[게임위드인] Game industry struggles with ‘disabled accessibility’ ahead of global expansion
NCsoft and Smilegate create game development guidelines with the handicapped in mind
The overseas games industry is already… Developing a controller for the disabled
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Joo-hwan = The Korean game industry, which is actively targeting the global market that encompasses the Western world beyond Asia, is late paying attention to game development considering game accessibility for the disabled.
According to the game industry on the 3rd, NCsoft[036570]added ‘color weakness correction’ and ‘light sensitivity’ options to its new massively multiplayer role-playing game (MMORPG) ‘Throne and Liberty’ (TL), which completed beta testing late last month.
Color Weakness Correction is a function that allows players with color vision problems, such as color blindness and color weakness, to easily identify color differences on the game screen.
The light sensitivity option is a function that adjusts the intensity of various light source effects in the game taking into account users with ‘photosensitive seizure syndrome’, which causes seizures when exposed to rapidly flashing lights.
TL is the first game that NCsoft has introduced such an accessibility option.
Recently, NCsoft created development guidelines for game accessibility for the disabled through its affiliated organization ‘Game Design Lab’, and designed them taking into account accessibility in video / audio / control / interface / communication / communication during the game development process .
An official from NCsoft said, “We plan to introduce more varied and advanced accessibility options at the time of the official release of TL.”
Smilegate completed game accessibility education for the disabled provided by ‘AbleGamers’, an American non-profit organization, in the Office of D&I (Diversity and Inclusion), which was newly established last year, and based on this, created a checklist that can be applied in the game production process. Distributed to the development organization.
These efforts were applied to the virtual reality (VR) shooting game ‘Sierra Squad’, which Smilegate recently unveiled to the world market with the aim of launching this summer.
An official from Smilegate said, “More than just adding related options, we have carefully designed the game so that elements that must be recognized in the game are not expressed in red or green, and do not have even those who can’t hear the sound no problems. with the game.”
Kakao Games[293490] It also provides accessibility options that take color vision into account, such as its own mobile games ‘Friends Pop’ and ‘Friends Popcorn’, while collaborating with the National Rehabilitation Center on assistive device support projects to improve game accessibility for the disabled.
In the domestic game industry, this move is considered a new attempt, but in North America and Europe, game development that considers accessibility for the disabled is already common.
Produced by Naughty Dog, an American games company, ‘The Last of Us Part 2’ provides over 60 accessibility settings for visual, hearing, behavioral and physical disabilities.
In particular, for people with low vision, there is a function that improves the contrast of light and shade and color, or explains items that have fallen on the ground or the current situation by voice.
Santa Monica Studio’s action game ‘God of War Ragnarok’, released last year, also received favorable reviews for its rich accessibility options, and won the ‘Accessibility Innovation Award’ at ‘The Game Awards’, also known as the Oscars of gaming world
‘Diablo 4’, which Blizzard Entertainment will officially release on the 6th, also has a built-in function that translates and reads the extensive text in the game.
Recently, game controllers that can be easily used by people with limited mobility are also coming out.
In 2018, Microsoft Xbox (Xbox) released an ‘adaptive controller’ for users who find it difficult to play while holding a gamepad with their hands.
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), which has been watching this move, revealed ‘Project Leonardo’, a controller dedicated to ‘PlayStation 5’ for the disabled at CES 2023 earlier this year.
According to the report ‘Basic Study on Improving Game Accessibility for People with Disabilities’ published by the Korea Creative Content Agency in January, 327 gamers with disabilities who responded to the survey improved the quality of life by using a game (69.1%, responses multiple possible) and better psychological health (68.3%), etc.
In addition, if the degree of disability is severe, ‘specific support to develop controller/hardware devices’ is required (50%), and if the level of disability is not severe, ‘develop an interface/user experience that can be enjoyed by all equal. ‘ (45.5%) most answered positively.
jujuk@yna.co.kr
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