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Sony says The Last of Us Part II will be ‘most accessible game yet’

When The Last of Us Part II launches on June 19, it promises to offer more accessibility features than any game ever released.

Developer Naughty Dog said in a blog post on Tuesday that The Last of Us Part II will ship with more than 60 accessibility features “focused on fine-motor and hearing, as well as completely new features that benefit low-vision and blind players.” The company’s lead systems designer Matthew Gallant said this is part of a broader push to increase the number of people who can play the game.

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Accessibility controls are critical to achieving that goal. In a 2015 study, The Netherlands-based Accessibility Foundation found that 92% of people with disabilities are interested in playing video games. Players surveyed said they play an average of 10 hours a week playing video games.

“If more games are made more accessible, more gamers with impairments will be able to play more games and with less difficulties,” the foundation wrote in a statement. “By creating more accessible games, game publishers, and developers also reach a bigger audience as the community of people with disabilities comprise a relatively high percentage of gamers.”

Naughty Dog said that The Last of Us Part II will come with three presets with settings for vision, hearing, and motor accessibility. Vision presets, for instance, will turn on text-to-speech and create a high-contrast view. It will also provide combat audio cues and make adjustments to combat settings. Hearing presets will turn on awareness indicators, combat vibration cues, and other settings. Motor accessibility settings will activate an auto weapon swap, automatic pick-up of items, and camera assist.

Additionally, Naughty Dog said that The Last of Us Part II is the first game it’s released with fully customizable controls. Any function in the game can be remapped to another button, and players will be able to decide whether they want to use their right or left hands to control characters. Players can even choose how they want to strum a guitar.

“We look forward to having players leverage these features and continuing to drive awareness and advocacy for accessibility support in games together,” Gallant said.

The Last of Us Part II takes place five years after the completion of its predecessor, The Last of Us. It follows the lead character Ellie and her attempt at survival and revenge in an increasingly troubled and vicious post-apocalyptic world.

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Over 100 PlayStation VR2 games are in development, Sony says
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Sony has released a massive FAQ about the PlayStation VR2 on the PlayStation Blog ahead of the headset's February 22 launch. It reveals some key new details about games for the platform, namely that over 100 PS VR2 titles are in development, and that Sony doesn't plan on giving its games physical releases for now. 
For the most part, the FAQ is full of basic information about the PlayStation VR2's specs, how to set it up, and what's required to use it. But the Games section of this FAQ reveals quite a few illuminating details about the future of the system. It reiterates that there will be around 30 launch titles for the system, but also reveals just how much is in the works for the headset. In response to the question, "How many games are in development for PS VR 2?" Sony writes, "There are currently more than 100 titles in development for PS VR2."

That's a good sign, as a new, expensive VR headset like this lives or dies on its game lineup. PSVR2's early days might be a bit odd as Horizon Call of the Mountain is one of its only true exclusives -- and it's not backward compatible with PlayStation VR titles (something this FAQ reiterates. However, those picking one up can still know that lots of games are in the works for it.
Another FAQ question asks, "Will PS VR2 games be digital only or will there be physical disc releases?" -- which is sensible to clarify as this headset's predecessor had physical games. "Initially at launch, PS VR2 games will be digital," Sony says. "Physical disc releases for select titles may be available at a future date." So don't hold on to the idea of picking up a physical copy of Horizon Call of the Mountain; you'll be getting PS VR2 games through the PlayStation Store for the time being.
Check out the full FAQ if you have any technical questions about PS VR2's setup and which games it supports. PlayStation VR will be released on February 22. 

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The first season of The Last of Us on HBO is going down as one of the best video game adaptations of all time, even if it's not perfect. Whether you believe the lousy reputation video game adaptations have is justified or not, these first few episodes of the series serve as the premier examples of how to adapt a game properly. As such, it's worthwhile to break down what other video game adaptations can learn from The Last of Us.
Halfway through the first season, five factors have played a significant part in The Last of Us' continued success on HBO. Thankfully, they are all elements other video game adaptations could learn from, even if they are based on an IP with a significantly different tone. If the quality of this show is any indication, video game adaptations have a bright future.
Be faithful

This one seems like it should go without saying, but it's something a lot of films and TV shows based on games don't get right. Even successful ones like the Sonic the Hedgehog films seem to feel a bit ashamed of the source material when they bring video game characters into the "real world." The Last of Us series works masterfully because it plays into the strengths of the source material, adapting an already critically acclaimed story accurately and respectfully. As a result, a great story is still great.
HBO's The Last of Us isn't a direct 1:1 adaptation (more on that later), but it's still unmistakably a TV version of the video game's story and even gameplay in some segments. That faithfulness shows respect for the game and is more likely to get fans on board with the creation and any potential deviations it might make. Sadly, many video game adaptations seem like they feel embarrassed of the source material, which shows in the quality of the final product and the fan reception to it.
Improve upon the source material

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Every new console generation is another step forward in accessibility. Whether that be through innovations in games that allow players to customize the experience to their own preferences, new controllers, or even the hardware itself. While the PlayStation 5 launched with only a handful of new features compared to its predecessor, Sony has continuously updated it with functionality to make it easier and more convenient to control its most powerful system yet.

One extremely handy and highly requested feature the PS5 was given is voice commands. These allow you to navigate and control a majority of your console's functions (outside of actually playing games, of course) without having to pick up a controller. This system can be both more convenient and intuitive for people, especially if you're unfamiliar with navigating the PS5 UI. You do need to do a few things to get this system up and running, and then know what exactly you can do with it before laying back and ordering your PS5 around with nothing but your voice. Here's a full voice command guide to get you going.
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