Haptic Braille

Happy Monday. April 1st means your social feeds are probably filled with brands and games announcing new wacky products that are definitely real, and not April Fools jokes - like the Pokemon Sleep World Championships.

— Tim, Derek

MAIN QUEST: Latest controller patent

Sony has filed another controller-related accessibility patent. This time for a haptic braille feedback system on its PS5 controllers. Sony’s system would allow users to convert text found within game cutscenes to vibrations on the controller touchpad that would be readable as braille. To retain the immersive experience, the system would process the player’s active reading speed and ensure the audio of the cutscenes is played at the same pace.

Xbox filed a similar patent in 2019 for a braille display accessory for its controllers and both aim at helping low-vision players within heavy text games. While a patent filed doesn’t mean it will come to market, the research and investment into accessibility are a valued asset towards pushing forward inclusivity in the industry.

HUD

• Several indie studios are teaming up to do The Triple-i Initiative: a “no-nonsense” indie showcase to premiere April 10th, 10 AM PDT.

• Ubisoft’s free-to-play shooter XDefiant has been delayed once again. Originally scheduled for release in the summer of 2023 the game was pushed back several times, with the latest announced launch being Q4, which closed yesterday. There is no new launch date, but Ubisoft did say a server stress test would be happening soon.

• Monster Hunter Wilds will contain features scrapped from Monster Hunter World, but more importantly, it has been developed since day one to be a fully open-world game.

MAJOR W

• In an interview with Eurogamer, Ed Wu claims Pokemon Go is still growing strong with over 100 million people playing last year.

• Coffee Stain to publish a new deckbuilding rogue-like As We Descend. Closed beta signups are currently open on their website.

F IN THE CHAT

• FFVII digital owners have a single side quest that will not give its achievement since the last patch, m aking it impossible for completionists to platinum the game.

• Certain Affinity lays off 25 US-based employees. According to their CEO, this is their first layoff in the history of the almost 2-decade-old company.

CAREER CORNER

• Director of Growth Strategy, APEX — EA (Seoul, South Korea)

• Level Designer, Kerbal Space Program 2 — Take-Two Interactive (Seattle, WA)

• Account Management Director, Mobile — Epic Games (Cary, NC)

HIVE MIND

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