Video Game Makers Start Rolling Out Accessibility Tags

Xbox is the first video game maker to introduce new tags designed to make it easier for people with disabilities to know if games are accessible, but many others in the industry are set to follow suit.

Microsoft’s gaming arm said this month that so-called Accessible Games Initiative tags are available “across all digital Xbox experiences including console, PC, mobile and web storefronts.”

The tags were developed as part of an initiative announced earlier this year by the Entertainment Software Association, a trade group for the video game industry, and representatives from Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo of America and Ubisoft.

Tags are available to denote about two-dozen accessibility features including clear text, large and clear subtitles, narrated menus, multiple volume controls, various difficulty levels, stick inversion and save anytime. Those behind the effort indicated that that the selection will likely evolve and expand.

There are now more than 4,000 accessibility tags across Xbox experiences, which can be used to filter games. The company indicated that it will continue to use its Xbox Game Accessibility Feature tags in instances where no comparable Accessible Games Initiative tag exists, but the new standardized tags are simpler for developers to deploy and for consumers to utilize.

“This work has been over half a decade in the making, so finally seeing these new tags in our store experiences is incredibly exciting. And it’s been amazing to see not just the positive community sentiment, but the rapid adoption we’ve had from game developers,” said Brannon Zahand, senior technical program manager at Xbox.

Crosby Armstrong with the Entertainment Software Association said that implementation is “underway” for other member companies, but “they are all working on their own timelines.”