Microsoft, the company behind the Xbox games console, has announced the results of some new research which suggests that video games are not as bad for kids as some would have us believe. However, the real surprise has been that kids want their parents to keep a closer eye on what they do whilst gaming.

The latest Play Smart, Play Safe survey of some 2500 parents concludes that the majority of them throughout Europe and the US "view video games positively, with 61 percent stating that games are a great social experience." What's more, 75 percent of parents reckon that video gaming can be beneficial to kids and families alike.

The survey also revealed, overwhelmingly, that parents actively want to take responsibility for ensuring their children are playing suitable video games. Last year only 60 percent said they were sufficiently informed about built-in parental control functionality on games consoles and computers, this year that figure has risen to 75 percent. Still, the majority (62 percent) said that they welcome additional functions to help manage kids gaming time.

It is not all rose tinted stuff though, as 42 percent of parents admitted to being concerned with whom their kids might be interacting during online gaming sessions and 47 percent of the 1000 kids asked actually reckon their parents are not up to the job of monitoring what they play. Perhaps surprisingly, 60 percent of kids actually want a more pro-active approach from their parents in this regard.

In a Winder Family survey conducted this afternoon, 100 percent of parents and children agreed that Microsoft should ensure that The Lost and Damned is patched so that it works properly or give those poor schmucks who bought the constantly freezing GTA IV DLC their money back. Funny how surveys can often reveal the answers you want, isn't it?