Exploding onto the arcade scene, the latest installment of the Tekken franchise has become a flash point for controversy, as disability activists come out guns blazing against the game’s colorblind filter. Originally, this feature was designed to help the color vision impaired play this game but has now become a main target of complaints regarding its inefficiency and its capability of actually being intrusive to the game.
It is essential for the fans of the game because the early part of 2021 was met with hope that Tekken 8 would incorporate a colorblind filter that is beneficial to only a portion of gaming enthusiasts. While many users had positive experiences with the filter in their games, first impressions and comments from the members of the colorblind community suggest that the colorblind filter may not be universal enough to suit the varied preferences of colorblind people. Existing records show that the practical application of the filter can led to game’s graphic to be altered to a point where it will be extremely challenging to discern characters, stages amd gameplay components.
It is worrying that experts are not sure whether someone with color perception deficiency has been consulted in the creation of the new design, and whether extensive testing has been done. As a result, the existence of the filter does not only neglect the various forms of color blindness, including deuteranopia, protanopia, as well as tritanopia. The end product is an accessibility feature where the added advantage is wholly negated by fresh barriers coming into the mix.
It has led to a larger discourse regarding the rudimentary necessity of accessibility testing across gaming projects. Critics argue that while the intention behind the colorblind filter was commendable, its flawed execution highlights a recurring issue in the industry: the lack of proper input of designers for adopting mechanisms that will ultimately ensure that all players are given optimum consideration.
Gaming community is optimistic that with the current developers’ continuing efforts on Tekken 8 these filter issues will be fixed in the latest update. This incident only goes to show that accessibility features can and should continue to be a strong point of discussion in order to make video games fun and playable for everyone.