Microsoft aims to upgrade Xbox avatar program with wheelchairs

Over the weekend Xbox execs Phil Spencer and Mike Ybarra took to Twitter to showcase a pair of Xbox avatars that look a bit different from what's currently available to Xbox One owners. The biggest difference? They're rocking wheelchairs.

The revamped avatars, described by Ybarra as a "sneak peek" and by Spencer as "not far off", suggest Microsoft is making an effort to improve and expand the customization options available to people who use the Xbox avatar system.

The Twitter conversation was instigated by Xbox co-creator Seamus Blackley, who was himself responding to and amplifying a request from a Twitter user with cerebral palsy. Though there was initial buzz on Twitter (as there often is) about starting a petition, Spencer noted that none was needed since this was something Microsoft had been planning for some time.

It's a good reminder for developers that people who play games and use game networks appreciate seeing themselves represented within the worlds in which they play.