Breaking the Silence: Thoughts on Communication Features in Online, Multiplayer Videogames

Task Scenario #1: Communicate with your teammates that you need help in combat. 

Do you think you can complete this task in a game like Overwatch using the voice chat? text chat? maybe the communication wheel? 

How would you complete the task scenario if you were deaf/hard of hearing (hoh)?

Communication Wheel in Overwatch

Communication in videogames is often a realistic problem for many deaf/hoh gamers. Good communication can mean the difference between life and death, literally, so effective and accessible communication features in videogames are crucial for deaf/hoh gamers. Referred to commonly as "comms" in the gaming community, many videogames require succinct callouts in voice chat for optimal team performance. For example, a player may use the term "push" to quickly indicate the right time to pressure the enemy team, especially when the enemy team is vulnerable. For typical gamers, providing callouts to the team is as simple as pressing a button (push-to-talk) or just speaking in the voice chat (open mic). Additionally, timing in videogames is critical, so players should provide their teammates with callouts as clearly and as quickly as possible. However, for deaf/hoh gamers, quick communication is an issue, which often negatively impacts their game performance. 

Text Chat in Overwatch

                

Making Online, Multiplayer Video Games Accessible for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Players

How can we make online, multiplayer videogames more accessible for deaf gamers?

 According to

Voice Chat in Overwatch

Courtney Craven of Can I play That?, a website that reviews games based on accessibility for deaf and hoh players, videogames should allow all players to enjoy the game the way it was intended to be played. Craven emphasizes the importance of immersion in videogames for deaf and hoh players so they can experience the game similarly to hearing players. Below are a few ways game developers can make their games more accessible to deaf and hoh players based on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Accessibility Guide written by Craven: 

• On-by-default subtitles with optional settings like backgrounds for low contrast situations and text display. 
• Speaker labels for subtitles so the players know who is speaking.
• Closed-captions and sound visualization that represents all essential sounds.
• Enemy location indicators like pings, tracers, and environmental feedback (footsteps, rustling leaves, disrupted object, etc.)
• Stealth noise indicators.
• Controller vibrations that coincide with game events.

To generate more recommendations from a user-experience perspective, a usability test that utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methods should be conducted with participants who are deaf and hard of hearing gamers. Here is an overview of my existing usability test plan's characteristics that investigates the performance of videogame communication features for deaf gamers: 

1. Six task scenarios that test the performance of the communication features in the games to be tested. 
2. Task scenarios recorded and analyzed for time on task, completion rate, and effort (performance metrics) 
3. Survey questionnaire (open-ended and multiple-choice questions) that asks the gamers about their experience and attitude toward the specific communication features. 
4. Inductive content analysis to evaluate the open-ended questions. 
5. Numeric values given to the multiple-choice responses. 

As more research is done on the usability and accessibility of videogames, the user experience of these games will improve for all people. 

References:

Craven, Courtney. Can I Play That? Deaf and Hard of Hearing Accessibility Guide. https://caniplaythat.com/