Can kids be blocked from seeing the Store?

[RedLion]

My kids have a Chromebook each at  home that we've bought, which currently they use for school via their school accounts.  I realize I'll have to create personal Google accounts for them to be able to use Stadia, and to create a Google family setup so I can share Stadia games with them as well as kid movies I've bought on Google Play.  I've bought each one a Stadia controller for Christmas, so I'm planning to make Stadia and their own personal, non-school Google accounts my present to them.  So I've got a bunch of questions about that, but I guess I better take them one at a time.  Here's one:

I realize I can limit the games they can access to only what games that I share with them or have bought for them, so that takes care of one aspect of the kid-appropriateness issue.  However, can I block them from even being able to see the Stadia Store at all?  Even though they wouldn't be able to play all the games on the Store other than the ones I allow, I'd rather they not even see anything but games I'm allowing for them.  I don't want them to nag or pester me even for kid-friendly games we don't own, and I sure don't want them to see the trailers, images, or even names of games that are too scary or otherwise inappropriate for them.

[RXShorty]

Hi @RedLion,

I have setup a parent account (gmail.com) and added the kids with their own accounts to the family. These are kids accounts because of their age.
After this I setup the privacy settings for the kids account (needs to be done with the parent account).

Privacy things are like: who can invite and see stuff (friends only, friends and their friends or public. But also if the game publisher can use their profile info for online stuff.

Gameplay limits: You can set the PEGI rating they are allowed. This includes what they see and what they can play.

So yes can limit the store. According to THIS support page:

Gameplay limits

When you set up a Stadia account for your child, you can set limits on the game content they can access, as well as your child's ability to connect with other players. After setup, you can manage these settings on the Stadia family dashboard.

Note: If you set restrictions while your child is playing a game, they won't take effect until the next time they start a game.

• Games restrictions by rating: You can set content restrictions based on game ratings. Your child can access every game at the rating you choose and below. Games with a rating above the one you've chosen will not be visible to your child in the Stadia Store tab.
  • To set games restrictions on the Stadia family dashboard, tap Edit.
• How your child connects with other players: You can choose if you want your child to be able to play multiplayer games or voice chat with other players online.
  • To manage your child's settings on the Stadia family dashboard, tap the slider next to each setting.

You cannot block the whole store because right now there is now way you can gift games to people (including kids).
So if your kid want to buy a game like say The Crew 2, they have to go to the store and press buy.

After this you will receive a email/notification if you want to allow the purchase (with the configured family payment).
If you allow it they will have the game.

Please note you can always choose to buy the games with the parent account and share the game but that will be only one digital copy.
So if you want to play with your kid (like cooperative) that won't work because your family has 1 digital license for the game.
Want to play the game at the same time? You will need more licenses.  

Hope this helps!

[RedLion]

Thanks so much for the info.

That's a huge bummer about not being able to play the same game simultaneously (excluding, I presume, when you're both using the same screen at the same time and thus using only one account for a multiplayer session).

It's good to know, however, that even if I can't block the Store entirely to them, that I can at least prevent them from seeing things in the Store that are above their age range.  I knew that about seeing games available for play in the Home or Play tab, but not about games available for purchase in the Store.  I can put up with some wheedling for games they don't have if I can at least relax that the games they want are at their own age level and they're not going to see games in the Store that are rated too high.

[RXShorty]

Hi there @RedLion,

Right now you can control wat your kids see in the following way:

• Privacy settings. What kind of things can people see of the child's profile: Friends only, Friends of friends, Public
• Setup a PEGI rating. This only allows to play and view games with the PEGI rating or lower.

According to the support page:

Gameplay limits
When you set up a Stadia account for your child, you can set limits on the game content they can access, as well as your child's ability to connect with other players. After setup, you can manage these settings on the Stadia family dashboard.

Note: If you set restrictions while your child is playing a game, they won't take effect until the next time they start a game.

Games restrictions by rating: You can set content restrictions based on game ratings. Your child can access every game at the rating you choose and below. Games with a rating above the one you've chosen will not be visible to your child in the Stadia Store tab.
To set games restrictions on the Stadia family dashboard, tap Edit.
How your child connects with other players: You can choose if you want your child to be able to play multiplayer games or voice chat with other players online.
To manage your child's settings on the Stadia family dashboard, tap the slider next to each setting.

It is not possible to disable the store. Some reasons for this are:

• You cannot gift games (yet)
• If you want to play the same game at the same time you need that much licenses.

For example if you want to play The Crew 2 while your kids already plays The Crew 2 you need to have to 2 copies of the game in your family (and shared ofcourse).
So if your kid wants to buy the game, he or she goes to the store and click Buy Game.

You will get a notification to allow the payment with the family payment.
This way you control what they can buy.