Revolutionizing Gaming: EA’s New Innovations in Photosensitivity and Speech Recognition Technology

In 2021, EA committed to allowing the broader gaming industry to utilize its accessibility-related patents without restrictions, and now the publisher has incorporated 23 new patents into its portfolio.

Currently, third parties can freely utilize patented technologies such as enhanced speech recognition, simplified speech tools in video games, and the capability to create more tailored speech outputs. The main goal is for this technology to assist gamers with speech impairments or individuals who require assistance in verbal communication.

For developers, EA explains that they could potentially use these technologies to “enable those players’ speech to be more accurately recognized and portrayed in-game in a manner that reflects their age, emotion, language, and speaking style.”

Another patent of note is an internal plugin for Unreal Engine 5 that allows in-engine usage of EA’s previously released photosensitivity assessment technology, IRIS. This plugin empowers developers to identify photosensitivity issues within the engine and in real-time as they run their games.

“The earlier you start testing, the sooner you uncover potential problems,” stated IRIS engineer Blanca Macazaga Zuaz. According to her, there were few free or easy-to-use tools for photosensitivity assessment available prior to the introduction of IRIS. The free access addresses two challenges simultaneously, which she described as an “incredible feeling.”

Previously, the Madden and Dragon Age publisher made technologies like Apex Legends’ping system and assistive controls for NPCs available for free use. The impact is particularly significant as the industry’s accessibility enhancements are increasingly complemented by adaptive controllers and options in specific games, such as colorblind settings and puzzle skipping.

Kerry Hopkins, EA’s SVP of global affairs, stated that this new set of open-source patents “motivates the industry to collaborate in making video games more inclusive by eliminating unintended barriers to access.”

In addition to the patents, EA announced its PQI team is conducting accessible design workshops and enhancing its testing capabilities “to ensure we are consistently designing with accessibility in mind. More updates will follow soon!”

You can also view EA’s updated collection of free-to-use accessibility patents right here.

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