Microsoft has launched its Christmas ad, telling the story of a 9-year-old boy named Owen who, despite his condition – Escobar Syndrome, which limits his mobility, does nothing to reduce his passion for gaming.
The spot opens with Owen’s real-life best friend, Gunnar, getting out of his house and starting to run through the streets, spreading on his way word of Owen’s impending achievement. “He’s gonna do it! You gotta see this! Owen’s gonna do it!” he shouts as he goes towards Owen’s house, gathering other friends to cheer him on. Arriving at Owen’s place, the kids find him rising to the top of his game with the Xbox Adaptive Controller and, when he wins, they all start to shout out in joy. “When everybody plays, we all win,” onscreen lines read at the end of the 60-second film, which is set to a unique adaptation of the holiday classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”.
“The moment of joy experienced by the children celebrating together when Owen wins the game reminds us of the spirit of the holiday season and illustrates Microsoft’s overall mission to create accessible technology that levels the playing field and creates opportunity for all of us,” Microsoft stated.
Designed to meet the needs of gamers with limited mobility, the Xbox Adaptive Controller enables everyone to play and create a unique custom controller experience. The device connects to external switches, buttons, mounts, and joysticks to help make gaming more accessible.
