[games_access] Gentle Petition. Suggestions?

d. michelle hinn hinn at uiuc.edu
Wed Dec 5 13:59:55 EST 2007 

Eelke gave up his pass because he has unused funding that has to be 
used up or he'll lose it -- this was because of the mess he had 
trying to go to FuturePlay. He's still going to GDC but he is paying 
for his own pass with that unused funding. So that allows us to have 
one pass for someone to run the SIG "Meet and Greet" session -- that 
is what you would be in charge of at GDC if you can go.

Can you let me know off-list in reply to my email I sent you last 
night about your bio when you'll know if you can go? I thought that 
you had said that you had funding to go but only if you had a pass. 
Anyway, no worries -- I just need to know very soon if you cannot go 
because then I will re-assign it to someone else who will have to 
make some plane and hotel reservations in a hurry. Just let me know 
by replying to the email I sent you last night.

I'll draft up an edited version of the petition that's more in line 
with what we've been talking about as soon as I get through grading 
my students.

Michelle

>Okay cool.  If you got a chance to look at the petition I wrote I 
>guess the suggestion is to make it seem more positive?  Which part? 
>I think the beginning part of the history that I wrote says " it is 
>2007 in the industry as failed to make games accessible" is there a 
>better way to say that because that's when it is?  Is that what you 
>mean if that is I will look through it and adjust other things.
>
>I do like the idea of not keeping it short and simple like the 
>petition web site suggests.  So it's hard to fit a lot in.
>
>I think Berrie also suggested a softer petition.  Let me know what 
>you mean that would be great.
>
>Ellke gave up his pass?
>
>Wow are you sure?  In my mind I thought I wasn't going but I think 
>now I have to reconsider my options and then get back to you as soon 
>as possible if it is absolutely still possible for me to take the 
>offer.  I would say if I can afford the trip, and I will talk it 
>over with the people helping me to get there, let him not completely 
>decide to not go.
>
>I appreciate the talk here and I don't mean to piss anybody off I 
>just think it's better to talk about the issues in the open so we 
>are all more open with each other.  I understand about the timing. 
>I'll be graduating December 13 so between now and then I'll be busy 
>myself.
>
>Robert
>
>
>From: games_access-bounces at igda.org 
>[mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org] On Behalf Of d. michelle hinn
>Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 11:53 AM
>To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [games_access] Gentle Petition
>
>Yes, going down a serious government track often ends up that way 
>here too -- I think just getting the message out that games can help 
>from a positive psychology standpoint helps raise awareness amongst 
>legislators. I received an email yesterday -- the daily ECA bulletin 
>-- apparently a report came out yesterday that put the game industry 
>in hot water again. Apparently "games" are even worse for us than 
>ever was the gist of this report and the ESRP got slammed. So the 
>industry is STILL having to defend it's existance daily. So anything 
>we can do to help put games in a positive light, I think the 
>industry would get behind. So a "pledge of support" for game 
>accessibility may be what we want our next move to be.
>
>For more on the ECA (I'm a founding member!), go to 
>http://www.theeca.com/ -- The IGDA has agreed (and are totally 
>backing the ECA, which is consumer aimed rather than developer 
>aimed) to let us partner with them in fighting to keep the game 
>industry healthy. Reid and I talked with them at E for All and I've 
>been emailing them -- they are helping us get some major names (I'll 
>announce things officially when we have the written support) in 
>gaming to join in with us.
>
>I think to avoid the lawsuit mess that is tying up our courts and 
>actually really messing over different entertainment industries 
>because what they thought was a good idea actually ended up thrown 
>back in their faces, we should definitely work on this "positive 
>awareness" versus legislation idea. Robert has started things going 
>-- if we could all take a little time in the next week or so (I know 
>so many of us are slammed giving exams and/or taking exams right 
>about now because we are either instructors or students (or both!) 
>so this week and next is probably pretty rough on time) and help the 
>petition become something we as a SIG can stand behind and feel that 
>it is not anti-industry but that it is positive industry, that would 
>be great.
>
>You know...we've also never gotten the industry to get behind us in 
>a formal way so why not take this energy and do this now? Sure, it's 
>not about changing laws but it's perhaps even more important. 
>Because the industry needs us and others that know that gaming is 
>important because it's a route to leisure, which is what makes life, 
>well, fun! :) So if we change our wording in the petition to 
>something positive and inspiring, well that could really, really 
>work. And remember -- GDC is SOON! And Robert is one of the few of 
>us that has a pass (Thanks again to Eelke who generously gave his 
>pass up so Robert could attend) so, hey, let's turn this opportunity 
>into something we can go into to GDC with -- it's a great talking 
>point!
>
>Michelle
>
>
>>a couple of years ago I tried to talk to the Swedish government 
>>with a similar approach and get their attention by writing a letter 
>>to the minister of culture, but only got a polite reply that they 
>>didn't have time for a meeting to discuss with me
>>
>>
>>
>>perhaps things have changed now (new administration) so I can give 
>>it a try again
>>
>>
>>
>>/Thomas
>>
>>
>>
>>5 dec 2007 kl. 00.49 skrev d. michelle hinn:
>>
>>
>>
>>I agree -- We haven't gone down the road of the politics at all yet 
>>and I think if we approach it the right way that it would be well 
>>received and maybe even result in awareness amongst gamers, 
>>developers, and people who would be gamers but don't know that they 
>>could be. So a more gentle petition to say "hey, we agree that 
>>games are important and here's why adding accessibility is a good 
>>idea..."
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>There's no reason we can't send an informative brief to let 
>>>legislators know about game accessibility even in the US -- when 
>>>done, this is a GOOD thing about games. We send the good things 
>>>about game accessibility and games to start things out versus 
>>>something that is anti-industry, which we don't want to do at this 
>>>point.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>And, hey, maybe in 50 years there won't be a need for legislation 
>>>because there will be some incredible breakthrough that none of us 
>>>can even imagine yet! :)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Michelle
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Robert (and others) - regarding the petition why don't you consider a
>>>compromise? I know in the UK you can quite easily go down the political path
>>>to get things to the government:
>>>
>>>http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/SupportAT/
>>>
>>>What about starting a very simple petition - "We the undersigned want to see
>>>more accessibility features in games...." - with a bit of an explanation
>>>(But not too much) - and some translations into other languages.
>>>
>>>It would be nice to have something to take to developers, indies,
>>>home-coders to say lots do want this - it's not just us few people
>>>contacting you! And a few years down the line if we're still getting no
>>>where - but have everything in place that we can do - then maybe the
>>>political path is the way to go.
>>>
>>>Let's face it - in 50 years - accessibility in software will very likely be
>>>legislated for (and let's hope it will be so much easier to bring into
>>>being) - so Robert's not so far off the mark. It's just so.... slow....
>>>
>>>What do you think re. the gentle petition?
>>>
>>>Barrie
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>games_access mailing list
>>>><mailto:games_access at igda.org>games_access at igda.org
>>>><http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access>http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>
>>>games_access mailing list
>>>
>>><mailto:games_access at igda.org>games_access at igda.org
>>>
>>><http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access>http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>games_access mailing list
>>games_access at igda.org
>>http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
>>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>games_access mailing list
>games_access at igda.org
>http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist7.pair.net/pipermail/games_access/attachments/20071205/17296f81/attachment.htm>

More information about the games_access mailing list