call for Roberts meeting RE: [games_access] Retro Remakes 2006 Games:The Pyramid

Sun Sep 10 07:51:44 EDT 2006

Hello Robert,

I really don't advise using this game to point out inaccessible game play - as it's one of the best efforts to date in my eyes. However, there are a few things that could be impoved and fixed, bearing in mind your difficulties, so I'd really like to identify what needs to be done.

Mouse and Head Tracker users

I have found with a number of games, dwell clicking has proved to be a problem. Some games do not recognised certain dwell clickers at all. After your e-mail I noticed that the "Click here to continue" banner on the "Pyramid" does not work either, with my older dwell clicker software.

Solution: I contacted Natural Point, who have supplied an "2kXP" compatible dwell clicker for all games. I have attached this for anyone wishing to try this out (works with a standard mouse too). You need to go to the "set up" icon, then click the "2k/Xp clicking mode" button. Seems that there is an issue with Windows 2000 and XP and the way that clicks are sent and recognised with lots of games (generally games that use Direct X to take over the whole screen - many windowed games seem to work fine.

>From this update, I have played "The Pyramid" perfectly using a head tracker with and without a switch. You should be able to pause the game for a rest, and quit too pretty easily back to the front menu and in turn Windows / your operating system.

What head-tracker system are you using? Also are you even using dwell clicking, or are you using a sip/puff switch to act as mouse clicks?

There is another issue with many head trackers, where dwell clicking doesn't allow for toggled controls (e.g. Imagine a car game. You may find it beneficial to dwell click for accellerator on which is held on until you dwell click again for accellerator off. Most dwell clickers will be a fast on/off click at present. Certainly an issue - for instance - dwell clickers won't work well with "Flow in Games": http://intihuatani.usc.edu/cloud/flowing/).

One Switch gamers

Works well. Hold the button down to select, tap to move down through menu options.

There is an issue with switches used with adapted joypads/joysticks. If the switch is connected to UP, DOWN, LEFT or RIGHT and you are using JoyToKey to trigger a SPACE press, the game will respond as though you are using both at the same time, and trigger double presses. Thus you'll find that tapping a switch connected to DOWN  causes double presses, making you fly down the menu faster than you'd like to.

Solution: In One Switch control mode - ignore the joystick.

Another potential problem would be for gamers unable to hold the space bar down reliably. A scan and select menu might be beneficial.

Joystick gamers

At the Retro Remakes splash screen, you can not proceed without recourse to a different control system (keyboard or left mouse click).

Solution: Display the splash screen for a fixed time, then automatically go to the main menu. Detect joystick movement - go to the main menu.

User-defining the joystick has some issues. You don't seem to be able to define a Playstation controller standard UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT as the controls. Seems like a small bug that could be fixed fairly easily.

All gamers

The front menu screen is perhaps a little cluttered and might benefit from some symbols (e.g. spanner for options - traditional exit of man running through a door for exit - and a start symbol - don't know what).

Otherwise - please, Robert - don't use this game as an example of an inaccessible game. You may found that the dwell clicker fix opens the whole game up to you. From here there are many things we all want to see included in accessible games. Wide difficulty levels, speed controls, choice of control methods and reconfigurable controls, options for visually impaired gamers, pause options for head tracker users to avoid neck ache, free-play testing areas, clear instructions and so on. Apart from Access Invaders, there's not much else to touch this for all round accessibility. I'll pass on these thoughts and others to Chris Roper of PugFugly games, and see what he says.

Archaist (by Tesa and Michi)

Well, another game in the meanwhile....Archaist (http://www.michi.nu/games/archaist/index.php) - Again some very nice accessibility features. Head tracker users may need the "2K/XP" fix. What do people think on this one?

Barrie
www.OneSwitch.org.uk

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Florio" <arthit73 at cablespeed.com>
To: "'IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List'" <games_access at igda.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2006 12:44 AM
Subject: call for Roberts meeting RE: [games_access] Retro Remakes 2006 Games:The Pyramid

