The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has recently unveiled the Accessible Games Initiative, a pioneering "tag" system designed to enhance video game accessibility for consumers. This initiative was announced at the Game Developers Conference and is the result of a collaborative effort from major players in the industry, including Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, and Ubisoft. Additional companies such as Amazon, Riot Games, Square Enix, and WB Games have also joined the cause, with the ESA overseeing the initiative's management.
Under this new system, participating game companies will use a set of 24 approved tags to label their games. These tags will be displayed alongside game information on digital storefronts and product pages, providing clear accessibility details to potential buyers. The tags cover a 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.
Stanley Pierre-Louis, ESA president and CEO, emphasized the importance of the 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 not mandatory, aims to be comprehensive. Initially, the tags will be available only in English, with potential future expansions to include more tags or adjustments to existing ones.
Accessible Games Initiative Tags:
Auditory Features
Tag: Multiple Volume Controls
Description: Separate volume controls are available for different types of sounds, including music, speech, sound effects, background audio, text-to-speech audio, accessibility audio cues, and voice chat. Additionally, a single volume control can adjust all game sounds simultaneously.
Tag: Mono Sound
Description: Enables mono audio playback, sending the same audio to all channels, such as both left and right headphones, providing a unified audio experience.
Tag: Stereo Sound
Description: Allows for stereo audio playback, where sounds indicate their left or right origin but do not convey vertical or depth positioning.
Tag: Surround Sound
Description: Supports surround sound playback, enabling sounds to communicate their origin from any direction, enhancing the immersive experience.
Tag: Narrated Menus
Description: Facilitates the use of screen readers or voice narration for menus and notifications, allowing for full menu accessibility and control through voice announcements.
Tag: Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech
Description: Offers text-to-speech and speech-to-text conversion for in-game chats, allowing real-time narration of text chats and transcription of voice chats. This tag includes both auditory and visual features.
Gameplay Features
Tag: Difficulty Levels
Description: Provides multiple difficulty options, including at least one setting that lowers the intensity of challenges, with descriptions of the differences between levels.
Tag: Save Anytime
Description: Allows manual saving of game progress at any time, with exceptions during saving/loading processes or scenarios where saving could disrupt gameplay.
Input Features
Tag: Basic Input Remapping
Description: Permits rearrangement of button controls, offering flexibility through swapping or other methods. This is distinct from full input remapping, which allows remapping of all game controls.
Tag: Full Input Remapping
Description: Enables comprehensive remapping of all game controls across all supported input methods, including keyboard, mouse, controllers, and virtual on-screen controls, with the ability to swap stick functionality.
Tag: Stick Inversion
Description: Allows for the inversion of directional inputs, such as thumbsticks, affecting game movement in up/down and left/right directions.
Tag: Playable without Button Holds
Description: Supports gameplay without the need to hold buttons, though some analog inputs like sticks and triggers may still require holding.
Tag: Playable without Rapid Button Presses
Description: Eliminates the need for repetitive button actions, such as button mashing or quick-time events.
Tag: Playable with Keyboard Only
Description: Allows the game to be played using only a keyboard, without requiring any additional devices.
Tag: Playable with Mouse Only
Description: Supports gameplay using only a mouse, including compatibility with adaptive technologies that map to mouse inputs.
Tag: Playable with Buttons Only
Description: Enables gameplay using only digital inputs, such as buttons or keys, where the pressure applied does not affect the controls.
Tag: Playable with Touch Only
Description: Allows for gameplay using solely touch controls, eliminating the need for any non-touch inputs like buttons or analog sticks.
Tag: Playable Without Motion Controls
Description: Facilitates gameplay without the use of motion controls.
Tag: Playable Without Touch Controls
Description: Supports gameplay without the need for touchpads or touchscreens.
Visual Features
Tag: Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech
Description: Provides text-to-speech and speech-to-text conversion for in-game chats, enabling real-time narration of text chats and transcription of voice chats. This tag includes both auditory and visual features.
Tag: Clear Text
Description: Ensures text in menus, control panels, and settings is of a reasonable size with adjustable contrast, using less stylized fonts or offering font options.
Tag: Large Text
Description: Offers a large font size option for text in menus, control panels, and settings, suitable for the device's screen resolution and viewing distance.
Tag: Large & Clear Subtitles
Description: Provides subtitles for all dialogue at a reasonable size with adjustable background transparency, ensuring they do not overlap with important game elements and offering less stylized font options.
Tag: Color Alternatives
Description: Ensures that color is not the sole method of communicating important information, using shape, pattern, icons, or text as alternatives.
Tag: Camera Comfort
Description: Prevents or allows adjustment of camera effects that could cause discomfort or harm, such as shaking, swaying, bobbing, motion blur, camera speed, and forced narrative-based movement.
