Keywords Studios forges ahead in accessibility with game testing initiative

venturebeat.com:

Do you want to get the latest gaming industry news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our daily and weekly newsletters here .

Keywords Studios, a global technical and creative services provider for gaming and entertainment, is moving accessibility in games forward with a new initiative.

The Accessibility Quality Assurance (AQA), aims to expand gaming by catering to players with disabilities, offering comprehensive evaluative testing and feedback for game content.

“Accessibility Quality Assurance (AQA) is our commitment to drive widespread improvements in game accessibility globally,” said Sebastian Long, managing director of Player Research, in a statement.

This innovative capability, headed by a team of 30 cross-trained QA staff, positioned across Canada, Poland, Mexico, and India, aims to swiftly audit game content for accessibility. The service, a first-of-its-kind, provides both rapid audits and long-term cycle testing, seamlessly integrated within traditional quality assurance practices.

This is significant because Keywords Studios has become a huge company servicing game developers around the world. Keywords Studios has more than 12,000 employees working in more than 70 studios across five continents.

The AQA process is designed to fortify modern game accessibility during production. AQA specialists meticulously identify barriers within the game and provide technical assessments, leveraging a novel “barrier severity” system to prioritize improvements, ensuring a seamless gaming experience for all players. This initiative is complemented by a bespoke training program, crafted in collaboration with disabled players, consultants, and game QA specialists.

Industry luminary Ian Hamilton, a leading independent