In a move cheered by gamers with disabilities, Xbox may soon include an option for avatars to use Xbox-themed wheelchairs. And how these images were released has wheelchair users praising the company for its responsiveness to its gamers.
As part of a major upgrade in 2015, Xbox allowed its gamers to have customizable avatars that are seen by others in its gaming community, and even playable in some games. This change was very popular as now gamers could create avatars that looked as much like them as possible (or as different from them as possible), but it left out wheelchairs.
Then on July 3, tweets by gamers Benjamin Wareing and Seamus Buckley on the subject were quickly answered by Xbox exec Phil Spencer:
@goldennike11 @SeamusBlackley No petition needed, we hear you. This is something that we’ve already looked at, not far off.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) July 4, 2016
And the next day Xbox developer Mike Ybarra released images of the proposed avatars:
@XboxP3 @goldennike11 @SeamusBlackley Sneak peek… 😀 pic.twitter.com/szoTUGR6ef
— ♏️ike Ybarra (@XboxQwik) July 5, 2016
Although Xbox responded to tweets by Wareing and Buckley, they and other gamers credit Vonshell Morgan, who has CP, with bringing attention to the lack of a wheelchair option, and keeping heat on the issue.
@XboxP3 @goldennike11 @SeamusBlackley great you are the freaking man Phil you to Seamus not gonna cuss cause I know Phil don’t like it thx
— Vonshell Morgan ♿️ (@Realvonshell) July 4, 2016
Gamers responded positively to the images tweeted by Ybarra as being a major push forward, but noted that the wheelchair is the old-fashioned clunky “hospital” style.
@Xbox_Addictt @XboxQwik @XboxP3 Yes, look at mine. pic.twitter.com/5JgJw2yTfs
— d4rky79Ga♏er (@d4Gamer79) July 5, 2016
Hopefully Xbox will continue to respond to its gamers who use wheelchairs and give their avatars wheels that match their verve.



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