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 is the result of collaboration among industry giants such as Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, and Ubisoft. Additional supporters include Amazon, Riot Games, Square Enix, and WB Games, with the ESA overseeing the initiative's management.
Under this initiative, participating video game companies will apply relevant "tags" from a curated list of 24 to their games. These tags will be displayed alongside the game's project information on digital storefronts and product pages, providing clear accessibility details to potential buyers. Examples of these tags include "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's president and CEO, emphasized the initiative's significance, 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 they are not mandatory. Initially, the tags will be available only in English, with potential for future expansion and modifications to the tag system.
The Accessible Games Initiative includes the following tags, organized by category:
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. All game sounds can also be adjusted simultaneously with one volume control.
Tag: Mono Sound
Description: Allows for mono audio playback, sending the same audio to all channels, effectively providing a single, combined audio channel.
Tag: Stereo Sound
Description: Enables stereo audio playback, where sounds indicate their left or right origin but not their vertical or depth position.
Tag: Surround Sound
Description: Supports surround sound, allowing sounds to communicate their directional origin comprehensively.
Tag: Narrated Menus
Description: Provides screen reader or voice narration support for menus and notifications, enabling navigation through voice commands.
Tag: Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech*
Description: Facilitates text-to-speech and speech-to-text 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: Offers multiple difficulty options, including at least one setting that reduces challenge intensity, with clear descriptions of differences between levels.
Tag: Save Anytime
Description: Allows manual saving of progress at any time, except during game saving or loading, or when it could result in game-breaking scenarios.
Input Features
Tag: Basic Input Remapping
Description: Permits rearrangement of button controls, with options for swapping or other simple methods of remapping.
Tag: Full Input Remapping
Description: Allows comprehensive remapping of all game controls across supported input methods, including keyboard, mouse, controllers, and virtual on-screen controllers.
Tag: Stick Inversion
Description: Provides options to invert directional inputs, such as thumbsticks and flight sticks, for up/down and left/right movements.
Tag: Playable without Button Holds
Description: Enables gameplay without holding buttons, though some analog inputs may still require holds.
Tag: Playable without Rapid Button Presses
Description: Allows gameplay without repetitive button actions, such as button mashing or quick-time events.
Tag: Playable with Keyboard Only
Description: Supports gameplay using only a keyboard, without any additional devices.
Tag: Playable with Mouse Only
Description: Supports gameplay using only a mouse, including adaptive technology that maps to mouse inputs.
Tag: Playable with Buttons Only
Description: Enables gameplay using only digital inputs like buttons or keys, where pressure does not affect control.
Tag: Playable with Touch Only
Description: Supports gameplay using only touch controls, without the need for non-touch controls.
Tag: Playable Without Motion Controls
Description: Allows gameplay without the use of motion controls.
Tag: Playable Without Touch Controls
Description: Enables gameplay without the use of touchpads or touchscreens.
Visual Features
Tag: Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech*
Description: Facilitates text-to-speech and speech-to-text for in-game chats, allowing 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 at a reasonable size with adjustable contrast, using less stylized fonts.
Tag: Large Text
Description: Offers large font size options for text in menus, control panels, and settings.
Tag: Large & Clear Subtitles
Description: Provides subtitles for all dialogue at a reasonable size, with adjustable background transparency and non-overlapping placement.
Tag: Color Alternatives
Description: Ensures important information is not communicated solely by color, using shape, pattern, icons, or text instead.
Tag: Camera Comfort
Description: Allows for the adjustment or disabling of camera effects that may cause discomfort, such as shaking, swaying, bobbing, motion blur, and forced narrative-based movement.
