Wheelchair option coming to Xbox avatars

"​No petition needed, we hear you​" says Microsoft



Microsoft's Partner Director of Program Management for Xbox has tweeted pictures of avatars in wheelchairs as an indication of an upcoming update for the console.

Avatars are virtual figures constructed by the player. Much like Nintendo's Miis, players often enjoy creating a replication of their own likeness.

For some disabled players this can be especially frustrating, as their are currently no options to incorporate forms of physical disability into their image. It looks like this is set to change; Mike Ybarra's tweet is accompanied by two images, one female, one male, both in wheelchairs.

Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft's Xbox division also acknowledged on Twitter that the company was listening to players requests. "No petition needed, we hear you. This is something that we've already looked at, not far off."

About damned time! It's possible that the move will encourage Nintendo to follow suit by catering for its disabled audience. For years there have been calls for a more inclusive approach to the company's iconic Mii avatars.

Disabled gamers don't just get a rough deal in terms of representation, for those with severe physical impediments, control systems have also proven restrictive. Organisations like the UK-based charity Special Effect create specialised inputs like an awesome eye-sensor that can allow players to steer using just their gaze, but many feel that the console manufacturers should be doing more.

Hopefully this small gesture on the part of Microsoft will encourage the rest of the games industry to engage its wonderfully diverse audience more thoughtfully.

via Videogamer