on Xbox are meant to give parents confidence and give them peace of mind, but it's important that parents play an active role in managing their kids' access to online content and games. "
He concludes: "Unlike other gaming platforms, the Xbox family settings include tools for child accounts that limit sharing and viewing profiles, limit interactions to friends and family members, and provide Console and PC cross platform solutions – have a voice in the process with our Ask a Parent feature, which requires parental permission before kids can buy content on Microsoft and Xbox stores. "
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