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Ubisoft Releases Helpful Tool for Colorblind Players


Summary

  • Ubisoft releases Chroma, a color-blind simulation tool, to enhance gaming experience for an estimated 300 million colorblind individuals worldwide.
  • Chroma is open source on Github, enabling developers to replicate the tool and improve color accessibility in their games without affecting performance.
  • The tool works with hotkeys and customizable overlays, marking a positive development for Ubisoft amidst recent negative press.

Ubisoft has announced the release of an innovative new tool that is set to have a massive impact on colorblind players. The well-known game studio is one of the major players in the industry, alongside other titans like EA, Activision Blizzard, and Take-Two Interactive. Globally, color blindness is a relatively common condition that affects roughly 300 million people. Ubisoft’s new system aims to revolutionize the gaming experience for players who are color-blind, completely transforming the way they perceive the visuals in its games.

Ubisoft has an extensive catalog of hit games, including Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. The sheer number and popularity of titles in its vast collection suggest that many fans who are affected by color blindness likely play its games. For those living with the genetic condition, the new tool is a game-changer, especially given the high caliber of visuals that developers are capable of imbuing in modern games.

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As announced on the official Ubisoft website, the company’s new color-blind simulation tool, Chroma, is now available for public use. It noted that the system has been made open source on GitHub, so other developers can preview how the tool will help to address color accessibility in their own games. Chroma works by applying a filter over the game screen without affecting performance. The site mentions that the tool aims to give developers the necessary resources to accurately replicate the experience for colorblind players, making games more accessible.

Ubisoft’s development of Chroma began in 2021 as a tool that provided real-time feedback, allowing developers to control the game while simulating color blindness. Over the years, it has been refined and now uses the Color Oracle algorithm, which can be applied to either dual or single screens. Ubisoft is not the only studio working to make video games more accessible to colorblind players. In 2023, EA registered a patent likely related to a color blindness system, but given that Ubisoft has made its technology open source, it’s unclear if EA will continue on this path or simply adopt the now freely available tool.

The announcement also stated that Chroma works with hotkeys and includes a customizable overlay that can be adjusted to better simulate various colorblind experiences. The new tool is likely a welcome piece of good news for the company, especially since Ubisoft has made headlines recently for some negative reasons, including studio closures and mass layoffs.

Recently, rumors have been circulating about another Assassin’s Creed title coming in 2025 from Ubisoft, but this has yet to be confirmed. The site did not mention any specific games in which Chroma is set to be featured, including a potential second Assassin’s Creed installment in 2025. However, for colorblind gamers, the tool will likely make a huge difference in designing games with accessibility in mind.

Ubisoft

Ubisoft

Date Founded

March 28, 1986

Headquarters

Saint Mandé, France

CEO

Yves Guillemot

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