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laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Laura Kate Dale - LauraKBuzz
@laurakbuzz.bsky.social
19K followers 790 following 3.2K posts
Play-Ability Cognitive Expert. Accessibility (LiS: Double Exposure) / Cultural Consultant (Dragon Age: The Veilguard). Podquisition. Access-Ability. Author. 2024 Journalism Impact Winner. 2024 GA Conf Best PR / Comms Winner.
[email protected]
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laurakbuzz.bsky.social
For those curious about handheld performance, here's Switch 2 FF7 gameplay in handheld mode, recorded using the capture button.
December 16, 2025 at 1:13 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Examples of grind reducing options in the menu.
Constant max HP and MP, Limit gague always full, ATB guage always full, constant max damage, 2x exp, 3x AP, easy weapon ability aquisition, constant max gil, constant max recovery items, max materia levels.
December 16, 2025 at 11:38 AM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Example of 2X speed cutscene.
December 16, 2025 at 11:36 AM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Cutscenes can be played at 1.5 or 2x speed by holding down the right trigger button.
December 16, 2025 at 11:35 AM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Switch 2 demo for FF7 is out now, and it's looking and feeling pretty great in practice.

Also, will show examples in thread, but there's some very nice time saver for replay / accessibility features.
December 16, 2025 at 11:34 AM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
The glamorous life of an author post publisher bankruptcy.

I still have another stack this high on the way lol

Could 100% fill up multiple bookcases solo at this moment.
14 large cardboard boxes, 2 stacks of 7, full of books.
December 8, 2025 at 3:00 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
I met the guy!
December 2, 2025 at 4:48 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Gosh, Prime 4 looks so nice, both handheld and on a 4K TV.
December 2, 2025 at 3:53 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
December 2, 2025 at 2:14 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
You can remap controls
Metroid Prine 4 button remapping screen
December 2, 2025 at 2:13 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Full settings menu.
Brightness, graphics mode, subtitles toggle, tutorials toggle. Volume sliders.
December 2, 2025 at 1:48 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Sorry left-handed gamers, Metroid Prime 4 only supports mouse pointer mode via the right Joy-Con.
Dual Stick Fusion and Pointer Fusion control schemes both directly reference using the Right Joy-Con for mouse pointer control.
December 2, 2025 at 1:47 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Inside of UK box
Samus image behind red plastic, and red cartridge with game name logo.
December 2, 2025 at 1:25 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Metroid Prime 4 secured!!!
A boxed Switch 2 copy 9f Metroid Prime 4 Beyond
December 2, 2025 at 1:14 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Obviously it's a very basic rough mockup, but even a game like The Last of Us: Part 2 with its ridiculous number of accessibility settings and features could advertise all of their accessibility tags on the box of the box, with room remaining for marketting images and text.
A Last of Us 2 PS5 box mockup, with an accessibility features section on the centre left of the lack of the box, advertising Accessibility Features Clear text, Large text, Colour Alternatives, High Contrast Visuals, Visual Comfort, Audio Cue Alternatives, Directional Audio Indicators, Volume Controls, Mono Audio, 3D Audio, Screen Reader, Visual Cue Alternatives, Clear and Large Subtitles, Controller Remapping, Stick Sensitivity / Inversion, Playable Without Rapid Button Presses, Playable Without Simultanious Presses, Playable without Touch / Motion Controls, Playable Without Controler Vibration, Adjustable Difficulty, Skippable Puzzles, Game Speed, Control Reminders, Tutorial Reminders, Game Pausing.
November 28, 2025 at 2:15 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
You can read the article nominated for Best Gaming Accessibility Journalism at the link below:

Don’t Call Your Video Game “Accessible For Everyone”

access-ability.uk/2025/07/11/d...
Not only does advertising your game as “Accessible to Everyone” lead to the possibility of making a promise to a disabled user that you cannot fulfill, but perhaps worse it sends the message to certain groups of disabled users that you failed to consider them and their needs as valid when promising universal accessibility. You risk the perception that you, for example, don’t consider gaze tracker users as part of “everyone”. You risk making a sightless player with moderate hearing loss feel like you don’t consider them as someone who is worth consideration. Whether you forgot a group of disabled users, failed to consider their existence, or thought of them and disregarded them as unimportant to support, a failed promise of universal accessibility is going to sting all the same to those users.
November 24, 2025 at 11:07 AM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Public voting for the GA Conf Gaming Accessibility Awards 2025 is live, from now until Saturday 29th November.

I'm nomimated for two awards this year - The Advocacy Award, and Best Journalism (for my article "Don't Call Your Game Accessible for Everyone")

www.gaconf.com/gaconf-award...
GA Conf IDGA-GASIG Awards 2025 Finalist - Vote at GAConf.com - Photo of laura smiling, with bright blue hair, wearing a black dress.
November 24, 2025 at 11:05 AM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Saturday December 6th I'll be taking part in Trans Book Fest at The Common Press in London.

I'll be doing a reading of "Me and My Dysphoria Monster" (11am ish) and a signing (aprox noon)

Pay what you can tickets available here: www.outsavvy.com/event/31434/...
Laura Kate Dale. 2025 Trans Book Fest. 6th December 2025. 11am-6pm. The Common Press, 118 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 6DG.
November 20, 2025 at 1:12 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
This year I helped with nominee curation for The Indie Game Awards @indiegameawards.gg .

I'll also be presenting the winner for the "Achievement in Accessibility" award during the awards show on the night.
2025 Indie Game Awards Nominees - Achievement in Accessibility. Abiotic Factor, Calm the Storm, Peak, Spray Paint Simulator, Squeakross, Barista. Recognising a game that prioritises inclusivity by offering extensive adjustments and thoughtful design options, ensuring an equitable and enjoyable experience for all players regardless of their abilities.
November 18, 2025 at 1:17 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
My quest for all 10 fur patterns of Shiny Furfrou is almost complete.

Hopping on Twitch to hunt the final shiny poodle.

Live now!

www.twitch.tv/laurakbuzz
Black fur poodle Pokémon styled as follows - Unstyled, heart pattern, star pattern, diamond pattern, Yellow with black hat, pink with sports cap, green with fancy hat, blue with long hairstyle, orange with long hairstyle.
October 27, 2025 at 9:32 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Clip from the podcast where I tackle the fun topic of how entitled gamers and right wing politics have created a dangerous feedback loop.
October 25, 2025 at 4:01 PM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
There's even accessibility presets!
Visual Intensity Limiter presets, including medium and strong, tweak values in field of view, sensitivity, rotation speed, shake, tilt, grid, focal lines, border and more automatically.
October 24, 2025 at 11:24 AM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
You can add on screen markers to help reduce motion sickness, and increase your Field of View to further try and help with motion sickness.
Kirby on a star rider. Red squares and lines are around the edges of the screen, with a Kirby icon in the middle for a centre screen reticle.
October 24, 2025 at 11:21 AM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Kirby Air Riders accessibility menu features options for Text Size increase, colourblind filters with preview images (I know they're flawed but still rare to see offered by Nintendo), HUD size, opacity, outlines etc.
The visual settings in the Kirby Air Riders accessibility menu.
October 24, 2025 at 11:19 AM
laurakbuzz.bsky.social
Oh my goodness, there's an actual Accessibility menu in a first party Nintendo game?!

I really picked the wrong Direct to skip...

It uses the Accessibility stick figure icon and everything!!!
An accessibility settings menu in Kirby Air Riders with an accessibility stick figure icon.
October 24, 2025 at 11:16 AM