What are some strategies for making online games more inclusive?

Understanding your players is crucial for making online games more inclusive. This involves conducting research to gain insights into the diverse needs, preferences, and experiences of your player base. By understanding their demographics, interests, and limitations, game developers can tailor their designs and features to better accommodate a wide range of players, ensuring that no one feels excluded or overlooked.

Providing options and customization features is essential for promoting inclusivity in online games. By allowing players to adjust settings such as difficulty levels, control schemes, language preferences, and visual/audio accessibility options, developers can empower individuals to tailor their gaming experience to suit their unique needs and abilities. This flexibility ensures that players of all skill levels and backgrounds can fully engage with the game on their own terms.

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Designing for diversity and representation involves creating characters, storylines, and environments that reflect the rich tapestry of human experiences. Incorporating diverse characters with varied backgrounds, identities, and abilities not only fosters a sense of inclusion but also helps players feel seen and represented within the game world. Additionally, designing inclusive gameplay mechanics that accommodate different play styles and abilities can further enhance the accessibility and appeal of the game to a broader audience.

Prioritize proactive positive social systems that encourage and reward players for good behavior. For instance, a long-tail 'reputation faction' system that unlocks cool experiences over time allows the do-gooders to shine and can discourage toxic interactions. Make sure players have tools to funnel themselves towards experiences they want most to engage with, while limiting exposure to undesired ones.

Fostering a positive and safe community is essential for creating an inclusive gaming environment where all players feel welcome and respected. This requires implementing robust moderation tools and policies to address toxic behavior, harassment, and discrimination within the game community. Encouraging empathy, collaboration, and mutual respect among players can help cultivate a supportive community culture where everyone can enjoy the game free from fear or intimidation.

UX research with communities, NGOs, Esports Teams to understand where the pain points are is fundamental to understand how to improve gameplay.

Learning and improving continuously is key to maintaining and enhancing inclusivity in online games. Game developers should actively seek feedback from players, particularly from underrepresented or marginalized groups, and use this input to iterate on their designs and address any accessibility or inclusivity issues that may arise. By staying open to feedback, engaging with diverse perspectives, and committing to ongoing improvement efforts, developers can ensure that their games evolve to better meet the needs and preferences of all players.

This takes a lot of time, research, and commitment. Whether it's representation, accessibility options, or proper communication and feedback channels, inclusivity is a two way relationship based on trust.

A trap that is easy to fall into is that you can end up being exclusive when trying to be inclusive. Just remember to not remove options that players expect. Focus on adding, not removing. This makes it harder for sure, but you will get a better result in the end.

If you want to build an inclusive community, be prepared to invest significant time and resources. From qualified community team members to guidelines and consistent communication (and everything in between),it takes effort. Too often, we see companies using the "inclusive community" label in their marketing mix without genuine commitment. We've all heard of those successful companies that haven't exactly treated their players with the respect they deserve. Sadly, in many cases, as time passed and companies expanded, those relationships broke down. Building a sustainable community isn't easy, but it's the difference between a successful game and a successful company in the long run. I believe YOU can do better!

Knowing your target audience is very important for designing and creating inclusive content. For example, early MMORPGs may have a mix of older and new players. Players may no longer have the time to commit anymore. They might find the game more approachable if the same design was presented in a slightly different way. Many older players who were formerly children with now-adult lives will feel discriminated against if the game isn't adjusting to their new lives as adults. Companies whom are stewards of older MMORPGs are increasingly creating accessible content for working adults, and it's worked for them to wondrous success. Inclusion means everyone can play, enjoy and win in games you create.