[games_access] Thinking about GDC 08's competition

[d. michelle hinn]

Heh -- this was probably a lost in translation/bad explanation on my 
part bit -- the "ax the reality show thing" was meant to mean don't 
do a game show thing at all!

We "can't" use design challenge...but that doesn't stop us from 
coming pretty darn close to the same words...errr...Challenge: 
Design! ;)

Another idea I had was...design for Helen Keller...now doing 
something accessible for the deaf AND blind...now that is a 
challenge...and the person that can design something cool around that 
will help solve the catch 22 issue where doing something that helps 
the deaf might mess up something for the blind with regard to 
accessibility. This also puts us in more competition with Eric Z and 
his poetry/peace prize/needle and thread challenges...

I was also thinking that the person should be able to also play it 
with non-disabled friends...perhaps over the top? But still...the 
social aspect of gaming is SO important.

I *REALLY* want to give the challenge another try because I think 
we're onto something -- we just need to rethink it! And I want our 
sessions to be fun -- we don't have to be comedians (as we know 
now...we're not) to create a couple hour long presentations.

And...(now back to game shows, only different)

I also like the "Translation: Accessibility" idea where we have a, 
for example, what closed captioning means for the non-hearing 
impaired. Eelke -- perhaps since you put the article out on 
Gamasutra, you'd like to lead some kind of session on this that is 
also SIG sponsored? Perhaps it could be more than a lecture -- did 
you see Microsoft's "usability game show" at CHI in Austria? We could 
toss out some fun prizes to those that come up with something not on 
the list -- that way the audience is more engaged. I can see this as 
a high energy and fun, engaging session.

OK...More ideas!!!

Michelle

>Hi,
>
>I agree with all of the competitors advice. I would also like to add 
>"no game show theme next time"? A theme is good, but something cool, 
>not corny? Michelle, I like all of your suggestions so far. I would 
>prefer to have a good, 3rd party host and Raph seems like a good 
>person for that. And I guess fitting in his own entry is cool?
>
>But, ok, what still seems missing is:
>
>1) theme / title of the design challenge. Can we still use "design 
>challenge" in the title?
>2) basically along with the theme, the target impaired audience? Our 
>options are:
>
>- game for one specific game handicap
>- game for a game handicap of choice
>- game for one out of a selection of game handicaps (the list we make)
>
>But maybe we can try something completely different/less obvious 
>instead. As I read Eelke's (excellent) Gamasutra article today, I 
>was thinking about handicaps caused by impairments and the same 
>handicaps not caused by impairments. Example: deaf gamers encounter 
>the same problems as gamers in a loud environment (LAN party/mother 
>vacuming/arcade/on the train) as gamers that play a mobile game and 
>intentionally turn the sound off. Another one is: gamers with 
>parkinson encounter the same problem as gamers on a plane with 
>turbulence. Another one is: gamers trying to play with a DS or a PSP 
>in a sunny environment (as I tried in the Dominican Republic for 2 
>weeks) encounter the same problem as visually impaired gamers. etc. 
>etc. For more examples, see Eelke's article.
>
>Maybe we could make sort of a game-handicap list, where each problem 
>is linked to both a bodily impairment *and* a likely situation that 
>a non-impaired gamer can also encounter. So the parkinson/airplane 
>disability (although there's probably also the gamer with parkinson 
>on a plane with turbulence-disability). This is also where we could 
>can some fun in, for instance:
>
>disability: game speed is to fast
>people who encounter this issue: gamers with a physical impairment 
>that does not allow for fast reactions, hippies
>
>disability: cannot hear game audio
>people who encounter this issue: deaf gamers, grannies, gamers who 
>visited Ozzfest 2007
>
>Err... ?
>
>And I guess I still want Hugh Heffner to showcase his Playboy 
>Mansion game to see how well he handles the controls at his age. And 
>I like celebrity handicapped people: Michael J Fox showing how he 
>plays with the DS having Parkinson?
>
>Just some random thought. Next please!
>
>Ries
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "d. michelle hinn" <hinn at uiuc.edu>
>To: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List" <games_access at igda.org>
>Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 11:11 PM
>Subject: [games_access] Thinking about GDC 08's competition
>
>>Hey guys,
>>
>>So I'm working on next year's design challenge for GDC and I'm 
>>taking the advise of the competitors from 07 into consideration:
>>
>>* Keep it to one hour
>>* No judges at all -- if judges have questions about why they felt 
>>that way...I'll email you off-list
>>* Include accessibility "extra info" between the contestants or do 
>>it all up front
>>* NO VIDEOS unless they are realllllllllly good and reallllllllllly 
>>short (we left people in the dark with our video as fun as it was 
>>to make it wasn't nearly as hilarious in real life) :)
>>* Keep things more serious without being boring
>>* Ax the "reality show" idea
>>* Cut down the number of contestants to 3
>>
>>So right now I'm talking to people who might be involved -- Raph 
>>Koster (wrote "theory of fun") is interested in either being a 
>>contestant or being "mini" presenter on the challenges of 
>>accessibility and fun (those of you at GDC 07 probably remember 
>>that we were up against him so maybe if we get everyone famous 
>>somehow involved...hehe) and then Will Wright, Dave Perry and Keita 
>>Takahashi who said they were interested for 08 -- I'm imagining all 
>>will not say "yes." Raph is really interested in being involved in 
>>some manner. I'd like for them to be involved during even the early 
>>stages so that we can present a coherent show. So I'd to have the 
>>spirit of being a publisher with many competing design studios and 
>>only one will get the "go" in a "go/no go" audience vote (this was 
>>Noah's suggestion). So the contestants would have "checking in" 
>>meetings with us as they go (to prevent "non-game 
>>presentations...we had a few") and such. And I'm imagining that all 
>>contestants would have "accessibility mentors" assigned to them 
>>from the SIG to make things even more challenging and fun for all 
>>of us and get us all involved.
>>
>>So this isn't THE proposal...I'm just still riffing on some ideas. 
>>So YOUR opinion counts so please do give it! None of last year's 
>>contestants said that we should drop the whole idea -- but instead 
>>change it and do it in a way that seems much more put together.
>>
>>So let's go! Let's think about our cool street cred session that 
>>might get people in the door for an hour and then get them to come 
>>to the expo for more! Let's think about how we can have the 
>>coolest, yet non-hospital inducing sessions to raise the roof!!!!
>>
>>Michelle
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