Microsoft's new program will ensure that disabled players will not be left out in its growing game business. The company stated that it will ensure that more accessible games will soon be released so that players with disabilities can also enjoy them.

Disabled Players Can Now Expect More Accessible Games, Thanks to Microsoft's New Game Program
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LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 13: The new Microsoft Xbox One S console is announced during the Microsoft Xbox news conference at the E3 Gaming Conference on June 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. The One S is slated to launch in August.

"The Xbox Accessibility Guidelines (or "tags") are a set of best practices that have been developed in partnership with industry experts and members of the Gaming & Disability community," said the company via Microsoft Docs blog.

"They are intended for designers to generate ideas, for developers as guardrails when developing their games, and for test teams as a checklist to validate the accessibility of their titles," the company added.

How Microsoft's new program will work

The Verge reported that Microsoft's new program allows the developers to send their PC or Xbox games. When the company receives it, the games will be analyzed and validated against the recommendations that XAG provides. 
XAG or The Xbox Accessibility Guidelines dictates explanations of inclusive design considerations for developers. Since XAG is now updated, it includes additional context, implementation examples, and clearer language.

Disabled Players Can Now Expect More Accessible Games, Thanks to Microsoft's New Game Program
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Microsoft's new program will include feedbacks provided by disabled players. It will also link to information on inclusive design, accessibility experts, and include relevant nonprofits. If the tech giant software company detects any issues on a newly developed game during the test, it will send screenshots, reproduction steps, and other relevant information that would help the developers understand the problems that affect the experiences of players with disabilities.

As of the moment, many game companies are also focusing on game accessibility. Microsoft's new program could lead to more games with a similarly wide variety of accessibility options that are offered by the popular role-playing game "The Last of Us 2."

Microsoft's improvements

Microsoft's new game improvement project targets new enhancements that will help all types of games, with disabilities or none. To give you more idea, here are some of the companies targeted changes in its new program;

  • Scoping questions for game developers
  • XAG's easier background and foundational info
  • Implementation guideline examples
  • Improved overview of XAG

For more news updates about Microsoft's game innovations, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

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Written by: Giuliano de Leon.

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