Video games have always been about escapism. It doesn't necessarily matter what sort of game you're playing — games have always been about doing something that you'd never be able to do in real life.
Even as realism has become a more and more prominent part of the industry, that sense of escapism has only grown stronger.
The Uncharted series is a perfect example of this. Sure, Nathan Drake is a pretty average (if unbelievably fit) guy, but nobody wants to upend their lives to go treasure-hunting halfway across the globe or risk getting shot every few minutes.
That's why it's strange that so many games fail to accommodate disabled players. It's not necessarily a question about making the game easier, but making sure that anyone — regardless of physical ability — can actually play through it. To be fair, more and more games have been including options for colorblind players, but there's still a lot more that could be done.
... which is what makes Naughty Dog's work on Uncharted 4: A Thief's End so remarkable. You may not have noticed it, but there's a new "Accessibility" option tucked away in the game's menus — and while you may not have much use for it, these new options are making a huge difference for disabled players.
With more and more people playing games every day, it's easy to forget that there are those who have trouble holding a dual analog controller. Video games are one of the few interactive, non-physical forms of entertainment out there — so, why isn't it easier for those with disabilities to start playing?
Hopefully, Naughty Dog's work with Uncharted 4 becomes the standard. To be fair, it's not necessarily realistic for every development team to have the resources for something like this, but there's really no excuse why more triple-A titles can't have accessibility options like Uncharted 4. Plus, if it means more people are buying and playing the games, why wouldn't publishers want to include something like this?
If gamers want the industry to keep growing, then we need to make sure that everyone — no matter what sort of physical shape they're in — can jump in and play. Hopefully, what Naughty Dog has done with Uncharted 4 is just the beginning.
