wraggster
November 26th, 2018, 15:06
Thanks to John Lewis et al, heartwarming Christmas adverts are all the rage - to the point where even electronics conglomerate Microsoft is getting in on the action.
The company has produced a short film that highlights the Xbox Adaptive Controller, as well as pushing its strategy to promote accessibility in games with a new slogan: 'When everybody plays, we all win'.
The Adaptive Controller is a device with a variety of different customisable inputs that enables people with almost any disability to enjoy Xbox games. It was unveiled to widespread acclaim earlier this year (https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-05-17-xbox-reveals-accessible-controller-for-players-with-disabilities) and released in September.
While it doesn't actually appear much in the ad itself, the short film's narrative - which focuses on wheelchair-bound nine-year-old Owen - puts the controller, and accessibility, at the heart of its message.
The ad arrives at a time where accessibility is increasingly becoming a talking point in video games. Case in point, Activision came under fire earlier this week for not including subtitles in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy (https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-11-19-activision-on-spyros-missing-subtitles-theres-no-industry-standard) - thus limiting the experience for deaf players.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-11-23-xbox-adaptive-controller-christmas-ad-furthers-microsofts-push-for-accessibility
The company has produced a short film that highlights the Xbox Adaptive Controller, as well as pushing its strategy to promote accessibility in games with a new slogan: 'When everybody plays, we all win'.
The Adaptive Controller is a device with a variety of different customisable inputs that enables people with almost any disability to enjoy Xbox games. It was unveiled to widespread acclaim earlier this year (https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-05-17-xbox-reveals-accessible-controller-for-players-with-disabilities) and released in September.
While it doesn't actually appear much in the ad itself, the short film's narrative - which focuses on wheelchair-bound nine-year-old Owen - puts the controller, and accessibility, at the heart of its message.
The ad arrives at a time where accessibility is increasingly becoming a talking point in video games. Case in point, Activision came under fire earlier this week for not including subtitles in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy (https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-11-19-activision-on-spyros-missing-subtitles-theres-no-industry-standard) - thus limiting the experience for deaf players.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-11-23-xbox-adaptive-controller-christmas-ad-furthers-microsofts-push-for-accessibility