Jul 13, 2021 - Economy & Business
Reviews may not always help gamers with disabilities
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Reviews can help people decide which games to buy, but for some gamers with disabilities crucial questions about accessibility are not being answered by writers.
Why it matters: Whether or not a game includes options like alternative control schemes or color-coded systems can be a key factor in some people's abilities to play a game.
- In response to a Twitter poll asking if people based game purchasing choices on website reviews, AbleGamers COO Steven Spohn said he does not, because "95% of reviews don't list accessibility to help me decide."
What they're saying: Accessibility advocate Steve Saylor echoed Spohn's sentiments.
- "This is something I hope to see change (and participate in) on sites like IGN, Gamespot, Polygon, etc.," he tweeted.
- "The more we talk about accessibility and include it as part of reviews, the more this will encourage studios to include accessibility as part of the design process."
Go deeper: More developers than ever are making accessible games