personality. Accessibility idle [games_access] GDC news

[d. michelle hinn]

Well, the main thing is that this session is to create some buzz 
about accessibility amongst those who want to BE, as Reid says, Will 
Wright. We didn't get the one day tutorial session this year, which 
is the session where we teach about accessibility. So we AREN'T 
presenting at this conference in a traditional manner -- the idol 
session is not a SIG presentation but a SIG sponsored contest. That 
doesn't mean we can't include "teaching points" but there will be no 
30 minute talk on how to create an accessible game. Hopefully the 
buzz from this session will be enough that it WILL get more people 
interested in accessibility and maybe for GDC 2008 we'll get the 
tutorial sessions back.

So this session is more "reality show" based rather than "us" 
presenting -- that doesn't mean that we can't include information to 
the audience on how the game designs presented could be improved 
upon, missed the mark, etc.

To make things LESS confusing for the participants (and the 
audience), ONE disability area is going to be chosen and this year 
"games for the blind" seems to be the theme that the designers and I 
have landed on. The reason for this is because if we say "create an 
accessible game" and leave it open -- one could create one for the 
blind while another for those with mobility impairments. So then you 
have an apples to oranges contest and that's harder to lead the 
audience to a vote about (ie, "well, this game is 78% accessible for 
those who are blind, 30% accessible for those who are 
quadriplegic..."). It will also result in focusing in on one user 
group and doing it well and then seeing the range of possibilities 
that they come up with. Then next year the challenge is for a 
different disability group. That will also allow us to extend the 
life of the "idol" sessions for future GDCs and once this has been 
done a few times then we can do a session on the ULTIMATE 
accessibility idol where they are judged on more than one area).

Sorry if any of this is confusing right now -- students return to our 
campus this week so my life is pretty upside down. I can explain Idol 
better later but those are a few of my thoughts just reading through 
the thread on the list.

And Robert -- I already asked David Perry and he can't participate 
this year but is interested in participating in the 2008 idol. :)

Michelle

>A Strategy guide needs to be develop for designers on how to 
>developed accessible games.  It is not good enough just to tell 
>designers to developed a accessible game without giving them some 
>foundation to work from.  Most designers do not have a clue what it 
>is like to be disabled, nor what it is like to play some games when 
>you are disabled.  Research can be useful at times, but without the 
>knowledge of what the designer needs to look up to make a game idea 
>accessible they could become frustrated.  At any conference we can 
>present at we must get them engage in thinking on how they could 
>make future games accessible for all. 
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------
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>Tom Roome
>ATEC Teacher Assistant
>The University of Texas at Dallas
>Office: ATEC1710
>Office Phone: (972) 883-4376
>E-mail: thomas.roome at student.utdallas.edu
>Since I don't know how much I will be in my office
>over the semester, so I highly recommend that you send me e-mail.
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>________________________________
>
>From: games_access-bounces at igda.org on behalf of Reid Kimball
>Sent: Tue 8/15/2006 10:50 PM
>To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
>Subject: Re: personality. Accessibility idle [games_access] GDC news
>
>
>
>>  "I'd like us to put together a strategy guide so the
>>  designers know what to put in and not before I asked the or he does this
>>  good we get that?"
>
>I'm of the opinion that we shouldn't tell them anything about how to
>make their game designs more accessible before the session. To be as
>good as a designer as Will Wright, you need to do your research. Once
>we give them the idea, accessible games for people of various
>disabilities we should let them go in whatever direction they want.
>This will force them to research what disabilities are, etc. If they
>are skilled designers, (which they are) they should come up with some
>great ideas.
>
>-Reid
>
>On 8/15/06, Robert Florio <arthit73 at cablespeed.com> wrote:
>>  Thanks for the update I'm glad we got a go on the idle accessibility event.
>>  I'll have to work on a character if I'm selected to be one of the judges, I
>>  hope so, I think I'd be a great judge because a deal specifically and
>>  visually ever one looks at me as someone who you know, a wheelchair, can't
>>  use his hands, cannot move very much, obviously needs to design games for
>>  himself who would be a good judge.
>>
>>  Maybe for myself what I should go for the is a personality of, a very
>>  high-profile talent agent of a very successful billion-dollar accessible
>>  video game company.  I could wear the Hawaiian shirts and the dark black
>>  sunglasses with my hair slick straight back.  That or if I have a little bit
>>  to drink before then I will be loose enough to do anything.
>>
>>  Bringing back my acting skills from acting class I took a few weeks ago,
>>  this will be a good challenge to bring out part of me not everyone gets to
>>  see.  How are we actually go to get these big-name so, do they know that
>>  they're going to be asked yet to create a game or they just going to create
>>  the game right then and there if they decide to show up for the session.  I
>>  think we should be able to contact these people and put the word out that
>>  they might be there or will be there.
>>
>>  I'd like to e-mail I have a e-mail of David Peary, my favorite game designer
>>  The Matrix Path of Neo, the most successful game for me, who maybe I could
>>  get him to come is that something I could do?  Someone to propose an
>>  accessible game.  I'd like us to put together a strategy guide so the
>>  designers know what to put in and not before I asked the or he does this
>>  good we get that?
>>
>>  Can you please let me know when you're meeting will be and sent me an
>>  instant message when you're doing it my America Online instant messages
>>  below if you're not using that let me know what please.
>>
>>  arthit73sga
>>
>>  Robert
>>  AI online SGA President
>>  arthit73 at cablespeed.com
>>  www.RobertFlorio.com
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