Sony plans parental controls for PS3

If you're a parent concerned about the kind of material your children are exposed to, you should be resting a little easier today.

That's because, says All Headline News, Sony has decided to implement parental controls on its forthcoming next-generation video game console, the PlayStation 3.

That device is expected to hit North American shores (and stores) sometime in the fall of 2006. And it appears like it will have a toggle of some sort giving parents the ability to restrict the games their children play according to the Entertainment Software Association's rating system.

All Headline News writes that Microsoft has already implemented such a parental control system for the Xbox 360, which launched last week. The publication also said that the ESA has promised that Nintendo will similarly give parents control over content with its own next-generation console, the Revolution, which is expected next year.

All in all, this is good news for parents. Their only concern now should be how quickly the hacking community figures out ways to cut through the controls so that little Johnny can watch and play whatever he wants on his new machine.