“Developers have expressed their enthusiasm for the XAGs, but also asked for additional context and clarity on how to ensure that these guidelines are properly implemented in their games,” the report said. In addition, there was a clear desire for more content that helps a developer understand ‘where to start’, or ‘how to focus efforts’. Finally, there are requests for assistance in understanding the impact that XAGs will have on the gaming experience of players with disabilities. ‘The changes implemented today include adjustments to the language used in the guidelines to make them clearer and easier to understand, as well as added elements such as goals, scope questions and key target areas to help developers understand why each area is important and the guidelines easier.
The biggest change is that developers now have the ability to send their Xbox or PC games to Microsoft to have them “analyzed and validated” based on the guidelines, and to receive feedback on any issues to help them understand where players with disabilities struggle, and how the problems can be solved. This will include links to documentation, articles and other information that will help developers better understand why certain issues are important. And most importantly, members of Xbox’s Gaming & Disability Community will be part of the game feedback process.
Xbox has been a staunch supporter of more accessible games for years now, especially with the release of the Xbox Adaptive Controller in 2018, and supports accessibility by explicitly supporting games like HyperDot, and recently with a number of features introduced in the Xbox Series X.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.