The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) – the same organisation that used to run E3 before it was cancelled – has announced the Accessible Games Initiative, a cross-industry campaign to provide consumers with clear information about the accessibility features available in video games.
The five founding companies – EA, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo of America, and Ubisoft – have partnered with the ESA to “help provide clear information about whether a specific video game has accessibility features and, if so, what those features are”. Amazon Games, Riot Games, Square Enix, and Warner Bros. Games have also since pledged support.
The initiative is launching with a set of 24 tags – such as clear text, large and clear subtitles, narrated menus, stick inversion and save anytime – with “clear criteria about what each tag means”, and “over time”, the initiative expects participating companies to place the Accessible Games Initiative tags on digital storefronts, product pages or digital catalogues. The tags have reportedly been developed with guidance and feedback from disabled gamers, advocacy groups, and developers, “all of whom provided valuable insights about the real-world applications of the tags”.