Gamers come from all different backgrounds. We are not all single guys that live in the cliché of their mom’s basement. Sure, some of us are guys. But there are so many woman gamers. There are gamers of all different ages, races. Some gamers are gay. Some gamers are disabled. Not everyone understands that…
But Microsoft does.
According to Cindy Walker, Xbox’s director of marketing, “We want to create a world that everybody feels included in and comfortable in.” This statements speaks to the mission of gaming in general: giving every human the chance to experience a world outside of their own to fantasize and get lost in. Specifically, Microsoft is aiming to create more devices that allow handicapped or disabled individuals access to the same experiences that their games were meant to give. This includes an alternative, more accessible controller for the Xbox One, among other unannounced developments.
Other steps towards inclusion in gaming aside from Microsoft include romance options in games. Dragon Age: Inquisition, you were able to romance a male character who was gay. In the upcoming Ubisoft title Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, players will similarly be able to court whichever character they want, regardless of gender.
Companies are realizing that gamers are each individual, but the power of gaming is what unifies us despite our differences. For developers to make games that any individual feel like they can play, it brings the community closer together.
