Modern Warfare 3 to Support Colorblind Gamers

[John Funk]

Modern Warfare 3 to Support Colorblind Gamers

The next Call of Duty will make it easier for colorblind gamers to shoot each other in the face.

It really can't be overstated just how popular Activision's Call of Duty franchise has become these days, particularly among males in the 18-25 age group (or, say its detractors, among males significantly below that age group). As it happens, men are 20 times more likely than women to have some form of color-blindness condition, with an estimated 9-12% of the male population suffering from it.

While it hasn't ever been a major issue in the gamer community like the well-publicized lack of dedicated servers in Modern Warfare 2 or general balance complaints, the lack of options for colorblind gamers - especially in a game where the difference between a red foe and a green ally can result in nigh-instant death - has been a point of concern for some. Black Ops added options for colorblind gamers, so would Modern Warfare 3 do the same?

According to a blog post by Sledgehammer's Michael Condrey [http://sledgehammergames.com/blog/view/42], it absolutely will. According to Condrey, the game's developers estimate that "nearly a million gamers" who play COD almost every day suffer from at least some form of color-blindness. "I am happy to report," he wrote, "that we are working on a Color Blind Assist option for Modern Warfare 3."

Naturally, he joked, that meant that gamers couldn't blame friendly fire on red-green deficiency anymore. Which is technically true.

Of course, it's not like Call of Duty games ever need anything more than brown and grey huh, huh? Am I right guys?

(Sledgehammer [http://sledgehammergames.com/blog/view/42])

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[Scizophrenic Llama]

Well, that is one good step. Now if only they'd get to allowing remapping of controller's button layouts for people with other disabilities.

 

[Johnnyallstar]

Of course, it's not like Call of Duty games ever need anything more than brown and grey huh, huh? Am I right guys?

Took the words right out of my mouth. I guess that blood will now be brown, and night vision will be yellow? That gets rid of all the reds and greens I can think of. Oh, and reticules will be black.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

I've seen lots of games, even in the very early days that had a "I'm colourblind"-option to turn on... So wow, big new developments there, Sledgehammer.

 

[Gasaraki]

I fail to see how this is newsworthy, even Perfect Dark Zero had colorblind options ffs.

 

[nexekho]

Of course, it's not like Call of Duty games ever need anything more than brown and grey huh, huh? Am I right guys?

Took the words right out of my mouth. I guess that blood will now be brown, and night vision will be yellow? That gets rid of all the reds and greens I can think of. Oh, and reticules will be black.

I know you're kidding but you do realize that yellow is red + green on a RGB display, right? And it's not that they can't see green, it's that they can't tell the difference between red and green.

 

[Arehexes]

You know what would be news worthy, if wii games had some option (at least I can't find it) to make it work for left handed players. Sucks when a game has motion for the wiimote in the left hand when it feels better for me to have it in my right hand with the nuncheck in my left. Color blind features are not new and it's just a way for Call of Duty to get the "well this game is better because it helps those who can't see it well" argument.

 

[duchaked]

I think I rely on the red indicator above an enemy's head in CoD...then again I'm no good at it so idk lol

easier in Halo when it's red vs. blue

 

[Ilikemilkshake]

Huzzahh!
Still not sure if i'll pick it up or not but at least when playing at a friends i wont embarrass myself when i shoot teammates/dont shoot enemies because i cant tell the difference between the colours anymore

 

[5t3v0]

um... <Points to Battlefield Bad Company 2's options>

Looks like they beat you to that, too.

I fail to see how this is newsworthy, even Perfect Dark Zero had colorblind options ffs.

Honestly, it's CoD. Everything is newsworthy to those attention whores. "Our 10+ year old engine runs at 60FPS on current gen hardware!", "we are increasing the number of arbitrary things you have to access/can pay for!", "We just took a dump! Have pictures because we know you love us!".

 

[NLS]

um... <Points to Battlefield Bad Company 2's options>

Looks like they beat you to that, too.

I fail to see how this is newsworthy, even Perfect Dark Zero had colorblind options ffs.

Honestly, it's CoD. Everything is newsworthy to those attention whores. "Our 10+ year old engine runs at 60FPS on current gen hardware!", "we are increasing the number of arbitrary things you have to access/can pay for!", "We just took a dump! Have pictures because we know you love us!".

Wait, BC2 has colour blind options? That just saved my day.
However, it hasn't really been much of a problem for me, since most of the player models are made so you can easily see which team and class people are playing and shoot without having to think too hard about it.

 

[puffy786]

As soon as I clicked this article, I thought to myself that "Um, colorblind support usually is only for people who are red and green blind, but everything in MW3 as determined by the trailer will be brown and grey." (Looks down article) "Oh hey the author agrees with me."

 

[Outlaw Torn]

Everyone seems to be shooting down the developers, but I think it is really because they have discovered an incredibly rare new form of colourblindness. Namely grey-brown colourblindness that afflicts so many people who aren't under 12 years old, which is the real reason why most people who play CoD games have yet to reach puberty.

 

[Low Key]

CoD has had an alternate color scheme for years, even before Black Ops. This is nothing new or exciting, and if they didn't have it in the game, I would be extremely disappointed in IW/Sledgehammer.

 

[Dissolve]

The first game I can trace a line back to with "colorblindness" settings is probably Battlefield 2. By toggling a switch in the menu screen, you could change the lettering over players heads from green/red to yellow/blue. It's a pretty simple fix, but you wouldn't believe how much that helped me. Personally, I can't distinguish between enemy and allied tags in MW, and it was something I complained about from the start. IMO, colorblind support seems like it should have been standard 15 years ago, let alone treated like an additional "feature" today.