[games_access] Accessibility Requirements Ubisoft/Microsoft?

[Ian Hamilton]

Pirates was developed internally, at Ubisoft's Paris HQ studio. 
Ubisoft do have a couple of publisher level accessibility requirements, all games that they publish must have subtitles, and must also pass Harding epilepsy trigger tests. 
Both requirements were reactive rather than as a result of corporate accessibility strategy. Subtitling was in response to outcry over the lack of them in the first Assassin's Creed game, and epilepsy testing was in response to UK government intervention over a child having a seizure while playing Raving Rabbids.
As well as the Windows app store, Pirates is also available on the iOS and Android stores. Google and Apple both recommend (but not require) that all apps meet their platform specific accessibility guidelines (http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/accessibility/index.html, https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/iPhoneAccessibility/Accessibility_on_iPhone/Accessibility_on_iPhone.html). For the Windows app store there's a requirement to meet all of the basic guidelines if you want to tick the accessibility box on your publishing form, as per link below.
Ian
From: sandra_uhling at web.de
To: games_access at igda.org
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 18:19:58 +0200
Subject: Re: [games_access] Accessibility Requirements Ubisoft/Microsoft?

Hi,Is it possible to get an up to date overview aboutthis kind of accessibility requirements? Developer intern, publisher, "shop" Best regards,Sandra Von: games_access [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org] Im Auftrag von Ian Hamilton
Gesendet: Freitag, 12. September 2014 17:19
An: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
Betreff: Re: [games_access] Accessibility Requirements Ubisoft/Microsoft? I know a little bit about it, they've ticked the box incorrectly, there are strict rules about what it can be used for: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-GB/library/windows/apps/hh700322.aspx I'd be astounded if Pirates complies with that, i.e. meets their minimum requirements of being fully compatible with screenreaders (through building using native UI elements rather than an engine), magnifiers and onscreen keyboards, has keyboard friendly logical tab sequences for all UI and gameplay, variable DPI, etc. The accessibility flag on the windows store is pretty much a waste of space at the moment, developers incorrectly tick it all the time. I've heard from a few pretty annoyed blind users about how unreliable it is.  The problem comes from defining 'accessible' as a single quantifiable thing. That MS have thought about including accessibility information is a big step in the right direction, but a single checkbox for 'accessible' doesn't really help, accessible to who? A checkbox like that is no use unless 1. users know exactly what the developer requirements are and 2. developers genuinely meet them. Instead, I think that the Windows app store (and anything similar, eg. Google Play, iTunes, XBox/PS4 storesetc) would be better off using a combination of things: 1. IndieCity's approach of giving developers a selection of common individual accessibility features as tickboxes (http://s13.postimg.org/fq08nwe2f/indiecity.jpg)2. Steam's approach for caption presence, allowing gamers to filter games based on it (http://store.steampowered.com/search/?category2=13) and so find games suited to their own personal needs and preferences3. Then also an extra free text box to allow/encourage devs to write about any other considerations, which players both be able to see on the game listing and be able to find via google / site text search. IanFrom: sandra_uhling at web.de
To: games_access at igda.org
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 16:27:02 +0200
Subject: [games_access] Accessibility Requirements Ubisoft/Microsoft?Hello, I found Assassins Creed Pirates in Windows Apps.There is the information that it fullfil the requirementsfor accessibility. But there is no more information about it. Does someone know about this? Best regards,Sandra
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