[games_access] "The disabled and the Wii - an openlettertoNintendo"

[Barrie Ellis]

I'd like to see a wireless standard for controllers across the board in the 
future, so specialised controllers will be more interchangable... One day.

Barrie
www.OneSwitch.org.uk




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Reid Kimball" <reid at rbkdesign.com>
To: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List" <games_access at igda.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 10, 2006 4:23 AM
Subject: Re: [games_access] "The disabled and the Wii - an 
openlettertoNintendo"


> Here's an idea for a more accessible Wiimote device. Instead of
> holding a Wiimote, I think wearing a motion sensored hat, or a halo to
> keep it lightweight on your head could be helpful. It could have a
> microphone and sip/puff straws attached. The game could have an option
> to take input from a head worn or hand held Wiimote.
>
> About the comments, some sure were infuriating. More so because I've
> heard developers say those same things, such as thinking adding
> accessibility features will hurt the game.
>
> -Reid
>
> On 12/9/06, Barrie Ellis <barrie.ellis at oneswitch.org.uk> wrote:
>>
>>
>> I must admit, some of the comments people left after the main letter made 
>> me
>> want to slap them into seeing sense. So frustrating when people take such 
>> a
>> selfish attitude.
>>
>> As regards the old accessible Nintendo controller, it did exist (in very
>> small numbers). It was called the "NES Hands Free", and was controlled 
>> via a
>> chin guided joystick and a sip/puff switch. More on it here:
>>
>> http://www.oneswitch.org.uk/2/pioneers.htm
>> http://www.nesplayer.com/database/accessories/neshandsfreecontroller.htm
>> http://play.tm/story/7943
>>
>>
>> Name: NES Hands Free Controller
>> Company: Nintendo
>> Console: NES
>> Year: 1989
>>
>> Price: $120 standalone kit or $179 including the console and a game.
>> Nintendo's philosophy has always been that its games should be available 
>> to
>> everyone, not just children and spotty teenagers - or as the case was in
>> 1989, not just to able bodied individuals either.
>>
>> The NES Hands Free Controller consisted of a back-to-front backpack-type
>> device that strapped onto the front of the player and was compatible with
>> all of the console's games (multiplayer an' all) except those that 
>> required
>> the NES' light gun or zapper. The directional pad was replaced by a 
>> chunky
>> joystick that could be manipulated by the player's chin whilst the 
>> functions
>> of the 'A' and 'B' buttons were carried out by softly 'sipping' or 
>> 'puffing'
>> from and into a bendy tube that stuck out from the top of the chunky 
>> piece
>> of kit. Meanwhile, the 'Select' and 'Start' buttons could be activated by
>> sipping or puffing more forcefully. In addition, two dials on the front 
>> of
>> the unit enabled the sensitivity of the breath inputs to be tinkered as 
>> well
>> as switching around the sipping or puffing functions.
>> The Hands Free Controller was a non-profit device sold directly through
>> Nintendo's Customer Care line and made available in three sizes. Due to 
>> its
>> target audience it was distributed in limited numbers, but the idea 
>> behind
>> it was certainly both heartfelt and novel.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Robert Florio
>> To: 'IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List'
>> Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2006 8:56 PM
>> Subject: Re: [games_access] "The disabled and the Wii - an open
>> lettertoNintendo"
>>
>>
>> It was great to read this letter and the comments some people suggested
>> Nintendo created a controller in the past with sipping and puffing but I
>> don't think so haven't heard of the doing the anyway others say can't 
>> please
>> everyone and one person even mentioned something about, how can you 
>> expect
>> to do something in the game world if you can't even do it in the real 
>> world
>> which is the point to do it in a game world because you can't do it in 
>> the
>> real world.  The whole world needs a wake-up call and I can't wait until 
>> one
>> of these days some of us get that huge opportunity to speak to the world
>> where everyone is, for example widely aware of recycling the need for
>> reducing greenhouse effect I think it will take that awareness for people 
>> to
>> know when they say things like that it's a no-brainer to the rest of the
>> world foot in mouth thing.
>>
>> Robert
>> www.RobertFlorio.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: games_access-bounces at igda.org 
>> [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
>> On Behalf Of Barrie Ellis
>> Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2006 1:18 PM
>> To: IGDA GA mailing list
>> Subject: [games_access] "The disabled and the Wii - an open letter
>> toNintendo"
>>
>> Are Kotaku trying to redeem theirselves?
>>
>> http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/wii/the-disabled-and-the-wii-an-open-letter-to-nintendo-216826.php
>>
>>
>> Some of the comments from their readership are great - and predictably 
>> some
>> are from turds. However, good to see this sort of thing in Kotaku.
>>
>> Barrie
>> www.OneSwitch.org.uk
>>
>>
>>
>>
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