The second annual Video Game Accessibility Awards happened last night, on March 13, and it saw many studios take home awards for their accessibility efforts in gaming in 2021.
Hosted by AbleGamers’ Steven Spohn and Sony Santa Monica studio writer Alanah Pearce, this awards show highlighted what studios were doing to make games more accessible to everyone through nine categories, as reported by IGN. Here’s a roundup of all the studios that won, and their winning title, in each category:
- Second Channel Award – An award for games that feature design around players having a second, or different, way to get information they need to progress.
- Winner: Eidos Montreal and Square Enixl, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Clear Text Award – An award for games that feature accessible options for reading text on-screen.
- Winner: 343 Industries and Xbox Game Studios, Halo Infinite
- Input Reduction Award – An award for games that allow players to reduce the amount of input needed to successfully complete actions required to progress forward.
- Winner: GoodbyeWorld Games and Skybound Games, Before Your Eyes
- AI Assistance Award – An award for games that allow players to progress forward using assistance from AI characters or systems in-game.
- Winner: Playground Games and Xbox Game Studios, Forza Horizon 5
- Improved Precision Award – An award for games that let players adjust options related to precision movement and aiming in-game, freely.
- Winner: Ubisoft Toronto and Ubisoft, Far Cry 6
- Peer Assistance Award – An award for games that allow players to progress forward with the help of another player.
- Winner: Hazelight Studios and EA, It Takes Two
- Remapping Award – An award for games that present the best options for remapping buttons and input commands in a game.
- Winner: Square Enix, Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
- Training Grounds Award – An award for games that give players a place in-game or a way to increase their own skill level using weapons, other systems, and more.
- Winner: 343 Industries and Xbox Game Studios, Halo Infinite
- Ability To Bypass Award – An award for games that allow players to bypass challenges or sections of a game to progress forward.
- Winner: Deck Nine and Square Enix, Life is Strange: True Colors
For more about accessibility in gaming, read Game Informer’s feature on Julian “Jibb” Smart, a developer that helped bring gyro aiming to Fortnite. Check out this interview feature about how Xbox is exploring accessibility efforts after that and then read about this accessible games database that helps locate accessible games to play.
[Source: IGN]
