ESA Launches Initiative for Game Accessibility Information

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 a collaborative effort by major players in the gaming industry, including Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, and Ubisoft. Since its announcement, Amazon, Riot Games, Square Enix, and WB Games have also joined the coalition, with the ESA overseeing the initiative's management.

Under this new system, participating game companies will tag their games with relevant accessibility features, using a standardized set of 24 tags. These tags will appear alongside game information on digital storefronts and product pages, making it easier for consumers to find games that meet their accessibility needs. 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 significance 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 also mentioned the possibility of adding more tags or refining existing ones in the future to further enhance the system's effectiveness.

Accessible Games Initiative Tags:

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. Additionally, all game sounds can be adjusted at once using one volume control.

Tag: Mono Sound

Description: Allows gameplay with mono audio, where the same audio is sent to all channels, providing a single, combined audio channel.

Tag: Stereo Sound

Description: Enables gameplay with stereo audio, where sounds indicate their left or right origin but do not convey depth or direction from above, below, ahead, or behind.

Tag: Surround Sound

Description: Facilitates gameplay with surround sound, allowing sounds to communicate their origin from any direction.

Tag: Narrated Menus

Description: Supports the use of screen readers or voice narration for menus and notifications, allowing players to navigate and understand game menus audibly.

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

Description: Enables text-to-speech and speech-to-text conversion for in-game chats, allowing text chats to be narrated and voice chats to be transcribed in real-time.

*This tag contains both auditory and visual features.

Gameplay Features

Tag: Difficulty Levels

Description: Allows selection from multiple difficulty options, including at least one that reduces the intensity of challenges, with clear descriptions of differences between levels.

Tag: Save Anytime

Description: Permits manual saving of progress at any time, with exceptions during game saving/loading or when saving could lead to game-breaking scenarios.

Input Features

Tag: Basic Input Remapping

Description: Allows rearrangement of button controls, such as swapping or rearranging them by other methods. The "Full Input Remapping" tag extends this to all game controls and input methods.

Tag: Full Input Remapping

Description: Enables complete remapping of all game controls across supported input methods, including keyboard, mouse, controllers, and on-screen controls, with the ability to swap controller stick functionality.

Tag: Stick Inversion

Description: Permits changing how direction inputs, such as thumbsticks, affect game movement in up/down and left/right directions.

Tag: Playable without Button Holds

Description: Allows gameplay without the need to hold digital inputs like keys or buttons, though some analog inputs may still require holds.

Tag: Playable without Rapid Button Presses

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

Tag: Playable with Keyboard Only

Description: Enables gameplay using only a keyboard, without the need for other devices.

Tag: Playable with Mouse Only

Description: Allows gameplay using only a mouse, including compatibility with adaptive technology that maps to mouse inputs.

Tag: Playable with Buttons Only

Description: Facilitates 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 requiring non-touch inputs.

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: Supports text-to-speech and speech-to-text conversion for in-game chats, allowing text chats to be narrated and voice chats to be transcribed in real-time.

*This tag contains both auditory and visual features.

Tag: Clear Text

Description: Ensures text in menus, control panels, and settings is at a reasonable size and contrast, with options to adjust contrast and font style.

Tag: Large Text

Description: Offers 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: Provides subtitles for all dialogue at a reasonable size, with adjustable background transparency, ensuring they do not overlap with important game elements and using less stylized fonts.

Tag: Color Alternatives

Description: Ensures that color is not the sole means of communicating important information or offers alternatives such as shape, pattern, icons, or text.

Tag: Camera Comfort

Description: Eliminates or allows adjustments to camera effects that may cause discomfort, such as shaking, swaying, bobbing, motion blur, camera speed, and forced narrative-based movement.