Microsoft to donate money from X019 ticket sales to gaming charity SpecialEffect

Article from: Microsoft News

Microsoft will donate all the money it makes from selling tickets to this year’s X019 event in the UK to gaming charity SpecialEffect.

Tickets to attend the highly-anticipated Xbox show, which will be held from November 14 to 16 at the Copper Box Arena in London, will go on sale on October 1, priced at £19.99 each, and can be purchased via the official X019 event website.

Microsoft has now revealed that the money from ticket sales will be donated to SpecialEffect, which creates and loans customised control set-ups to help gamers with physical disabilities.

The Oxfordshire-based charity played a part in the creation of the Xbox Adaptive Controller, which lets gamers plug in switches and devices they already own to customise the experience for themselves. The device has delighted charities and gamers with disabilities, who say it will help them continue to enjoy something they love as well as connect with other people and be more independent.

SpecialEffect has also developed software called EyeMine to allow people to play Minecraft using just their eyes.

Dr Mick Donegan, Founder of SpecialEffect, said: “SpecialEffect are honoured to be the partner charity for X019 and we’d like to thank every single person involved for their support. Our work with Xbox as one of the organisations involved in the development of the Xbox Adaptive Controller, plus our project to make Minecraft gaze-accessible, means that many more gamers with disabilities, not only in the UK but across the globe, can now have a chance to experience the magic of video games. Funds raised from X019 will help SpecialEffect to keep on meeting the growing demand for our work helping gamers with disabilities to experience the fun and inclusion of video games.”

X019 is the annual, global celebration of all things Xbox, and this year it will be held in the UK. The event will be filled with hands-on gameplay of the biggest and best new titles, panels with the brightest creative minds from the Xbox Game Studio teams, developer meet-and-greets and autograph sessions, unique experiences and an on-site Xbox Official Gear Store featuring exclusive X019 gear not available to buy anywhere else.

X019 will also feature a special edition of Inside Xbox, featuring world premiere news, reveals and announcements, all in front of a live Xbox FanFest audience, which will take place on the evening of Thursday, November 14.

Last year’s X018 event in Mexico City saw announcements on new studios, a launch date for Crackdown 3, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds coming to Xbox Game Pass, expansions for Forza Horizon 4, Minecraft, Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2, Black Friday deals, and more.