The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has unveiled the Accessible Games Initiative at the Game Developers Conference, a groundbreaking "tag" system designed to inform consumers about video game accessibility features. This initiative, developed by a coalition including Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, and Ubisoft, has also garnered support from Amazon, Riot Games, Square Enix, and WB Games. The ESA will oversee the initiative, ensuring that participating video game companies label their games with relevant tags from a curated list of 24. These tags will be prominently displayed near the game's project information on digital storefronts and product pages, providing vital accessibility details to players.
These tags cover a wide range of features, including "clear text," "large and clear subtitles," "narrated menus," "stick inversion," "save anytime," "difficulty levels," and "playable without button holds," among others. This comprehensive approach aims to cater to the diverse needs of gamers with disabilities, enhancing their gaming experience.
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 occur gradually, on a company-by-company basis, and while they are not mandatory, their adoption could significantly improve accessibility. Initially, the tags will be available in English, with potential future expansions and adjustments to better serve the gaming community.
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. Additionally, all game sounds can be adjusted simultaneously with a single volume control.
Tag: Mono Sound
Description: This feature allows players to experience the game in mono audio, where the same audio is sent to all channels, such as both left and right headphones, providing a single, combined audio channel.
Tag: Stereo Sound
Description: Players can enjoy stereo audio, where sounds indicate their position from left to right but not from above, below, ahead, or behind.
Tag: Surround Sound
Description: This tag enables players to experience surround sound, where sounds can be heard from any direction, enhancing the immersive experience.
Tag: Narrated Menus
Description: Screen readers or voice narration are available for menus and notifications, allowing players to navigate menus one item at a time with voice guidance, ensuring full accessibility.
Tag: Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech*
Description: This feature allows for real-time conversion of text chats to speech and voice chats to text transcripts, catering to both auditory and visual needs.
*This tag contains both auditory and visual features.
Gameplay Features
Tag: Difficulty Levels
Description: Players can choose from multiple difficulty options, including at least one that reduces the intensity of challenges, with clear descriptions of the differences between levels.
Tag: Save Anytime
Description: This tag allows players to manually save their progress at any time, except during specific scenarios such as game saving, loading, or during death animations that could break the game or block progress.
Input Features
Tag: Basic Input Remapping
Description: Players can rearrange button controls, swapping or rearranging them by some method. The "Full Input Remapping" tag offers more comprehensive remapping options.
Tag: Full Input Remapping
Description: This tag allows players to assign any game action to any control across all supported input methods, including keyboard, mouse, controllers, and virtual on-screen controllers, with the ability to swap controller stick functionality.
Tag: Stick Inversion
Description: Players can invert the direction inputs for up, down, left, and right movements, applicable to thumbsticks and flight sticks.
Tag: Playable without Button Holds
Description: This feature enables gameplay without the need for holding digital inputs like keys or buttons, although some analog inputs may still require holding.
Tag: Playable without Rapid Button Presses
Description: Players can avoid repetitive button actions such as button mashing and quick-time events, making the game more accessible.
Tag: Playable with Keyboard Only
Description: The game can be played using only a keyboard, without the need for any other devices.
Tag: Playable with Mouse Only
Description: Players can play using only a mouse, which also supports adaptive technology that maps to mouse inputs.
Tag: Playable with Buttons Only
Description: This tag allows gameplay using only digital inputs like buttons or keys, where the pressure applied does not affect the controls.
Tag: Playable with Touch Only
Description: Players can enjoy the game using only touch controls, without the need for non-touch controls like buttons or analog sticks.
Tag: Playable Without Motion Controls
Description: This feature allows gameplay without the use of motion controls.
Tag: Playable Without Touch Controls
Description: Players can play the game without using touchpads or touchscreens.
Visual Features
Tag: Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech*
Description: This feature allows for real-time conversion of text chats to speech and voice chats to text transcripts, catering to both auditory and visual needs.
*This tag contains both auditory and visual features.
Tag: Clear Text
Description: Text in menus, control panels, and settings is displayed at a reasonable size with adjustable contrast, ensuring readability. Fonts are less stylized or can be changed to a more legible option.
Tag: Large Text
Description: This tag allows for the use of a large font size for text in menus, control panels, and settings, enhancing visibility.
Tag: Large & Clear Subtitles
Description: Subtitles are available for all dialogue with adjustable transparency and reasonable size, ensuring they do not overlap with important game elements. Fonts are less stylized or can be changed for better readability.
Tag: Color Alternatives
Description: Important information is not solely communicated through color; instead, shape, pattern, icons, or text are used, or color can be adjusted.
Tag: Camera Comfort
Description: This feature ensures that camera effects like shaking, swaying, bobbing, motion blur, camera speed, and forced narrative-based movement can be turned off or adjusted to prevent discomfort or harm, such as nausea or headaches.