>I definitely have joy to key it's a hassle getting someone to set up my
> mouth controller just to play this what looks like a casual game wouldn't
> make me feel very casual except for taking 30 minutes to set up so I think
> if right off the bat this game could be played with just the click of a
> mouse it would've been much more confined for accessible issues.  Thanks for
> chatting I think I will go to use the example in my speech and maybe chat
> with a few of you before September 28 about how to incorporate the game as
> an example.  This one.  Would be cool if I could play it in front of the
> crowd and point out all the things that need to be made to make a simple
> game like this more playable I think a huge visual representation.
> 
> For example I'll start the game, start going through the configurations and
> show people I can't reach the keys on my keyboard, and I don't have a
> joystick set up so the game is played with a mouse, so from right there on
> stock and then we'll have to call someone to hit control alt and delete to
> to help me because it froze on me the first time I played it and I have to
> get someone to restart the computer.  I couldn't reach the escape button
> that's why.  This might work in a speech but I must meet with Michelle or
> someone I can't make the this Wednesday chat but I need to chat with some
> people get this speech I am writing nailed down with some input from you
> guys.
> 
> Anyone interested in meeting this Sunday 6:00 p.m. Eastern New York time
> instant message?
> 
> This is my first huge speech I asked my media frenzy that my story in the
> town so maybe they could bring a newsgroup don't know though but would like
> to use that poster you guys are talking about make it also.  More things to
> talk about hopefully this Sunday or maybe next Sunday or Wednesday.
> September 10 and September 17.
> 
> trillion. Yahoo. arts144
> 
> Robert
> AI online SGA President
> arthit73 at cablespeed.com 
> www.RobertFlorio.com 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
> On Behalf Of Barrie Ellis
> Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2006 3:52 PM
> To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [games_access] Retro Remakes 2006 Games: The Pyramid
> 
> Hi Robert,
> 
> Are you using your Quadcontroller with your PC? You should be able to get 
> any Playstation or Xbox compatible controller working with a PC with an 
> adapter (see below). From here you can get it to act as a keyboard using a 
> free software utility called JoyToKey.
> 
> http://www.lik-sang.com/list.php?category=160 - PC adapters from Lik-Sang
> http://www.oneswitch.org.uk/2/I/JoyToKey/JoyToKey.htm) - JoyToKey download 
> and info
> 
> I can't think of many controllers that won't work with this game in this 
> way.
> 
> All the best,
> 
> Barrie
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Robert Florio" <arthit73 at cablespeed.com>
> To: "'IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List'" <games_access at igda.org>
> Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2006 8:16 PM
> Subject: RE: [games_access] Retro Remakes 2006 Games: The Pyramid
> 
> 
>>I disagree I think this game even though it has a lot of free set up
>> features or you can custom set up all the moving for keys, already part of
>> the beginning features of the game, someone like me I can't use my fingers
> 
>> I
>> couldn't reach the keys to even assign different movements left and right 
>> so
>> I like sticking with those one click games.  This might be a good example
>> for me to use playing aesthetic game a tempting accessible feature making 
>> it
>> so that the player can set up the accessible environment but what happens
>> when someone like me can not even reach the keys.  I might use this for my
>> speech games for health conference September 28.
>>
>> Robert
>> AI online SGA President
>> arthit73 at cablespeed.com
>> www.RobertFlorio.com
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
>> On Behalf Of AudioGames.net
>> Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2006 3:10 PM
>> To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [games_access] Retro Remakes 2006 Games: The Pyramid
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I copy that. This is an excellent example of accessibility features in a
>> game! I especially liked the solutions to some possible design problems.
>> Such as when you zoom in on the game, the location of the enemies is shown
>> by exclamation marks (!) on the sides of the screen. When looking at this
>> game, game accessibility seems so simple, doesn't it?
>>
>> Ok, I would have given a 10 (or an A+ for those outside of Holland) if 
>> this
>> game was accessible for the blind as well. Still this is an excellent 9,5
>> (or A-?) !
>>
>> Barrie (and others of course: would you like to set up an interview 
>> together
>>
>> for www.game-accessibility.com with the developer on his experiences
>> building this game (including his experiences in the spare room he
>> mentioned... ;) ?
>>
>> Greets,
>>
>> Richard
>>
>> http://www.audiogames.net
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Reid Kimball" <rkimball at gmail.com>
>> To: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List" <games_access at igda.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2006 7:56 PM
>> Subject: Re: [games_access] Retro Remakes 2006 Games: The Pyramid
>>
>>
>>> After playing it I am really impressed with its wide range of
>>> accessibility options and I think it could be a great model for other
>>> developers to look at. It's valuable to have one game to look at that
>>> incorporates many features instead of looking at 10 different games
>>> that each do one accessibility feature. All the elements work well
>>> together and improve the enjoyment of the game for many people. I
>>> could play the game just as easily and enjoyably in "normal" mode and
>>> also when I had nearly all of the accessibility features turned on.
>>> Excellent job.
>>>
>>> -Reid
>>>
>>> On 9/4/06, Barrie Ellis <barrie.ellis at oneswitch.org.uk> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I'd be really interested to read people's thoughts on "The Pyramid" from
>>>> Pug
>>>> Fugly Games.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.pugfuglygames.com/Downloads/ThePyramid.zip (PC
>>>> only)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Barrie
>>>> www.OneSwitch.org.uk
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