The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has unveiled the Accessible Games Initiative, a groundbreaking "tag" system designed to enhance video game accessibility for consumers. Announced at the Game Developers Conference, this initiative was crafted by a collaborative effort from industry giants including Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, and Ubisoft. Additional support has come from Amazon, Riot Games, Square Enix, and WB Games, with the ESA overseeing the project.
Under this new initiative, participating game companies will utilize a set of 24 standardized tags to highlight accessibility features in their games. These tags will be displayed prominently alongside game information on digital storefronts and product pages, making it easier for consumers to find games that meet their accessibility needs.
The tags cover a wide range of features, such as "clear text," "large and clear subtitles," "narrated menus," "stick inversion," "save anytime," "difficulty levels," "playable without button holds," and many more. These tags are intended to help players with various disabilities find games that are suitable for them, enhancing their gaming experience.
Stanley Pierre-Louis, ESA 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 indicated that more tags or adjustments to existing ones may be developed in the future to further enhance accessibility.
Accessible Games Initiative Tags:
Auditory Features
Tag: Multiple Volume Controls
Description: Separate volume controls are available for different types of sounds, such as music, speech, sound effects, background audio, text-to-speech audio, accessibility audio cues, and voice chat. Additionally, all game sounds can be adjusted simultaneously with a single volume control.
Tag: Mono Sound
Description: This feature allows players to use mono audio, sending the same audio to all channels, effectively creating a single, combined audio channel.
Tag: Stereo Sound
Description: Players can enjoy stereo audio, where sounds indicate their position to the left or right, 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 position in any direction.
Tag: Narrated Menus
Description: Players can use screen readers or voice narration for navigating menus and receiving notifications, with control over interactions and context changes.
Tag: Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech
Description: This feature enables text-to-speech and speech-to-text conversion for game chats, allowing real-time narration of text chats and transcripts of voice chats.
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: Players can manually save their progress at any time, except during specific game states like saving or loading, or when it could cause game-breaking scenarios.
Input Features
Tag: Basic Input Remapping
Description: This allows players to rearrange button controls through swapping or other methods. The "Full Input Remapping" tag extends this to all game controls and input methods.
Tag: Full Input Remapping
Description: Players can assign any game action to any control across all supported input methods, including keyboards, mice, controllers, and virtual on-screen controllers.
Tag: Stick Inversion
Description: This feature lets players change how directional inputs like thumbsticks affect game movement in various directions.
Tag: Playable without Button Holds
Description: The game can be played without the need to hold digital inputs like keys or buttons, though some analog inputs may still require holding.
Tag: Playable without Rapid Button Presses
Description: This tag indicates that the game can be played without repetitive button actions such as button mashing or quick-time events.
Tag: Playable with Keyboard Only
Description: The game can be played using only a keyboard, without any other devices.
Tag: Playable with Mouse Only
Description: Players can use only a mouse to play, including with adaptive technology that maps to mouse inputs.
Tag: Playable with Buttons Only
Description: The game and menus can be controlled using only digital inputs like buttons or keys, where pressure does not affect the controls.
Tag: Playable with Touch Only
Description: Players can use only touch controls to play, without the need for non-touch controls like buttons or analog sticks.
Tag: Playable Without Motion Controls
Description: This feature allows players to enjoy the game without using motion controls.
Tag: Playable Without Touch Controls
Description: Players can play without using touchpads or touchscreens.
Visual Features
Tag: Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech
Description: This feature enables text-to-speech and speech-to-text conversion for game chats, allowing real-time narration of text chats and transcripts of voice chats.
Tag: Clear Text
Description: Text in menus, control panels, and settings is displayed at a reasonable size with adjustable contrast, using less stylized fonts or options for font change.
Tag: Large Text
Description: Players can use a large font size for text in menus, control panels, and settings, relative to the device's screen resolution and typical viewing distance.
Tag: Large & Clear Subtitles
Description: Subtitles are available for all dialogue, with adjustable size, background transparency, and non-overlapping placement with important game elements.
Tag: Color Alternatives
Description: Important information is communicated using shape, pattern, icons, or text instead of color, or color can be adjusted.
Tag: Camera Comfort
Description: This tag ensures that camera effects that may cause discomfort or harm, such as shaking or motion blur, can be turned off or adjusted.
