In 2021, EA made a pledge to let the wider game industry use its accessibility-related patents at no cost, and now the publisher has added 23 new patents to its lineup.
As of today, third parties can freely use patented technology such as improved speech recognition, simplified speech tech in games, and the ability to create more personalized speech. The broad aim is for this tech to assist players with speech disabilities or those who need help verbally expressing themselves.
For developers, EA suggests they could use this technology to “make it possible for those players’ speech to be more effectively recognized and reflected in-game in a way that is representative of their age, emotion, language and speaking style.”
Another patent highlighted is an internal plugin for Unreal Engine 5 that enables in-engine use of EA’s previously open-sourced photosensitivity analysis tech, IRIS. The plugin now allows developers to catch potential photosensitivity issues in-engine and real-time as they run their games.
“The sooner you start testing, the sooner you find potential issues,” said IRIS engineer Blanca Macazaga Zuaz. According to her, not many free or easy-to-use tools for photosensitivity analysis were available prior to IRIS. The free access takes down two barriers with one stone, which she called an “incredible feeling.”
Previously, the Madden and Dragon Age publisher made technologies like Apex Legends’ ping system and voice controls for NPCs free-use. The decision is all the more notable, as the industry’s accessibility strides have mainly concerned controllers or options in specific games, such as colorblind modes and skipping puzzles.
Kerry Hopkins, EA’s SVP of global affairs, explained this new batch of open-source patents “encourages the industry to work together to make video games more inclusive by removing unintended barriers to access.”
Along with the patents, EA said its PQI team is running accessible design workshops, and expanding its testing capabilities “to ensure we are always designing with accessibility in mind. More to come soon!”
You can see EA’s newly updated crop of free-use accessibility patents here.