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The start of 2019 brings about a new change involving future video game releases. In 2010, a law called the Communications and Video Visibility Act was passed in the United States which required media to be accessible to those of varying or disabled capabilities. Since then, the Electronic Software Association, (ESA), has appealed for a waiver that allowed video games to be exempt from this law. However, as of 2019, the waiver has expired, and all video games with development cycles starting in 2019, or pre-existing games with major updates in 2019 must adhere to the CVAA, lest they be fined by the FCC.

• Games that enter development after this date must be fully compliant.
• Games already in development after this date but released after it must be as compliant as possible, how far through development the game was at Dec 31st may be taken into account in case of a complaint.
• Games released before this date that receive substantial updates after it must also be compliant.

Something to note, is that the CVAA does not force all games to cater or tailor their gameplay to those with disabilities, but instead it means that communications aspects within gaming must be accessible. Game chats will need to ensure certain things, with examples such as their in-game chat UI's being readable to those with eyesight issues, or that voice communication is easy to use if it's an option as an alternative to reading chatlogs, or gaming chats having a text-to-speech toggle. This law focuses on the social aspect of gaming, rather than gameplay.

Source

 

[Kigiru]

Meh, if it will be limited to communication options then it's fine. Surely it's another gateway for insane people to censorship games and that's bad, but the law on itself is actualy reasonable. On the bright side maybe we'll get more online games with limited/non-existing communication systems so annoying 10yo kiddos writing to you that they fucked your mama and you're a radert will be not a thing anymore.

Also i hope that it will stay limited to in-game communication. We realy don't want to live in a world of dumbed-down "games" with no challenge at all. It sucks that some people cannot enjoy more complex games because of their disabilities, but this should not be used to ruin fun of others.

 

[Ev1l0rd]

, but this should not be used to ruin fun of others.

I mean, if there is a selectable difficulty of "invincible mode so you can enjoy the story" and it's an option, (and it's always been an option), why does it harm how other people enjoy the game?

I recall UDG doing this (giving the players accessible and rapid switching to an invincible character) to prevent the original VN fans from being unable to enjoy this game in case they weren't fans of action FPS.

As long as it's an option, and thus far it's basically always been one exempting walking simulators or VNs (which are genres that focus more on story and not gameplay) I can't see how it impacts the fun of others.

 

[JeepX87]

I mean, if there is a selectable difficulty of "invincible mode so you can enjoy the story" and it's an option, (and it's always been an option), why does it harm how other people enjoy the game?

I recall UDG doing this (giving the players accessible and rapid switching to an invincible character) to prevent the original VN fans from being unable to enjoy this game in case they weren't fans of action FPS.

As long as it's an option, and thus far it's basically always been one exempting walking simulators or VNs (which are genres that focus more on story and not gameplay) I can't see how it impacts the fun of others.

Yes, I do notice that some gamers with disabilities used trainer on PC version to make easier to beat.

 

[Tigran]

Hell, I’d be glad if it forces games *coughspyrocough* to have subtitles and make othe games like Ni No Kuni 2 to have legible text.

 

[GbaNober]

Yes i completely agree IF the game can improve the disabled person mentally and physically(as much as possible)
like puzzle games,But if it's just a Game that squeeze money and TEMPORARILY boost their dopamine.i think that's too much for a disable person..

 

[tbb043]

For those who don't read the OP, put down the pitchforks. This relates only to communications. Not gameplay.

tldr: Game chats and voice chat need to be made easily accessible for everyone of varying traits. Gameplay is not held to this.

Now the reason for Nintendo's version of chat on the Switch becomes clear. If they pass it off to some other device they don't have to worry about this legislative bullshit.

 

[brunocar]

I know, I jumped the gun on that post. I could go back and change it to save grace, but alas, why bother.

wow, this is the first time you have said anything rational in this site, congrats.

 

[XDel]

wow, this is the first time you have said anything rational in this site, congrats.

Ha ha!

 

[Pippin666]

Wow, there are so many uneducated people in here. Smells like Trumps voters.

Pip'

 

[FAST6191]

Wow, there are so many uneducated people in here. Smells like Trumps voters.

Pip'

Care to elaborate on what you find objectionable about this legislation or the people discussing it? Or is this just a drive by troll post?

 

[Tigran]

Care to elaborate on what you find objectionable about this legislation or the people discussing it?

Well for most of the people "Discussing" it.. I find objectionable that they apparently don't a) either read the damned article, b) have no reading comprehension.

 

[Pippin666]

Care to elaborate on what you find objectionable about this legislation or the people discussing it? Or is this just a drive by troll post?

This :

With all due respect, why not stick to games that fit your liking instead of trying to make all games be a certain way? There's tons of different games that appeal to tons of different people. Some of us like complex stories, why try to change that?

That would be like changing books to be in one category. It might make a small group happy but a larger group unhappy. Would you really want that?

Hmmmmm....

Force in the guise of humanitarianism. When have I not seen this played out before?

Pip'

 

[FAST6191]

This :

Pip'

One of those is for a different thread but OK.

One of those I would probably have written off as a failure to see sarcasm (it is a noted problem in textual communication).

The other seems like a reasonable position -- from where I sit this is a forced do nothing especially good but cause traumas anyway piece of legislation.

 

[Jayro]

I'm so glad this passed.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

It will be probably GBATEMP: Safe Space Edition

Also add in-game cheats to make easier for people with disabilities to beat the game.

Just kidding!!!

Anyway, as Deaf gamer that relies on ASL to communicate, it would be interesting news, so it means they want to mandate on subtitles in all games.

As long as the subtitles are optional and not forced, I'm down.

 

[JeepX87]

I'm so glad this passed.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

As long as the subtitles are optional and not forced, I'm down.

The subtitles are always optional in most games in current generation, but some games have forced text box, especially Pokemon games and Super Mario Odyssey.

Even they mandated subtitles in movies so they are all optional, but some anime movies tend to be subbed.

 

[ELY_M]

I am deaf gamer and I am glad that the wii and switch have rumbles that help me. I also glad my fav games usually have subtitles.