Captions and Subtitles in videogames and PC games

To:  Game Developers

For some years now, ever since consoles became powerful enough to include lengthy and/or graphics-rich in-game cinematics and audio dialogues, the apparent stance of developers towards the inclusion of subtitles and captions in videogames has declined somewhat, and today's games show mixed results when it comes to this very issue. This is a very disappointing trend for those who are deaf/hard-of-hearing, who rely on captions not only to gain equal access to television programs, but also to enjoy videogames on the same level as their hearing counterparts do. Today, there are hundreds of TV shows that are captioned regularly, as there are thousands of DVD movies that include at least an option for subtitles for the deaf/hard-of-hearing. Videogames, seeing as they are primarily in the same category of entertainment as TV or DVDs or movies, should not be excluded from this practice. Developers need to stop, take a step back, and reconsider their own opinions and/or economic logistics of including captions/subtitles. In doing so, they would be providing over 20 million deaf Americans and millions more around the globe with absolutely EQUAL access to videogames. Show your support by signing up on this petition!

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Captions and Subtitles in videogames and PC games Petition to Game Developers was created by Deaf AND hearing videogamers alike and written by Max Ryser (ryser@onebox.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.