The Superbowl is one of the most watched events in the United States every year. It attracts many viewers which companies take advantage of. Companies pay millions of dollars to advertise their products to the many viewers watching the Superbowl. One of the advertisements that stood out the most was the Microsoft advertisement for their Xbox Adaptive Controller.
Video games are a key aspect in a majority of kids/teenage lives. Many people including people with disabilities enjoy playing video games. However, it is a lot more tough for kids with disabilities to play video games and actually play at the level other kids are playing at due to mobility restrictions. Microsoft was able to design an adaptive controller to help gamers who lost an arm or born with disabilities. It was empathetic of Microsoft to consider other gamers that may not be able to use the current controllers due to the natural born disabilities. Kids will always be fans of games and making an adaptive controller will include other kids that are born with a disability and it will enhance the player’s ability to play the game.
Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-moving-xbox-adaptive-controller-super-bowl-2019-adam-levine-maroon-5/
Video of advertisement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YISTzpLXCY&feature=youtu.be
Vraj A. Patel says
I really enjoyed this piece of technology that was released. I did not see the advertisement during the Super Bowl, but the other day I did watch a video on LinkedIn about this controller and some of the kids who were able to use this technology. It is really amazing to see something like this being created because it allows kids with disabilities to feel welcomed. As an avid gamer, I know that many companies don’t really seem to delve into non-traditional controllers, but seeing Microsoft do this was amazing. The current market really only targets traditional controllers and gamers that would use them, and does not seem to consider any others. This was a big step for Microsoft and I don’t think it was really about trying to make a profit off of this. My concern is that many other companies aren’t doing such a thing, or at least they may be but aren’t advertising it properly. What do you think?
Raymond Wu says
I agree with what you’re saying about Microsoft creating this controller, not for monetary gains, but to include people with disabilities and give them an opportunity to be able to enjoy games too. And I feel the same about companies not taking some disabilities into consideration when designing controllers. Hopefully, Microsoft’s new controller will inspire other gaming companies to design controllers for people with disabilities.