ESA Announces Accessible Games Initiative to Provide Product Accessibility Feature Information

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has unveiled the Accessible Games Initiative, a groundbreaking "tag" system designed to enhance video game accessibility by providing consumers with detailed information about accessibility features. Announced at the Game Developers Conference, this initiative is a collaborative effort by major players in the gaming industry, including Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, and Ubisoft. The initiative has also seen participation from Amazon, Riot Games, Square Enix, and WB Games, with the ESA taking the helm in managing the project.

Under this initiative, participating companies will categorize their games using a set of 24 specific "tags" that will be displayed alongside game information on digital storefronts and product pages. These tags cover a range of accessibility features, such as "clear text," "large and clear subtitles," "narrated menus," "stick inversion," "save anytime," "difficulty levels," and "playable without button holds," among others.

Stanley Pierre-Louis, the ESA's 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 is currently optional. Initially, the tags will be available in English, but the ESA plans to potentially expand and refine the tags over time.

Accessible Games Initiative Tags:

Auditory Features

Tag: Multiple Volume Controls

Description: Separate volume controls are available for different types of sounds, allowing for customization of 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 playing with mono audio, where the same sound is sent to all channels, providing a single, combined audio experience.

Tag: Stereo Sound

Description: Allows for stereo audio playback, where sounds indicate their left or right origin but do not convey depth or vertical positioning.

Tag: Surround Sound

Description: Supports surround sound, enabling sounds to convey their directional origin, including from above, below, ahead, or behind.

Tag: Narrated Menus

Description: Facilitates the use of screen readers or voice narration for menus and notifications, allowing for step-by-step navigation and contextual announcements.

Tag: Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech*

Description: Provides text-to-speech and speech-to-text functionalities for in-game chats, enabling real-time narration of text chats and transcription of voice chats.

*This tag encompasses both auditory and visual features.

Gameplay Features

Tag: Difficulty Levels

Description: Offers multiple difficulty options, including at least one setting that lowers the challenge intensity, with clear descriptions of the differences between levels.

Tag: Save Anytime

Description: Allows manual saving at any point, except during game loading, saving, or scenarios where saving might disrupt gameplay or progress.

Input Features

Tag: Basic Input Remapping

Description: Permits rearrangement of button controls, with options to swap or rearrange them, while "Full Input Remapping" extends this to all game controls across various input methods.

Tag: Full Input Remapping

Description: Enables complete remapping of all game actions to any supported input method, including swapping controller stick functions.

Tag: Stick Inversion

Description: Allows for adjusting the effect of directional inputs like thumbsticks on game movement, affecting up/down and left/right directions.

Tag: Playable without Button Holds

Description: Ensures gameplay without the need for continuous button presses, though some analog inputs might still require holding.

Tag: Playable without Rapid Button Presses

Description: Eliminates the need for repetitive button actions, such as mashing or quick-time events.

Tag: Playable with Keyboard Only

Description: Supports gameplay using only a keyboard, without the need for additional devices.

Tag: Playable with Mouse Only

Description: Allows for gameplay using only a mouse, compatible with adaptive technologies that map to mouse inputs.

Tag: Playable with Buttons Only

Description: Enables gameplay using solely digital inputs like buttons or keys, without pressure-sensitive controls.

Tag: Playable with Touch Only

Description: Supports gameplay using only touch controls, without requiring non-touch inputs like buttons or analog sticks.

Tag: Playable Without Motion Controls

Description: Allows for gameplay without the use of motion controls.

Tag: Playable Without Touch Controls

Description: Permits gameplay without the use of touchpads or touchscreens.

Visual Features

Tag: Chat Speech-to-Text & Text-to-Speech*

Description: Provides text-to-speech and speech-to-text functionalities for in-game chats, enabling real-time narration of text chats and transcription of voice chats.

*This tag encompasses 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 allowing for font changes.

Tag: Large Text

Description: Offers the option to display text in menus, control panels, and settings in a large font size relative to the screen resolution and typical viewing distance.

Tag: Large & Clear Subtitles

Description: Provides subtitles for all dialogue, ensuring they are of a reasonable size, have adjustable background transparency, and do not overlap with important game elements.

Tag: Color Alternatives

Description: Ensures that important information is not solely conveyed through color, using alternative methods like shape, pattern, icons, or text.

Tag: Camera Comfort

Description: Prevents or allows adjustment of camera effects that could cause discomfort, such as shaking, swaying, bobbing, motion blur, camera speed, and forced narrative-based movement.