[games_access] Game Accessibility Survey updated

AudioGames.net richard at audiogames.net
Fri Sep 30 06:27:34 EDT 2005


And even some more suggestions:

1) The question "Please list accessible 3D games that have the best 
interface for the following" should definately be rephrased.

- what is 3D in this context? 3D sound? Or surround sound? Physical or 
Virtual? 3D visuals? 3D visuals on a computer screen or holographics? etc. 
etc.
- what is an accessible 3D game for that matter? Who decided it is 
"accessible"?
- this question leaves no room for the user to use "2D" games in their 
answers. Many audiogames are actually 1D (are played over a horizontal axis 
only, with panning from left to right).
- "Orientation feedback" should be rephrased, I suggest to "orientation". 
Feedback is a only one form of information that can be used for orientation. 
Feedforward is another. (I'm currently writing my PhD thesis involving this 
subject and I would recommend feedforward for orientation any time over 
feedback :) What do you prefer? Sound that lets you know you bumped into a 
wall or sound that lets you avoid the wall... :)
- "finding out what is in front of your avatar" suggests that users can't 
answer with game that don't have an avatar. It also suggests that "what's in 
front" is the most important. I'm not saying that this question should be 
removed, but isn't "what's in front" a form of navigation/orientation type 
of question? Like "what's left, right, above, below, inside of the 
listener?"
- "moving the avatar" ... same suggestion about the term avatar as above. 
What's your avatar in Tetris? Also don't forget many players don't even know 
the term avatar.
- Also: "the best interface for moving your avatar" - what type of 
interface? The interface between the player and the game consists of various 
things: input interface (controller, keyboard, microphone, etc), output 
interface (screen, speakers, vibrator, etc.). So what accessible game 
features the best interface? I should definately add an open question "why?" 
to this question.
- Also, please define "best". On what scale?

Maybe it's best to split up this questions in many small questions.

2) I've noticed that the type of questions vary a lot between the different 
disabilities. For example. the deaf-questions seem to focus on whether or 
not a gamer with a hearing disability would *want* to use various 
accessibility options, the blind-questions focus on what accessibility 
features for the blind exist in games. I would try to find the same format 
for all disabilities, so disability-specific questions all focus on 
"experience/usage", "accessible hardware/software solutions in games", 
"good/bad examples of game accessibility", etc.




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