‘Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’ increases focus on accessibility


“Instead, the team approached it from a gameplay perspective to see which situations or which controls would benefit from a shortcut,” Zorrilla explains. “Some situations could be solved by offering toggles (like opening the weapon wheel or aiming), but successive presses like jumping and slamming your weapon or grips like gliding were good candidates to offer with one push. “

Besides the challenge of implementation to toggle against holding on specific actions, the planners were faced with the task of meeting the specific needs of each disabled person. As more studios embrace accessibility practices, the features and settings can’t accommodate so many. Each disability is unique and people with the same disability can have large differences in strength, vision or hearing. As a result, Insomniac Games designed a new feature specific to Ratchet & Clank that could help relieve physical and cognitive exhaustion.

“We were initially discussing how to handle each individual situation, which eventually turned into an overall game speed option that could be used in any situation, and shortcuts seemed like the best way to allow the player to control the speed and timing, ”Zorrilla explains. “This created a new challenge, as the addition of three different game speeds meant they all had to be tested, and our development support and quality assurance team at PlayStation Studios were instrumental in making it happen. realization of that. “

These accessibility initiatives are not exclusive to PlayStation. Microsoft and Nintendo both have hardware, software, or documentation to help foster inclusiveness among in-house studios. For example, in 2020, Xbox launched the Xbox Accessibility Guidelines (XAG) to encourage consistency across platforms. While not necessarily a rigid checklist that must be strictly followed, this list allows developers to continuously monitor a game’s accessibility performance at every stage of development, ensuring that their games are not lacking in crucial features. For PlayStation, studios and developers have their own iteration of the guidelines, with the first version released in 2015. Mark Friend, senior user researcher at SIE, acknowledges that such guidelines not only raise awareness but allow consistent accessibility.

“The original document was an important moment because it helped put accessibility in front of people at a time when it was a much less common topic of conversation in game development, and it provided a great resource for developers who wanted to know more about the subject, ”says Friend. “It was also important for us to work with the developers at PlayStation Studios to inform new iterations of the accessibility guidelines, to ensure that what we are describing is achievable. “

And with Ratchet & Clank As proof, accessibility features can be incredibly unique to a specific game, despite coming from the same studio.

“Accessibility in game development isn’t just about following suggested guidelines,” Friend explains. “While there are general best practices that can be perpetuated between games, every game released by PlayStation Studios is different, so our goal is always to make sure that we tailor our support to our studios and their games. Our suggested guidelines provide a great knowledge base, but we also want to make sure our studios are free to explore new, innovative ways to make their games more accessible.

Adding accessibility features to a game doesn’t require a AAA studio with hundreds of employees. And whatever the size of the development, accessibility is best addressed at the start of projects. Friend also advises developers to include players with disabilities as testers, to make sure these features and options work for them.

Besides the logistical aspect of a game’s design, the inclusion of features and accessibility options stems from a commitment to let everyone play. No one should be left out because of their abilities, and as Sam Thompson argues, hearing directly from people with disabilities how beneficial and important accessibility can be is not only rewarding but also reassuring as a developer.

“Empathy is the most powerful tool in your arsenal. With it, you can accomplish more than you ever thought possible. It’s absolutely amazing how effective and motivating it can be when members of the A11Y community come to the studio to share their perspectives and inspire your team to see things differently. You will be surprised at the impact this will have on your team.


More great WIRED stories

[ad_2]

Source Link