At the gamescom 2024, awards for inclusion in gaming were presented for the second time by the initiative Gaming ohne Grenzen
and the mobile provider congstar. The winners were honored in five categories by a jury.
What kind of award is this? At this year’s gamescom in Cologne, the “Gaming ohne Grenzen” awards took place for the second time. This special prize, initiated by the mobile provider congstar and the initiative Gaming ohne Grenzen (GoG), honors projects and individuals that promote accessibility and inclusion in gaming. The ceremony took place in 2024 at the congstar booth.
In which categories were awards presented? The Gaming ohne Grenzen awards are presented in five categories, including the following:
- National Award: Honors projects that contribute to accessibility in gaming on a national level.
- International Award: Honors international projects that contribute to accessibility in gaming.
- Representation Award: Award for projects that make underrepresented groups in gaming visible.
- Hardware & Technology Award: Prizes technological innovations that advance accessibility in gaming.
- Personality Award: Honors a personality who is particularly committed to accessibility and inclusion in gaming.
Xbox cleans up at the Gaming ohne Grenzen
awards
This year, Xbox was the standout winner, with awards in two categories. In the National Award
category, the Xbox booth from gamescom 2023 was recognized.
The booth set new standards in terms of accessibility at trade shows and demonstrated how inclusive such an event can be. Some of the elements included:
- Rest areas
- Ramps for accessibility
- Adaptive Controllers
- Aids such as sunglasses, ear protection, and fidget tools
Also nominated were the gamescom Accessibility Guidelines and the historical gaming platform Playing History.
Xbox wins yet another category
In the International Award
category, Xbox won again – this time for the game Forza Motorsport. This racing game impressed the jury with its extensive customization options
, enabling players with various disabilities to tailor the game to their needs and enjoy it barrier-free.
Among the nominees for this award were also: Minecraft and the Xbox Inclusion Guide.
Who else won? In addition to Xbox, other projects that contribute significantly to inclusion in gaming were also recognized.
- Representation Award: The award went to the DisCo Devs Game Jam, a platform for developers with disabilities. The Game Jam promotes collaboration and exchange within marginalized groups like the LGBTQI+ community to develop games that foster diversity and inclusion.
- Also nominated were: Sims 4 and Tell Me Why.
- Hardware & Technology Award: The Alt Controller, developed by Tim Brogden for the charity organization SpecialEffect and released as open-source software, provides a barrier-free solution for gamers.
- Also nominated were: The augmented reality glasses Apple Vision Pro and the adaptive gaming toolkit PlayAbility.
- Personality Award: Svenja Ottawa aka SvenjaDev received the “Personality Award” for her long-standing commitment to making games more accessible and raising awareness of accessibility in the gaming community.
- Also nominated were: Accessibility consultant Brandon Cole aka “superblindman” (posthumously) and Marlene Beilharz (actress & author).
Who made the decision? The award winners were chosen by the following ten-member jury:
- Melanie Eilert (Ambassador for Gaming ohne Grenzen)
- Rae Grimm (Head of Editorial Gaming at Webedia Germany)
- Michael Gurt (Research Associate at JFF – Institute for Media Education)
- Casey Kreer (Expert in Digital Accessibility)
- Svenja Ottawa aka SvenjaDev (Creator & Developer)
- Katrin Schäfer-Hansen (Rehabilitation Scientist)
- Linda Scholz (Specialist Consultant at the NRW Youth Media Culture Centre)
- Hendrik Wagener (Gaming Expert)
- Dennis Winkens aka WheelyWorld (Creator)
- Erdin Ciplak aka Mr. Blindlife (Creator)
Who is behind the award? Gaming ohne Grenzen is an initiative that advocates for accessibility and inclusion in digital games. For a few years now, the initiative has been testing games and technologies for their accessibility for people with disabilities and publishing the results on their website. They evaluate, for example, whether games can be played without sound.
congstar, a subsidiary brand of Telekom, supports this initiative and is also committed through its own gaming events and streams. Together with “Gaming ohne Grenzen”, congstar works to raise awareness of the needs of gamers with disabilities and promote inclusion. Monster Hunter Wilds is the big winner of gamescom 2024 – All winners of the gamescom awards
Disclaimer: Rae Grimm is Head of Digital Publishing at Webedia Gaming and is responsible for MeinMMO, GameStar, and GamePro. Rae Grimm is part of the jury of the Gaming ohne Grenzen
awards.
