[games_access] IGDA GA meeting: thoughts from OneSwitch

[hinn at uiuc.edu]

quick other reply -- Eric Walker from Ominous Development 
agreed to step up if the timing works out and talk about 
switch gaming for Barrie. He's also behind the development 
of one of the IGA nominee games for innovation in game 
design.

also -- richard from audiogames has some presentation 
materials available on gaming for the blind (you may have 
missed this due to the technical headaches of MSN the other 
day). so be sure and get together you two and chat about the 
talk. i'm working on the final tentative final schedule over 
the holidays so we'll have that up on the wiki soon.

which reminds me...yes, i think at this point we should put 
wiki stuff in progress (ie, incomplete thoughts, random 
musings, inside jokes, top-secret locations of the most top-
secret stuff ever) on a closed server and only put the most 
solid info on our sig site at this point. it's definitely 
good to give people a teaser of what they can expect but we 
don't want to put so much on that they don't bother to 
attend. it's all about balance! :) after gdc or right before 
(depends) we can put up handouts and other downloadables on 
the wiki.

thomas -- can you send me an offlist message about server 
access? thanks!

michelle

---- Original message ----
>Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 21:47:39 +0100
>From: "Thomas Westin" <thomas at pininteractive.com>  
>Subject: Re: [games_access] IGDA GA meeting: thoughts from 
OneSwitch  
>To: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List" 
<games_access at igda.org>
>
>Hi Barrie,
>
>Great list of thoughts.
>
>I think we need some place to store and edit our thoughts 
without having it 
>publicly availabe for everyone to read at the IGDA wiki - 
giving away too 
>much before GDC I think...
>
>I can setup a MediaWiki at pininteractive.com with password 
login for 
>readers as well which we can use for our internal notes for 
GDC and also the 
>book as we go forward. Would that be OK with you all?
>
>Also, if you want to upload stuff to my FTP for the CD, 
please e-mail me 
>personally and I'll give you the details - I just want to 
have some control 
>of who gets access to the server.
>
>I can present your stuff Barrie, if it is just talking 
about it with 
>slides/images (to present some actual tech demos demands 
more preparations I 
>think)
>
>I'll upload Terraformers of course :) and will also tell 
Brainfingers.com to 
>upload some of their games, which will also need some 
hardware explanations. 
>Perhaps they can also upload some video for those who can't 
get the hardware 
>(Cyberlink). I'll also ask if they can lend a device for 
the accessibility 
>arcade, would be really cool to let people try controlling 
games with 
>biofeedback themselves... (I can't afford having my own 
Cyberlink hardware 
>at the arcade if it breaks I'm afraid; it costs about 2000 
USD)
>
>Further, I'll notify AGRIP to upload Accessible Quake. I 
think we have a 
>quite extensive list of games and people to contact in our 
white paper 
>appendices also. I'll see what I can do about that.
>
>Regarding the 100 USD for the VINE package; yes I think it 
would be really 
>cool if we could let people try games out with these. - 
Michelle, have you 
>heard anything from IGDA about having some Paypal Donate 
thing on the SIG 
>site? Would be great if we can have some funding from 
people to pay for 
>stuff like this.
>
>Also, I'm thinking about printing some T-shirts with the 
IGDA logo + text 
>"Game Not Over - Expanding the Market through Game 
Accessibility. Game 
>Developers Conference 2006". Would you be interested in 
getting a T-shirt? 
>Please let me know, and I can make one exclusive conference 
t-shirt for you 
>:) and you just pay the t-shirt + printing cost when we 
meet at GDC or buy 
>me some beer :)
>
>We (the SIG) could also sell similar t-shirts with some 
added / modified 
>text, saying "I'm an active sponsor of Game Accessibility" 
to people and get 
>further funding for things we need to buy etc.
>
>Merry Christmas to you all
>
>/Thomas
>
>9 years of development and education with Director 2D/3D
>Award at the Independent Games Festival: www.terraformers.nu
>http://www.pininteractive.com
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Barrie Ellis" <barrie.ellis at oneswitch.org.uk>
>To: "IGDA GA mailing list" <games_access at igda.org>; 
<ominousdev at gmail.com>
>Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 6:48 PM
>Subject: [games_access] IGDA GA meeting: thoughts from 
OneSwitch
>
>
>> Ah well - can't get on line, so I'll jot down some 
thoughts.
>>
>>
>> Accessible Arcade / Inaccessible Arcade: Simulation 
glasses:
>> ----------------------------------------------------------
---
>>
>> I've looked into borrowing a set of glasses that simulate 
to some extent 
>> various sight impairments. Not managed to borrow any yet, 
but we could buy 
>> a set from www.vine-simspecs.org.uk/simspecs.htm:
>>
>> "The cost of 1 duplicate VINE Simulation Package is 
£100.00 NO VAT 
>> includes postage and packing, it would consist of
>> the 10 pairs of simualtion spectacles and instruction 
booklet.
>>
>> If you decide to go ahead send your cheque payable 
to "V.I.N.E."  and your 
>> full postal address to:- V.I.N.E.  c/o Pearey House, 
Preston Park, north 
>> Shields NE29 9JR."
>>
>> Do people think it's worth clubbing together to get 
these, then sent onto 
>> the most appropriate person attending GDC 2006?
>>
>>
>> CD for GDC 2006
>> -------------------
>>
>> I've uploaded six one switch games, plus a few audio 
games. I'd like to 
>> include some kind of README explanation to the oneswitch 
games. I 
>> understand Richard has uploaded the excellent Drive too. 
Are there any 
>> subtitled freeware / abandon ware games in existance we 
might be able to 
>> use? What else might be good for the disk?
>>
>>
>>
>> Tie in with 7th Independent Games Festival: "Strange 
Attractors" by 
>> Ominous Development
>> ----------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------
>>
>> Eric Walker of Ominous Developments has gladly offered to 
advertise our 
>> accessible arcade at their booth at the IGF. He's 
asked "Are there any 
>> special posters or signs or anything you want us to set 
up? Also, we would 
>> also be thrilled to have our game handed out on a disk at 
the show." 
>> (http://www.ominousdev.com/)
>>
>>
>>
>> Accessible hardware for show
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> I will contact NAMCO to see if they might lend us one of 
their 
>> "barrier-free Playstation controllers" 
>> (http://www.oneswitch.org.uk/IMAGES/5/NAMCO/Barrier-free%
20controller.jpg). 
>> I'll also try to get some plug in switches / alternative 
controllers too 
>> for loan. I'm working on a very promising switch 
interface at present for 
>> PS2 and X-box at present that is very light weight. 
Should be ready very 
>> early next year in prototype form. Will aim to get them 
to Thomas in good 
>> time.
>>
>> Any more thoughts on the machines and what games they 
should show? Perhaps 
>> a mix of accessible and inaccessible? "Destruction Derby" 
is on it's way 
>> to you Michelle by the way.
>>
>>
>>
>> My presentation on games taking into account 
mobility/learning 
>> disabilities
>> ----------------------------------------------------------
----------------
>>
>> Need to firm this up a bit. Thinking about having a load 
of images to back 
>> up some written info, linking to the accessible arcade. 
Would someone be 
>> able to read this out in my place?
>>
>>
>> HAPPY CHRISTMAS! AND ALL THE BEST IN 2006
>>
>>
>> Barrie Ellis
>> www.OneSwitch.org.uk
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> games_access mailing list
>> games_access at igda.org
>> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access 
>
>_______________________________________________
>games_access mailing list
>games_access at igda.org
>http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access