It’s Inspiring How Important And Pronounced Game Accessibility Has Become Today

Over the years, gaming has grown from a niche entertainment medium to a worldwide sensation. Looking at the photorealistic games of today with complex mechanics and creative world design, it’s almost impossible to believe that it started from no more than a few pixels on screen. It’s a multi-billion-dollar industry with fans all around, and genres so varied there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Since gaming has become such a big deal, it’s all the more reason to consider game accessibility in earnest. I love games with all my heart, and it gives me great joy to see a lot more people enjoy them. Gaming shouldn’t be just limited to able-bodied individuals, and the industry as a whole fully recognizes it. Great efforts are being made to make games as accessible as possible, and I just want to say what a good thing this is.

The Evolution Of Accessibility

Disability, either natural or accidental, is something as old as humanity itself. However, without enough technological development, we weren’t as adept at dealing with it as we are now. I’m not disabled myself, but my heart cries out for my fellow humans, and it’s such a warm feeling to see them actively being a part of society now, thanks to how far technology has come.

Accessibility is important and possible
byu/Liv_Current inTheBesties

No one should ever be shunned for this. We should try to help our fellows as much as we can, as a moral obligation to ourselves and society as a whole; gaming is no exception. In the past, games were considered something that blind or deaf people may not be able to enjoy. You’d need perfect coordination, visual and listening ability, and speech capabilities to enjoy games, and that’s how they were designed, too.

Accessibility has always been a keen research field due to the morality of it, but it’s only after gaming became as massive as it has since the COVID times that special attention has been paid to game accessibility. The lockdown exposed a lot more people to this beautiful, timeless medium. With the user base growing exponentially, it’s only natural that companies consider game accessibility from a business perspective as well.

Efforts For Accessibility In Gaming

You might see new patents from video game companies frequently; quite a few of these are for new innovations in accessibility. Depending on the type of disability, appropriate steps are taken to cater to every gamer’s needs. This includes lowered or impaired sensory organs, problems in motor functionality, or learning disabilities. Games are trying to make themselves accessible to all such people.

When it comes to sensory problems, solutions like text-to-speech, closed captioning, alternate contrast settings, etc., were devised and improved over time. You might have seen a lot of such settings in games like God of War or The Last of Us. Moreover, to help sensory disabled people be active social gamers, technologies like chat transcription have been developed.

Similarly, reduced motor function demands an input device that requires little coordination and has a simpler interface/controls. To address this, we’ve seen new controllers specifically designed for handicapped people appear on the market. These usually include larger buttons, customizable physical layout, sound/touch cues for input, etc.

Conventional games usually have a hard time adjusting to learning disabilities, since a game provides too much information all at once. Thus, certain games are now designed specifically to make sure less-gifted individuals get to enjoy the same experience. Stuff like universally accessible games is an example of mankind’s effort to leave no one behind.

I really love how many accessibility features have become normalized in the past few years.
byu/Rodeo4613 inpatientgamers

Innovation Using AI

The gaming industry’s efforts towards accessibility are truly commendable. It’s a marvel of innovation in game design, and a testament to humanity’s growth. Plus, with the advent of AI, accessibility has become easier than ever. AI’s whole purpose is to simplify complex actions. Using an AI video generator can create a full-length video in seconds. This is just one of countless examples.

AI is a perfect accessibility tool. Say what you will about it, it’s a godsend for the differently abled. People not as gifted can create and enjoy the same stuff we do with minimal inputs. Personal use aside, even game companies are using AI-powered technologies to fuel their accessibility efforts now. Transcription, text-to-speech, and enhanced audio-visual cues have become easier than ever.

AI and accessibility can be researched and developed together to make a lot more possible than it is today. Of course, this isn’t limited to gaming, but since games remain my expertise, I’d like to talk about it. AI-fueled voiceovers, virtual assistance, simplifying inputs, etc., are just the tip of the iceberg. With consistent growth, we can ensure our disabled brethren can enjoy the same games we do with no regrets.