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We've
often been asked to create a list of games that are subtitled so
visitors to Deaf Gamers can quickly see which games are subtitled.
I've always been loathe to do this because as you all know subtitles,
although important, are not the be all and end all when it comes
to making a game deaf gamer friendly. What's needed is something
much more comprehensive than a list that shows which games are subtitled.
After much thought we have come up with the Deaf Gamers Classification
system. What's all this about then? Well read on for an introduction.
In
addition to giving a game an overall rating we've previously added
a small comment to the end of a review. Whilst this has been a suitable
way to round off a review it provides no way to allow us to compile
an informative list which allows our visitors to quickly see how
useful each game is without having to trawl through every game they
might be interested in. To resolve this problem we've created the
Deaf Gamers Classification system. From now on every review will
also receive a grade ranging from A to E. These grades will quickly
show you how suitable a game is for deaf gamers as well as allow
us to create a reference list which you can then use. Below you'll
find an explanation of what each grade actually means.
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Deaf
Gamers Classification Grades
To
earn an A grade a game really has to be impressive in it's provision
for deaf gamers. We expect captions, subtitles and other visual
clues. Colour-coded subtitles and a choice to alter the text speed
(where appropriate) are features we would also consider as preferable.
Not many games are going to receive the A grade unfortunately. Only
Half-Life 2 springs to mind as being a game worthy of an A grade.
Let's hope many developers follow Valve's excellent example.
Earning
a B grade is going to be difficult. We expect the game to have subtitles
for all the important dialogue and leave deaf gamers without any
doubts about what needs to be done. Deaf gamers should be able to
follow the games story too. Think of a B grade classification as
having everything that an A grade rating would have apart from captions.
Some
games aren't perfect in their provision for deaf gamers but they
still allow deaf gamers to play the game without any real difficulty.
Games that aren't fully subtitled (the cutscenes might not be subtitled
for example but the rest of the game would provide subtitles) but
don't cause any problems, except for the fact that the deaf gamer
might miss out on the games story, are probably going to earn a
C grade. Sports games that don't have their commentary subtitled
are another example of a game that can have omissions and yet still
cause no real problems for deaf gamers and as such would earn a
C.
If
a game has a D grade you really should think long and hard about
parting with your cash for the game. The cutscenes in the game won't
be subtitled. Dialogue in the main game will also not be subtitled
and a general lack of visual feedback will exist too. Games that
are subtitled but still cause the odd problem, which might deter
some gamers, will also earn a D grade. You'll still be able to muddle
your way through because objectives are given in text but for the
most part it's more like hard work than enjoyment. There might be
the odd problem with a game of this nature so it's worth reading
the review to find out more information.
Red
spells danger and that's exactly why the E grade icon has
a red background. A game earning an E grade is just impossible
for deaf gamers. In addition to the problems mentioned in
the explanation for the D grade there will also be no way
of knowing what your objectives are as well as important
information being given only in speech. Games that rely
on the ability to hear are also given an E grade. An example
of this would be an adventure game that contained a puzzle
where you had to listen in order to solve it. In fact with
a game earning an E grade there will be so many problems
that deaf gamers should just forget the game exists and
move on to something else. We've seen a few games like this
in the past. Let's hope we don't have to award too many
of these in the future.
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Well
there's a guide as to what each grade represents. From now
on every game will receive a Deaf Gamers Classification
grade and we'll compile a table (found here)
so that you can easily see which games are suitable. Presently
there are no plans to go back and grade previous reviews
(it would take me months of work to do this) but should
the opportunity arise for me to edit old reviews to grade
them then I'll add them to the list. Please remember though
sometimes it's not possible to complete a game (RPG's for
example that last for 50+ hours are an example of this)
and that we can make the odd mistake with grading a game
in this fashion. That said though I hope this grading system
will prove useful to you.
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