Xbox 360

Microsoft is teaming up with members of Congress to have a gaming night on Capitol Hill. Members of the congressional staff and their families will be rocking out to Rock Band. They’ll also be learning about other family friendly games on the Xbox 360. Kinect was not mentioned as one of the games they will be playing. The event is a great idea to inform parents about how they can monitor and be in control of what their kids are playing.

“The Get Game Smart program is connecting families across the country with the tools and resources needed to teach their children how to use technology responsibly and more safely,” said Fred Humphries, Managing Director U.S. Government Affairs, Microsoft. “Tonight, we’re bringing the program’s tools and resources to our nation’s lawmakers so they can not only use them with their own families but also share them with constituents in their home districts. We even plan to have a little fun while we’re at it.”

Microsoft will also be showing off Kodu which is a visual programming language used to program games. I’ve seen young kids use Kodu and enjoy building their worlds. I ran into a few bugs that kept me from ever really getting into the program.

“Online gaming and social networking have revolutionized how we communicate with one another and how we entertain ourselves,” Scott said. “However, we all can take steps to help ensure that our digital environment is safe for our children. This event will be an excellent opportunity to educate members of Congress, congressional staff and their families on how parents can be more engaged in, and better understand, the online gaming and social network activities of their children.”