Nintendo execs must not have any kids.

Nathan BindingNathan Binding
2 min read

It's a common situation for many parents: your child is an enthusiastic gamer, and they can't get enough of the latest and greatest games on their Nintendo device. But when it comes to setting controls, Nintendo lags behind. Unlike Microsoft's Xbox Family Safety settings, where the day starts at 0 hours and 0 minutes, kids have a 15-minute window of time each day. This can lead to early morning wake-up calls for kids DESPERATE for that 15 minutes (YouTube Kids or Splatoon 3...).

The solution is simple: Nintendo needs to allow a setting of 0 hours 0 minutes for each day in their family controls area. This way, children can earn extra time through good behaviour, homework completion, or other agreed criteria, and parents can approve or deny their requests. This setup provides a balance of giving kids what they want while keeping them accountable and making sure they meet their responsibilities.

It's clear that the Nintendo executives are not taking into account the impact their (feature-less) time-limiting feature is having on families. They must not realise the importance of a balanced approach to gaming and the effect their current setup is having on children and parents alike. Allowing a zero-hour setting would be a straightforward yet effective solution and one that Nintendo should seriously consider if they want to maintain its reputation as a family-friendly brand.

Either they didn't test the family features with real families, or they ignored the research.

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Nathan Binding
Nathan Binding