The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) unveiled the Accessible Games Initiative at the Game Developers Conference, marking a significant step towards enhancing video game accessibility. This initiative, supported by a coalition including Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, and Ubisoft, and later joined by Amazon, Riot Games, Square Enix, and WB Games, aims to make gaming more inclusive for players with disabilities. Under the ESA's management, the initiative introduces a new "tag" system that will appear alongside game information on digital storefronts and product pages.
The system features 24 specific tags designed to highlight various accessibility options within games. These tags cover a range of features from "clear text" and "large and clear subtitles" to "narrated menus" and "stick inversion." They also include options like "save anytime," "difficulty levels," and "playable without button holds," ensuring that players can find games that suit their specific needs and preferences.
Stanley Pierre-Louis, ESA's president and CEO, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, "Tens of millions of Americans have a disability and often face barriers to experiencing the joy and connection that comes with playing video games. We are immensely proud to announce the Accessible Games Initiative in partnership with industry leaders. This initiative demonstrates how impactful we can be when we work together in our industry-wide pursuit of helping more people experience the power of play."
The rollout of these tags will be gradual, implemented on a company-by-company basis, and initially available only in English. The ESA has also indicated that the list of tags may evolve, with potential additions or modifications to better serve the gaming community's needs.
Accessible Games Initiative Tags:
Auditory Features
Tag: Multiple Volume Controls
Description: Separate volume controls are available for different types of sounds, allowing players to adjust music, speech, sound effects, background audio, text-to-speech audio, accessibility audio cues, and voice chat independently. A master volume control is also available to adjust all sounds at once.
Tag: Mono Sound
Description: This feature enables players to experience the game with mono audio, where the same audio is sent to all channels, providing a single, combined audio channel.
Tag: Stereo Sound
Description: Players can enjoy stereo audio, where sounds indicate their left or right origin, but not their vertical or depth position.
Tag: Surround Sound
Description: This tag indicates that the game supports surround sound, allowing sounds to communicate their direction from any angle.
Tag: Narrated Menus
Description: Screen readers or voice narration are available for menus and notifications, allowing players to navigate and understand game interfaces through audio cues.
Tag: Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech
Description: This feature supports real-time conversion of text chats to speech and voice chats to text transcripts, enhancing communication for players with different needs.
Gameplay Features
Tag: Difficulty Levels
Description: Players can choose from multiple difficulty settings, including at least one that reduces the challenge intensity, with clear descriptions of the differences between levels.
Tag: Save Anytime
Description: Players can manually save their progress at any time, except during specific scenarios like saving or loading, or when it could lead to game-breaking issues.
Input Features
Tag: Basic Input Remapping
Description: Allows players to rearrange button controls, offering flexibility in how they interact with the game.
Tag: Full Input Remapping
Description: Players can assign any game action to any control across all supported input methods, including keyboard, mouse, controllers, and virtual on-screen controls.
Tag: Stick Inversion
Description: Players can invert the direction of thumbsticks or flight sticks, affecting game movement in up/down and left/right directions.
Tag: Playable without Button Holds
Description: The game can be played without the need to hold down buttons, though some analog inputs may still require holding.
Tag: Playable without Rapid Button Presses
Description: This feature eliminates the need for repetitive button actions, such as button mashing or quick-time events.
Tag: Playable with Keyboard Only
Description: The game can be fully played using only a keyboard, without the need for other input devices.
Tag: Playable with Mouse Only
Description: Players can use only a mouse or adaptive technology that maps to mouse inputs to play the game.
Tag: Playable with Buttons Only
Description: The game and its menus can be controlled using only digital inputs like buttons or keys, where pressure sensitivity is not required.
Tag: Playable with Touch Only
Description: Players can interact with the game using only touch controls, without the need for non-touch inputs.
Tag: Playable Without Motion Controls
Description: The game can be played without the use of motion controls.
Tag: Playable Without Touch Controls
Description: Players can enjoy the game without using touchpads or touchscreens.
Visual Features
Tag: Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech
Description: This feature supports real-time conversion of text chats to speech and voice chats to text transcripts, enhancing communication for players with different needs.
Tag: Clear Text
Description: Text in menus, control panels, and settings is displayed at a reasonable size with adjustable contrast, using less stylized fonts for better readability.
Tag: Large Text
Description: Players can adjust text in menus, control panels, and settings to a larger size for improved visibility.
Tag: Large & Clear Subtitles
Description: Subtitles for all dialogue are available, with options for size, background transparency, and font style to ensure they are clear and do not overlap with important game elements.
Tag: Color Alternatives
Description: Important information is communicated through shapes, patterns, icons, or text, rather than relying solely on color, or color can be adjusted.
Tag: Camera Comfort
Description: The game avoids or allows players to adjust camera effects that could cause discomfort, such as shaking, swaying, bobbing, motion blur, camera speed, and forced narrative-based movement.
