Just cutting the power won't hurt your save files unless you're actually in the process of saving. Now, ripping the cartridge right out of the console without turning it off, that can cause damage. My mom did that a couple times when one of my brothers wouldn't stop playing our SNES.

Good thing console games come on discs now.

I feel this is a cop-out. As a parent let me say that when time is up, time is up. The day my children argue against that, we have a whole lot bigger problems than simply the video game. As usual this is a way for parents to skirt their true responsibilities so they do not have to do their job. Now, it could come in handy as a self discipline device for say.. high school or college students who have finals coming up and don't trust themselves not to shut off the game in time to study. But honestly, I just don't feel this is a good parenting device. Not a bad device in and of itself, but definitely not a way to cop-out on parenting.

As if families didn't have enough to fight over! If you seriously need a timer, instead of saying "Honey, times up" then you have much bigger issues. All this is going to do is make whatever fights are brewing ten times worse. ><

I should get this, and use it on my mom. She's spending way too much time on the computer lately.

By the way don't they already have something like this? I know my Leopard Geckos basking light is plugged into one.

@:

Suddenly I've decided that you've said it even more best than the last.

Cheers, cutepresea.

if this evil thing was ever used on my computer so that i couldn't visit theO you know there are parents out there who have to watch some soap or some uber important game
so if this evil thing was used against me then YOU know this will mean war o(`O`) shake fist
and i'd plug it in so just as X revalation in Y soap was going to be revealed out goes the tv
and just as the winning TD was going to happen out goes the tv
*malicious laugh* ahh sweet revenge >3

@jannycats:

You can literally save at any time in most given Zelda games. You'll end up at the beginning of the dungeon, but anything you did earlier will already be done.

Paper Mario, however...

Or you could, y'know, save more often/unhook it when they're not looking.

Nehs said it best. If your parents really think they can't just ask you to stop playing for a little bit, chances are that you need this anyway. I've heard cases of 18 hour a day gamers. As a gamer myself, I can safely say that ain't healthy.

Nothing like teaching your kids a little self control.

Ladies and gentlemen, Satan is upon us, and he lives in Minnesota.

@:

How much stress does a 10 year old (or younger) child REALLY build up?

If you're concerned that the young adults of 12-16 are going to get screwed over by this little electrical device the equivalent of those plastic plugs you stick into the wall sockets so the kids don't electrocute themselves . . . I would LIKE to think most parents wouldn't need to use such a simple, basic device on such maturing minds.

Or would the argument be that people aged 12-16 aren't mature enough to regulate their own gaming schedules? If not, then again, bigger problems.

Haha, I love how upset this thing is making people . . .

When I got grounded, all my mom had to do was hide the Genesis controllers. Wasn't often, but it was also 100% effective.

Also, I think people are freaking out a little too much. If game cut-off time is 8pm, then kids'll just have to learn to keep an eye on the clock better, and finish what they need to do before then; if they try to push it for "just five more minutes", then it's their problem when they hit their established cut-off time. As sad as it is to lose progress because you didn't or couldn't save, well . . . IT'S A VIDEO GAME! The sun will still rise in the morning, your life will go on.

What Nehs' said; if parents need to take such drastic actions in the first place, there are bigger problems. As for the stricter, unreasonable parents . . . again, bigger problem than an electronics egg-timer.

Prove to your parents that you don't need this device, and they will not have to buy it. If a parent doesn't have to shell out for a new expense if they don't have to, they won't. Money is kinda important like that.

This is evil, pure and simple. I know some kids (my brother, for example) do spend too much time with their videogames, just simply cutting the power and not allowing them to save? Evil. Evil. Evil.
And yet it seems extremely easy to get around. If it plugs into a wall, can't you just unplug it?

oh no. i'm all for not letting your kid sit infront of a screen all day and limiting the amount of game time but just shutting off the game. sometimes it takes TIME to find a save point.
maybe be should parent better.

Oh yeah, destroying someone's progress in a game is just so wonderful... Parents obviously haven't played a Zelda game where the savepoints are far apart and without one all your work goes down the drain.

Wouldn't it be easier just to tell your kid that playtime will be over in about 10 min to give him/her the chance to save?

wow parents have taken a new low rather then filter their childrens playing time by simply telling them times up.they have this now. any parent who buys this is a lazy asshole and doesnt deserve children {give them to someone that wont let their children get away with shit easily}

and for you parents do buy this,wow you suck at this.lol

although id buy it to mess with my friends x-box lol
evil sounding as it is
"hahaha i tooks your power and ateded it

OMG well it would encourage kids too save data more frequently. It would only suck if they were playing Arc The lad in the final battle with that eye-ball...... No save point and hours to defeat XD

...and this is bad how...? If one's parents need to take such drastic action to limit the video games, then you're probably playing too much as it is--gamer or not.