The Entertainment Software Association has unveiled the Accessible Games Initiative, which aims to help people understand accessibility features available in video games. The US-based effort came about from some of the biggest companies in the industry: Nintendo of America, Sony, Microsoft, Google, EA, and Ubisoft.
The Accessible Games Initiative is kicking off with 24 tags. So far, they’re categorized under four different features–auditory, gameplay, input, and visual–and then specified from there. For example, there is a Full Input Remapping tag, meaning the game offers the ability to swap button actions, joystick functionality, and other controls. This differs from the Basic Input Remapping tag, advertising only buttons can be reconfigured. Other official tags include Narrated Menus, Playable With Mouse Only, Color Alternatives, and Large Text. These should start appearing on digital storefronts and product pages in the near future.
“Tens of millions of Americans have a disability and often face barriers to experiencing the joy and connection that comes with playing video games,” ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis said in a press release. Specifically, the Accessible Games Initiative website points out that 44.1 million US residents have a disability, with reportedly almost half of them playing video games.
The ESA states that Amazon Games, Riot, Square Enix, and WB Games have joined the Accessible Games Initiative. This is just one of the latest pushes for better accessibility in the gaming industry. Earlier this week, Microsoft revealed the Xbox Adaptive Joystick that looks similar to a Wii nunchuk. It’s compatible with PC and Xbox platforms, as well as the Xbox Adaptive Controller. In 2023, Sony unveiled the PlayStation Access Controller, and a few months ago, EA made two accessibility patents open-source.