[games_access] A Simpler Tack

Eelke Folmer eelke.folmer at gmail.com
Tue Nov 13 03:28:54 EST 2007


Hi Richard,

It is all about listening allright, but you need some sort of stimuli
to indicate when to press the right button and for how long, this
creates a large number of different stimuli; there are 4 different
frets and the notes vary in lenght on a scale from 1 to 40; which
combined creates up to 250 different stimuli. We considered using
audio cues, and with regard to the required hardware that would have
been a better solution but listening to the music and using audio cues
even using a headset with split outputs it is just too confusing. Our
haptic glove each finger starts buzzing whenever you need to play a
note and when it stops you release it. The video was the first time we
tested it out with a blind person, who had never played guitar hero
nor guitar before. We have slightly modified the glove increase it's
"spatial" resolution and we get much better results. We ourselves can
blind play most of the easy songs.

We'll demo it at GDC so you can "feel" for yourself ;-)

Cheers Eelke


On 11/12/07, AudioGames.net <richard at audiogames.net> wrote:
> Why a glove... ? When Guitar Hero is all about listening, you chose for a
> tactile accessible interface... ?
>
> (btw: you should put glitter on it and make it a Michael Jackson glove :)
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Eelke Folmer" <eelke.folmer at gmail.com>
> To: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List" <games_access at igda.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 8:26 AM
> Subject: Re: [games_access] A Simpler Tack
>
>
> > Hmmmm.......
> >
> > I like the idea but these some of these game genres are pretty "old",
> > I can't remember any recent pinball or golf (except wii sports) games
> > coming out. It's good to investigate such interfaces to gain more
> > insights into how people with disabilities can play games, but the
> > experiences gained do not translate very well to the majority of
> > modern games. I'd like to see more accessible versions of popular
> > games genres such as an RTS (we're already working on that ;-) or
> > games like monkey ball which I think could be translated easily to a
> > one button game.
> >
> > Speaking of another popular game genre that we are trying to make
> > accessible check out this video:
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UwY0vyCXxg
> > It's our first testrun with our "blind hero", its far from perfect but
> > we made some adjustments and hope to continue testing our prototype
> > glove within the next few weeks.
> >
> > cheers Eelke
> >
> >
> >
> > On 11/12/07, Barrie Ellis <barrie.ellis at oneswitch.org.uk> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Not sure if this made it through - e-mail filtered this one out I
> >> think...
> >> Here it is again:
> >>
> >>  ________________________________
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> 1. Generic Racing Game
> >>
> >> a. Fully Redefinable controls.
> >> b. Compatibility with Alternative Controllers. Use a basic Arcade Stick
> >> (e.g. Xbox 360 HORI Arcade Stick) as easy to obtain example.
> >> c. Easy Play Modes. E.g. Quick Start Menu System - test tracks - an oval
> >> track - driver assists (see most SEGA F355 Challenge) - barriers.
> >>
> >>
> >> 2. Generic Golf Game
> >>
> >> a. Fully Redefinable controls.
> >> b. Compatibility with Alternative Controllers. Use a basic Arcade Stick
> >> (e.g. Xbox 360 HORI Arcade Stick) as easy to obtain example.
> >> c. Easy Play Modes. E.g. ability to switch off wind and slice (see
> >> Everybody's Golf) and a One-button play mode - including menu access.
> >>
> >>
> >> 3. Generic Pinball Game.
> >>
> >>
> >> a. Fully Redefinable controls.
> >> b. Compatibility with Alternative Controllers. Use a basic Arcade Stick
> >> (e.g. Xbox 360 HORI Arcade Stick) as easy to obtain example.
> >> c. Easy Play Modes. E.g. ability to adjust the virtual slant of the table
> >> to
> >> slow the game right down or speed it up - One-button play mode -
> >> including
> >> menu access.
> >>
> >>
> >> Explanatory icon design? Off the top of my head:
> >>
> >> Not sure... I liked Atari's generic bear symbol for "Special Feature" for
> >> Kids. However, times have changed now, and I can't see adults
> >> appreciating
> >> that as a mark of accessibility. I think CC should probably have it's own
> >> logo. I can't see main-stream developers going for the "universal symbol
> >> of
> >> accessibility" either (wheelchair stick drawing in white on a blue
> >> background). Needs to be something simple, recongisable, and perhaps with
> >> a
> >> very small URL showing people where to get info on that particular games
> >> accessibility features.
> >>
> >> Any thoughts?
> >>
> >> Barrie
> >> www.OneSwitch.org.uk
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: Barrie Ellis
> >> To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
> >> Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 12:29 PM
> >> Subject: [games_access] A simpler tack
> >>
> >>
> >> Why don't we try this...?
> >>
> >> 1. Discuss a few game genres that can easily be made more accessible. I
> >> suggest racing games, golf games and pinball. All easy to comprehend.
> >> 2. Make a top 3 accessibilty features wish list for each type.
> >> 3. Draw up our own Accessibility logos for those features.
> >> 4. Contact specific developers. Not Sony - Not Microsoft - but actual
> >> game
> >> development PR and management.
> >> 5. Offer our support via the IGDA GASIG.
> >> 6. Keep a log of our progress.
> >>
> >> Barrie
> >> www.OneSwitch.org.uk
> >>
> >>
> >>  ________________________________
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> 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
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Eelke Folmer                           Assistant Professor
> > Department of CS&E/171
> > University of Nevada              Reno, Nevada 89557
> > Game interaction design        www.helpyouplay.com
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > _______________________________________________
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> > http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
>
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-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eelke Folmer                           Assistant Professor
Department of CS&E/171
University of Nevada              Reno, Nevada 89557
Game interaction design        www.helpyouplay.com
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