William Leggett

I guess that many parents that leave their kids to play endless hours of computer games and are probably slightly worried at the amount of time and/or the content that their little ones many be seeing. Well, you can set parental controls to put limits on the time allowed to play and also the type of content that the child can be exposed to. Either in game or from downloadable content.

Family Settings are customisable tools that help you create a family-friendly gaming and entertainment experience.

Family Settings let you:

• Decide what your kids can play, both online and off.
• Set levels of protection for games, videos, and Xbox LIVE.
• Use a pass code to protect your own Family Settings.
• Set limits on console play time using the Family Timer.

Managing the Console
Once you determine Family Settings for your console, these settings come into play whenever the console is turned on. Console Controls help parents keep an eye on not only games but also movies and online access.

To see these settings, go to My Xbox, open System Settings, and select Family Settings, Console Controls.

Console Controls settings include:

• Game Ratings: Select the games you want your child to play, from EC (Early Childhood) to M (Mature).
• Video Ratings: Xbox 360 recognizes ratings encoded into movies, TV shows, and other videos.
• Access to Xbox LIVE: Allow or prevent the console from connecting to Xbox LIVE.
• Xbox LIVE Membership Creation: Decide whether to allow or prevent the ability to create new Xbox LIVE memberships from the console.
• Xbox LIVE Marketplace Content: Decide whether you want to be able to see restricted content while browsing Xbox LIVE Marketplace. This setting also affects access to the Inside Xbox news feed from the Xbox Dashboard.
• Family Timer: Set the amount of time that the console can be used on a daily or weekly basis.
• Set Pass Code: Limit who can access or change the Family Settings on your console.
• Turn off Family Settings: No kids? No problem! Shut down Family Settings!



I have recently been addicted to a game i purchased for my XBOX 360 called "Battlefield Bad Company 2" hence the title to this blog.

For those who prefer their multiplayer experiences to be full of camaraderie rather than competition, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 delivers a bonding experience like few other games can. By pushing the idea of teamwork upon players, Bad Company 2 is a game that discourages the "lone wolf" mentality found in many, if not most, online first-person shooters.

If your like me you were probably playing Call of Duty when the original Bad Company was released so if your asking  "I barely played and/or didn't really enjoy the first Battlefield: Bad Company's multiplayer. How does this stack up?" The sequel is more Battlefield 1943 than Bad Company. It's a more balanced experience like developer DICE's summer hit, but with a modern setting and delivering the scope one would expect from a full-priced retail experience.

Currently, the two main game modes are Rush and Conquest. Conquest begins with each team having a set amount of "lives" for the round. Each team then scrambles to hold objectives (like in BF:1943) and whichever team has a majority of the nodes begins to automatically chip away at the other team's supply of lives -- naturally, each kill will also tick off another point. It's a mad scramble and requires coordination, which may be frustrating if your squad is doing its job while everyone else can't decide which objective to take.

Rush, on the other hand, is where the game really shines. The map is divided into several sections, with the attacking team having to set a charge at two crates before being able to move on to the next section; meanwhile the defenders use everything at their disposal to stop them. The attackers have a limited amount of lives to complete the objective, while the defenders have unlimited respawn. If the attackers destroy the crates by setting the charges (or in some cases bringing down the building the crates are in), they get to progress to the next section. Though each section of the map gets progressively more difficult for the attackers to complete their objective, players will likely appreciate the change of scenery and variation in tactics each new section requires.

The game also features sguad deathmatch where four squads fight to fifty kills and will eventually include Squad Rush (once the GameStop pre-order exclusive time is over), where two squads kill each other in the pursuit of then blowing up two crates. DICE already has a section on the in-game menu of planned updates, so it appears the developer and EA will continue to support the game and expand upon it ... unlike Battlefield 1943. Yes, we're still upset about that. More maps and character variation are on the docket in the coming months.

As one might expect, the game is full of unscripted "Battlefield moments" that produce the same type of storytelling you find when relaying a game of Left 4 Dead after the fact. You'll just barely escape a building as it comes crashing down and scream half-laughing as you jump out of a tank right before it blows up. You'll find yourself holding an objective against horrible odds, then die, but then find yourself revived by a medic, just in time to hold back what is almost certain defeat.

The multiplayer keeps you hooked with definitive character progression and weapon unlocks. Watching the experience bar for different classes tick up at the end of a level becomes a fix you just keep fiending for. You'll find yourself switching classes and learning how to play them properly to unlock more items and specializations (perks). There are also the constant pop-ups of points and medals in battle, serving as positive reinforcement that you're doing well -- even if you have a 3:17 kill ratio. This game knows how to keep you hooked on that narcotic drip of multiplayer level progression.

Finding fault in Battlefield: Bad Company 2's multiplayer is really difficult. It's an excellent progression for the series, adding new elements but also fixing existing features (like the controls and playing with friends). It's possible to enjoy the multiplayer solo, but there's an indescribable element of going through the experience with someone -- without that, it's hard to shake the feeling that something's missing. But If you surround yourself with a good crew, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 brings a balanced multiplayer experience that easily fits in the rotation of any FPS junkie and even makes those with moderate skill feel like a battlefield hero.

Ive know unlocked all the gadgets and weapons and am eagerly awaiting some more DLC, I haven't downloaded the new skins for your character. The skins change your look in the game but don't i feel add anything to the game itself.

I have an Xbox 360 and have had it for a couple of years and never have had a problem at all. I was slightly worried I might have an early Xbox and suffer from the red ring of death but as it turns out I have the Jasper model and as such am free of the worry.

I recently purchased an Onkyo TX SR507 AV set with all the surround sound speakers. I was pretty stoked and couldn’t wait to get this all setup and running, also I wanted to see how my Xbox would sound with all my new gadge. So I connected the Xbox to the Onkyo using the HDMI cable I got with it. I then connected the Onkyo to the TV via the TV out port using a 3m HDMI cable. My TV is up on the wall and all my gadgets and consoles are on a unit next to the TV.

Well when I powered on the gear I got no display or sound whatsoever on the TV, just a message saying “no signal” this caused me some concern. So I tried different cables from the Xbox to AV set. No difference, I was beginning to get a little frustrated so I thought “ I know, maybe I screwed up a setting on my AV when I’ve been setting it up” so I did a system reset and set it up all up from scratch again……

This also did not solve my problem. So this time I plugged the Xbox directly into the TV using the long lead that was in the TV out on the AV set. Well, what happened was that I was presented with a flickering display, red dots and red lines all over the screen. At first I thought I may have the start of the E75 error and believed my Xbox to be on its way out. But then I thought, maybe it’s the HDMI cable, maybe it’s not what I thought I had bought and that it isn’t 1080P compatible. So I navigated my way to the system settings and then display settings and changed to 1080i. Well what do you know, it cleared it up a treat. Crystal clear display. So after all that faffing it was the lead to the TV. At least that’s not as expensive to replace if I want to get 1080P back in play.

I hope this helps anyone else that has a similar issue to me.