ESA Initiative Provides Accessibility Transparency for Games

The Entertainment Software Association is rolling out the Accessible Games Initiative, a cross-industry reference resource that provides information about accessibility features in video games. The effort launches with a set of 24 “tags” advising of the features. The ESA announced the effort at the Game Developers Conference with representatives from five founding member companies: Electronic Arts, Google, Microsoft, Nintendo and Ubisoft. The goal is to have participating companies include the tags with their game product info in digital storefronts, on product pages and elsewhere to help provide players, parents and teachers details about accessibility features. Continue reading ESA Initiative Provides Accessibility Transparency for Games

ESA Report Details Ongoing Growth of Video Game Industry

A comprehensive report from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) reveals that the game industry created direct economic output of $409.9 billion in 2019 as well as direct employment of 143,045 people. Further, gaming generated total income of $35.28 billion including $17.37 billion in direct compensation to workers in the video game industry. In indirect support, the game industry contributed $90.3 billion. All these figures are predicted to grow in 2020, due to the rise of gaming during the COVID-19 shutdowns. Continue reading ESA Report Details Ongoing Growth of Video Game Industry

Growing Number of U.S. Adults Now Playing Video Games

According to “2019 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry,” a new annual report from gaming industry trade group Entertainment Software Association, about 65 percent of adults now play video games in the United States. That adds up to more than 164 million people, and each year, the total grows. The report also indicates that three-fourths of U.S. adults have at least one gaming player at home, while 93 percent of those households own a smartphone on which half of them play video games.

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