Electronic Arts (EA) announced the open sourcing of their photosensitivity analysis tool IRIS. They also announced adding an additional four patents to their pledge making accessibility related patents free to use.
Photosensitivity tool IRIS
IRIS is a photosensitivity analysis tool that EA developed. It analyzes and identifies frames in videos that may affect players who are sensitive to bright or flashing lights. Designed with accessibility in mind, the tool allows developers to quickly analyze visual content. This should help them identify photosensitivity issues in flashing lights or patterns early in development where it is easier to fix potential issues. IRIS has already been used in the development of several EA Sports titles. The source code for IRIS is available on GitHub.
Patent Pledge
Aside from open sourcing IRIS, EA added four patents to their accessibility patent pledge. This pledge, announced in 2021, includes several patents of technologies helping remove in-game barriers. With these four patents, the pledge contains 14 patents registered in the United States and 1 in China.
Automated Player Control Takeover describes a system that detects when a player stops controlling a game, and takes over control. This may help players who sometimes need small pauses, or have trouble reacting quickly in some situations. Adaptive Gaming Tutorial System describes an adaptive tutorial and hint system which guides players depending on their skill or play style. This is generally helpful to avoid annoyance due to excessive hints and tutorials. But it’s especially helpful for players who have trouble remembering certain aspects of gameplay and may benefit from repeating certain information.
Route Navigation System covers a system to generate and display navigation routes and guiding lines in complex environments. This can help players find their way more effectively. Lastly, Animated and Personalized Coach for Video Games is a system to provide insights about a player’s performance, intended to enhance their overall gaming experience. This might be especially helpful for competitive games where a bit of extra guidance can help level the playing field.
EA continues to set a good example here by allowing others to use their technology. It will be interesting to see how other developers may use the tools and patents to make their own projects more accessible. Especially so for photosensitivity, which can be an especially dangerous problem for which the standard warnings at the start of a game are not enough.
