EA Announces Continued Commitment to Inclusive Gaming with New Assistance Tools
Electronic Arts (EA) has announced its dedication to making gaming more inclusive and barrier-free with the continued use of assistance tools and related technologies. The gaming giant also plans to disclose more assistance tool patent resources to the public, allowing for more industries to utilize them in creating user-friendly games.
One of the notable assistance tools disclosed by EA is IRIS, a light sensitivity analysis tool designed to reduce the occurrence of photosensitive epilepsy (PSE) in players. IRIS enables game developers to easily identify and rectify flickering light sources or rapid light changes that could trigger photosensitive epilepsy. Currently, IRIS is being used in popular EA SPORTS titles such as “Madden NFL 24”, “EA SPORTS FC 24″, and “EA SPORTS WRC”, with plans to expand its application to more visual content in the future.
EA has also committed to making IRIS-related code open source, along with other tools such as an automatic player control takeover system, adaptive game teaching system, and route navigation system. These tools will be made available to the public without the imposition of any patent fees, aimed at improving the gaming experience for players with physical and mental disabilities. By eliminating in-game related play impairment issues, EA hopes to allow all players to enjoy gaming smoothly without being hindered by slow movement or cognitive impairment.
This announcement follows EA’s previous initiatives to provide assistance tools through portals, including Fonttik, which automatically identifies content and is utilized in games like “Apex Legends” to help players identify items and characters more easily.
EA’s commitment to inclusive gaming and the disclosure of assistance tools to the public signals a significant step forward in allowing players of all abilities to participate in gaming without limitations. With these tools becoming more widely accessible, the gaming industry is poised to create more user-friendly games, ultimately benefiting a broader player base.