It’s common wisdom that devs should design games for maximum accessibility from the beginning — but what happens if you don’t?
Turtle Rock Studios learned the hard way with its 2015 asymmetrical multiplayer shooter Evolve, and at GDC 2017 Gaikai’s Tara Voelker broke what the studio learned when it took steps to make the game more accessible post-launch.
It was an important talk because it showcased how, with a bit of forethought, you can easily make your game accessible and enjoyable to a lot of people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to play (and thus wouldn’t buy) your game.
Voelker ran down not only how to avoid the challenges Turtle Rock encountered, but how the changes made to accommodate players with disabilities also made the game better and more enjoyable for all players.
The talk was frank and informative; if you missed it in person, don’t miss your chance to now watch the whole thing for free on the official GDC YouTube channel!
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