Summary
- Tekken 8 is making changes to its colorblind filter accessibility feature to address concerns of potential seizures and aura migraines in players with photosensitivity.
- The developers consulted with research institutes and communities to ensure the accessibility features would be helpful.
- The team is working to correct the issues before the game's launch later this month, showing their commitment to player safety and enjoyment.
A divisive Tekken 8 accessibility feature is reportedly being altered ahead of launch after concerns that it could lead to players being hospitalized. Many video games have taken great strides in making sure that everyone can enjoy them over the past few years, and fans got to see some of Tekken 8’s accessibility features when its free demo was released in early December. These included color filters that are meant to help colorblind players see the onscreen action and menu UI elements that they would have difficulty with otherwise.
As well-meaning as this sounds, these very Tekken 8 filters have come under a wave of controversy, some of which comes from the very people they were created to help, ironically enough. As footage of one of Tekken 8’s colorblind filters (which presents an uncolored background with black lines over the characters to help distinguish who is who) spread across the internet, various experts weighed in and claimed that said visuals could cause aura migraines in players with photosensitivity. In early January, concerns began to arise that these filters could lead to potentially life-threatening seizures.
It seems that the developers behind Tekken 8 have heard these criticisms and are working to correct the issues behind them, as director Katushiro Harada recently revealed that his team is altering the colorblind accessibility features before launch. He addressed this issue during Day Three of the Tekken World Tour 2023 Global Finals, as reported by PC Gamer. Speaking through translator and producer Michael Murray, Harada stated that the Tekken 8 demo's controversial color filters were a work in progress, and that modified versions will be added to both the demo and full game shortly.
Harada didn’t specify if these changes will be ready in time for Tekken 8’s launch on January 26, and this isn’t the first time that he has addressed fans’ concerns with the offending accessibility filters. Shortly after the complaints started appearing on social media, Harada replied by stating that the feature was in development as far back as before Tekken 7, and that he and his team consulted with different research institutes and communities to make sure that they would be helpful to players.
Accessibility options in gaming is a relatively new frontier, and developers are still trying to work out the best ways to help all players interact with the titles, whether it's by allowing users to disable uncomfortable sounds in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 or adding different color filters to help colorblind players see the onscreen battles of Tekken 8 more clearly. While there have been a few bugs to work out, at least Harada and his team are working to correct these issues to avoid any life-threatening incidents when the game launches later this month.
Tekken 8
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- January 26, 2024
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, Arika
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S
WHERE TO PLAY
Tekken 8 brings the fight to the latest generation of consoles, powered by Unreal Engine 5. Feel the power of every hit in Tekken 8, the latest entry in the legendary fighting game franchise from Bandai Namco. Utilising the power and realism of Unreal Engine 5, Tekken 8 pushes the envelope for fighting games by taking full advantage of the power of the latest generation of consoles. Ground-breaking new features, breathtakingly detailed character models and dramatic environments make this one of the most visually stunning and immersive titles in the genre yet. Tekken 8 picks up after the gruesome battle that ended in Heihachi Mishima’s defeat in Tekken 7, focusing on a new rivalry, pitting father against son as Jin Kazama stands in defiance against Kazuya Mishima in a city-shattering face-to-face showdown.
- Franchise
- Tekken
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
