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Today, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) unveiled the Accessible Games Initiative, a groundbreaking "tag" system designed to enhance video game accessibility for consumers. This initiative, announced at the Game Developers Conference, is a collaborative effort involving major players like Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, and Ubisoft. The initiative has since expanded to include Amazon, Riot Games, Square Enix, and WB Games, and will be overseen by the ESA.
Under this new system, participating video game companies will use a set of 24 approved "tags" to label their games, providing clear information about accessibility features. These tags will be displayed near the game's project details on digital storefronts and product pages, making it easier for players to find games that meet their specific accessibility needs.
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 also indicated that the list of tags may evolve over time, with potential additions or modifications 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 enables players to use 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: Players can use screen readers or voice narration for menus and notifications, with the ability to control interactions and context changes through narration and navigate menus item by item.
Tag: Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech*
Description: This feature allows for real-time narration of text chats and transcription of voice chats, enhancing communication accessibility.
*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: Players can manually save their progress at any time, except during game-saving or loading, or when saving could lead to game-breaking scenarios.
Input Features
Tag: Basic Input Remapping
Description: Players can rearrange button controls, either by swapping or using another method. The "Full Input Remapping" tag allows for more comprehensive remapping of all game controls.
Tag: Full Input Remapping
Description: This feature allows players to assign any game action to any control across all supported input methods, including keyboard, mouse, controllers, and virtual on-screen controllers.
Tag: Stick Inversion
Description: Players can change how directional inputs like thumbsticks affect game movement in up/down and left/right directions.
Tag: Playable without Button Holds
Description: The game can be played without holding down buttons, though some analog inputs may still require holds.
Tag: Playable without Rapid Button Presses
Description: This tag indicates that the game can be played without repetitive button actions like button mashing or quick-time events.
Tag: Playable with Keyboard Only
Description: The game can be played using only a keyboard, without the need for 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 allows for real-time narration of text chats and transcription of voice chats, enhancing communication accessibility.
*This tag contains both auditory and visual features.
Tag: Clear Text
Description: Text in menus, control panels, and settings is at a reasonable size and can be adjusted for contrast, with 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, using less stylized fonts.
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: The game includes no camera effects that may cause discomfort or harm, or these effects can be turned off or adjusted, including shaking, swaying, bobbing, motion blur, camera speed, and forced narrative-based movement.
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