Yesterday our editor-in-chief shared the future plans for the Can I Play That? Awards, and how the newly announced GAconf Awards will continue on the groundwork laid by Ian Hamilton, and will honor the legacy of Susan Banks in the form of the Susan Banks Advocacy award.
Organized by GAconf —a pillar of the community spreading awareness and knowledge about accessibility spanning many fields and disabilities— this will undoubtedly be the accessibility awards show to look out for. The awards ceremony itself, planned for January 2023, will be presented by none other than Steve Saylor. Steve will be joined by guests and the ceremony promises to bring a few more surprises along the way.
Voting for the GAconf Awards
Now, voting for the inaugural GAconf Awards has opened to the public and voting is possible until December 8th. There are 17 categories, most of which will be recognizable by those familiar with the Can I Play That? Awards. Each category consists of a shortlist of three nominees who were decided on by an expert jury. The list on the official GAconf Awards page includes links for each nominee where applicable, to help you make an informed vote.
Categories and nominees
AAA excellence
- Horizon Forbidden West
- The Last Of Us Part 1
- God of War Ragnarök
Indie excellence
- As Dusk Falls
- Sifu
- Return to Monkey Island
Best deaf/HoH accessibility
- The Quarry
- God of War Ragnarök
- LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Best physical/mobility accessibility
- The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
- Rocksmith+
- As Dusk Falls
Best blind / low vision accessibility
- As Dusk Falls
- God of War Ragnarök
- The Last Of Us Part 1
Best cognitive accessibility
- Rocksmith+
- Return to Monkey Island
- The Quarry
Best representation
- Soundly/0929Lego Roblox hearing aids
- Just Dance 2023 wheelchair user
- Saints Row avatar prosthetics
Best journalism
- Ben Bayliss – DualSense’s haptics need to find the right balance of immersion and functionality
- Grant Stoner – How Disabled ‘Elden Ring’ Players Conquered The Lands Between
- Claire Jackson – Consent And Compassion: How Devs Are Reshaping The Conversation Around Content Warnings
Most improved
- The Last Of Us Part 1
- Dead Cells “Breaking Barriers” update
- Deathloop update 3
Best resource
- Microsoft Gaming Accessibility Fundamentals training
- PlayStation accessibility site
- SpecialEffect DevKit
Most accessible gaming event
- Ubisoft Forward
- Xbox at Gamescom
- A11yTOGaming
Hardware innovation
- PS5 OS upgrades
- 8BitDo Lite SE controller
- Microsoft Adaptive Accessories
Biggest accessibility surprise
- Apple Unity accessibility plugin
- Forza user research in ASL/BSL
- Microsoft Gaming Accessibility Fundamentals training
Most dedicated publisher
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Xbox Games Studios
- Ubisoft
Most dedicated studio
- Naughty Dog
- Rare
- Ubisoft Kyiv
MVP award for most dedicated developer
- Mila Pavlin, Santa Monica Studio
- David Tisserand, Ubisoft
- Guide Dev, Hearthstone accessibility mod
The Susan Banks advocacy award
- Grant Stoner
- Chris “DeafGamersTV” Robinson
- Erin Hawley
We congratulate all of the nominees for their well deserved nominations! If you are interested in voting, be sure to cast your votes the official page of the GAconf Awards 22 before voting closes on December 8th.
