❤️ GAMING FOR GOOD 

Developed by audio tech brand JBL Quantum, Guide Play is a free tool that uses AI and machine learning to make first person shooter (FPS) games more accessible for people with low vision. The software, which was developed with the nonprofit AbleGamers, turns in-game objects and buildings into audio cues, allowing gamers to map out obstacles using sound. Customizable settings mean the software can be adjusted to individual needs. Guide Play launched earlier this week and can be downloaded from JBL’s website.

💡 OUR TAKE

As of 2023, WFP reports there are more than 700 million persons with disabilities within Asia and the Pacific Region. Meanwhile, AbleGamers estimates there are 50 M visually-impaired gamers across the world who want to play games which have typically been inaccessible to them. With Southeast Asia home to an estimated 285.5 M gamers (predicted to rise to 344 M in 2027), it’s not a stretch to say there might be overlaps between these two statistics. At the very minimum, marketers that are developing gaming activations should consider how they will make these campaigns accessible to everyone—and gamers with sight loss is just the tipping point.

Accessibility in gaming and beyond has become a hot topic over the last few years, but there’s still work to do. One of the big criticisms of Sony’s Access controller for PS5, which finally launched at the end of 2023, was the price. JBL Quantum has gone one better by making Guide Play available for free. It’s also available open-source, with the brand hoping that developers will download the code and implement it in their own games.

That practice has become increasingly common as brands strive to show that their accessibility strategies are contributing something real. In February, for example, Starbucks open-sourced its Inclusive Spaces Framework with the aim of improving accessibility in all retail spaces, not just the brand’s portfolio. So when you make improvements to your product or service, don’t keep it to yourself—lean into collaboration and make it available to others. Two reasons: it’s unlikely that one brand will solve society-wide issues solo, and it could help avoid accusations of purpose-washing.

The expectation that brands make the world more accessible doesn’t only apply to global companies like JBL Quantum and Starbucks. Brands across APAC are working to make the world fairer and more equitable: WeChat’s Quiet Mode is aimed at deaf users, while Malaysia’s ZUS Coffee is working from the inside out, teaming up with a local hearing aid partner to provide hearing aids to baristas. And remember Coldplay’s inclusive concerts that included Singapore Sign Language and Subpacs (interactive vests that allow hearing impaired concertgoers to feel music through vibrations)? 

So here’s some questions to ponder: as the conversation around accessibility becomes more nuanced, how will you make inclusivity a central component of your pop culture-led marketing activations? And how can the quest for greater inclusivity inspire more authentic campaigns that resonate with every fan?

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’