[games_access] first hello

Wed Oct 18 18:14:26 EDT 2006

Thanks Robert, I'm so happy you like it! Feel free to pass it along and I'm
always interested in feedback.

Re. the chapter - it will not include any code because of the generalized
target-audience. But once this chapter is over with I'd like to start adding
Flash/Java/C++ source-code for all the concepts I'll be touching upon. One
step at a time : ) 

Re. learning to program - you should know that Flash is now moving from
Actionscript2 (AS2) to AS3, so I'm not sure which books are relevant
anymore. I suggest to start with the Flash class your taking at school and
work it from there. In general, all the books by Colin Moock are excellent
but they are reference guides and not tutorials. The games book you
mentioned should also be great. Otherwise, if you want to pick up
programming in general, there's a great free and open-source platform
developed by two friends of mine at MIT - its http://processing.org
<http://processing.org/>  . It is used by many universities to teach
programming (instead of flash), but is not as comfy towards game-design. Its
also what I use to teach my art students programming 101. If you want to
give it a shot, a freidn of mine is writing a book for it and I'll ask if
it's ok to send you a PDF copy (can't promise though - depends on his
publisher). Let me know..

Thanks for the advice on the tetris game - I'll fix it. Notice that you can
change the scan mode from the menu under SCAN MODE SETTINGS. Both scan speed
and on/off can be set there.  

Amit

  _____  

From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
On Behalf Of Robert Florio
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 5:01 PM
To: 'IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [games_access] first hello

Amit 

thank you for sharing that web site of the Tetris game I played the clicking
version it is very accessible and very thoughtful considerably thought
through.  One of the best amazing accessible games for the Internet I played
yet.  I look forward to your discussions here very much thank you so much
for joining.

I look forward to interviewing some of the occupational therapist myself
from the therapy I go to for my spinal cord clinic for treatment at Kennedy
Krieger in Baltimore.  Your game is at the beta version now is it OK to
share with people or are you just testing it for people you know?  I know
the beta is a great place to get other people's opinions of the game so
probably open for anyone.

A busy right now with schoolwork but in your book I want to learn more about
creating games for the web that I don't know scripting or C++ at all.  Your
book is not a crash course in learning it the chapter you're writing, please
let us know the book or we can get it also, just describes how if you know
to use that helped implement it accessible features on the need for
accessible game play?

I look forward to reading about the issues you talk about of product costs
and overall playability.  One thing I need to learn because I want to start
an organization someday is product costs and things like that.  Thanks for
sharing.

One thing in your game after you want to stop playing I'm not sure if I was
able to find a return button or a quick button that would get me back to the
main menu to choose between the two versions scanning or the other.  I
didn't play the other version not scanning with the other because I can hit
the keyboard keys but with the mouse that was amazing thank you so much for
showing proving that it can't be done to great example.

Would you recommend or what would you recommend I start picking up want to
definitely create games and flash which are my next to classes at the Art
Institute online?  I read I have a book titled "Micromedia Flash MX Action
Script for Fun and Games."  I have yet to start reading it but the two
before those classes start.  I picture myself starting to make games like
the one you have made.  And many wore just threw clicking.

Please add me to your e-mail sender list and if you have an e-mail address
can I do the same because if you don't mind I'd like to e-mail you when I
get to that step learning and creating games through flash?  

Robert

www.RobertFlorio.com <http://www.robertflorio.com/>  

arthit73 at cablespeed.com 

  _____  

From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
On Behalf Of Amit Pitaru [LIST]
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 4:03 PM
To: 'IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [games_access] first hello

Steve and Robert, thanks for pointing me towards the game-accessibility
website! 

> I think what would be great to learn from you is the techniques and
technologies

Thanks, and I'm happy share everything I've learned. I hope that this
chapter that I'm writing will include the most beneficial aspects of the
project. Very quickly - it will introduce design techniques for creating
inclusive games with care applied to retaining production costs and overall
playability. I'll talk about what needs to happen from the hardware,
software and policy standpoints. I'll also demonstrate the techniques by
retrofitting a simple tetris game for accessibility (very preliminary beta
version at http://pitaru.com/tetris), and discuss how some of these ideas
can follow through to hardcore games. I hope to get permission from the
school to interview the OT's, children and parents. It's all coming together
now so I'll have more tangible things to show soon enough.

Amit 

  _____  

From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
On Behalf Of Robert Florio
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 11:50 AM
To: 'IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [games_access] first hello

Welcome Amit it's a pleasure to have someone with your experience involved
in this group.  Whenever we share together also check out
www.game-accessibility.com <http://www.game-accessibility.com/>  a few of us
including myself, gamers with physical impairments forum, moderate the
different forums for game accessibility.  I think what would be great to
learn from you is the techniques and technologies used to help people with
the game accessibility in Long Island.  Thanks for joining.  Feel free to
check out my web site and my artwork and efforts for game accessibility.  

Myself 24 years old living in Maryland United States a quadriplegic from my
spinal cord injury and I draw with my mouth and study game design at the Art
Institute online.

Robert

AI online SGA 

arthit73 at cablespeed.com 

www.RobertFlorio.com <http://www.robertflorio.com/>  

  _____  

From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
On Behalf Of Amit Pitaru [LIST]
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 10:00 AM
To: games_access at igda.org
Subject: [games_access] first hello

Hello, thank you for having me on the list. My name is Amit Pitaru, I'm a
game/toy designer and also a part-time educator at New York University. I
also teach art at Cooper Union, and occasionally exhibit my work
(http://pitaru.com <http://pitaru.com/>  and http://insertsilence.com
<http://insertsilence.com/> )

I learned about the SIG while working on a chapter for a book on games that
is commissioned by the MacArthur foundation. The chapter is based on a two
year project with a special-needs school in Long Island, where I devised
hardware and software for gaming accessibility. I hope to tell you more
about it as we chat along.

So again, thank you for having me, I think I finally found a good home-base
to learn and share my thoughts.

Cheerio

Amit Pitaru

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