[games_access] Top 10 list

AudioGames.net richard at audiogames.net
Mon Oct 1 18:53:45 EDT 2007


And point 8 still sucks BIG TIME... seriously!!!!!!!!!

1) "add audio tags to all significant elements (actors, doors, items, 
resulting actions, etc)"
- what exactly is an audio tag? A continuous sound loop?

2) "true spatial 3D"
- spatial 3D isn't a term. It is either 3D audio or spatial audio.
- why exactly spatial/3D audio and not simply mono? Does Tetris need 5.1 
sound mixing?!
- ??? true?!? it is either virtual 3D audio or physical 3D audio (but not 
TRUE 3D audio...)

A better description would be something along the lines of:

- Add auditory alternatives for significant visual information.

However, this is still tooo vague.

Also... what are "interface fonts". Isn't this just "fonts"?

I'd stick with Michelle's description of "10 little nuggets of knowledge 
that can be pinned to a game developers cubicle and provide immediate 
inspiration on how to improve his or her game." Maybe get rid of 
multi-interpretational lingo, and stick more to design solutions that are 
already proven (basically design patterns). "Audio tags added to significant 
elements in 3D spatial audio" is simply not a proven technique. Well, with 
SudoSan I pretty much proved that the technique doesn't neccessarily work, 
and I guess AGRIP Accessible Quake proved the same thing. So I suggest we 
stick with stuff from which we know it works, and be as unambiguous as 
possible. So simple say things like "fonts" instead of "interface fonts".

Greets,

Richard












----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Eelke Folmer" <eelke.folmer at gmail.com>
To: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List" <games_access at igda.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 12:38 AM
Subject: Re: [games_access] Top 10 list


> Hi Barrie,
>
> That list looks pretty good to me. Only bullet 3 is kind of something
> of the past. I see more and more manuel less games since its much
> easier and accessible to provide in- game feedback e.g a tutorial
> agent etc. I'm not against this format but would it be an idea to
> relate these requirements to actual accessibility problems? E.g. why
> is it important to have re-mappable controls? a picture of a quad
> controller or a one button might help visualize the actual
> accessibility problem rather than have a game designer wonder about
> why that requirement needs to be implemented. We could actually go for
> 2 lists of 5 with a little bit more elaboration on the actual
> problems. We could center it around our ghosts but maybe some others
> have some good ideas?
>
> cheers Eelke
>
>
> On 10/1/07, Barrie Ellis <barrie.ellis at oneswitch.org.uk> wrote:
>> Top 10 list on the GASIG wiki is here:
>> http://www.igda.org/wiki/Top_Ten
>>
>> Most up to date version here: http://tim.thechases.com/top10_2.pdf
>>   1.. allow all controls (mouse, keyboard, gamepad) to be remapped
>>   2.. add closed-captioning for all dialog and important sound-effects
>>   3.. provide documentation in an accessible format (HTML or plain-text)
>>   4.. provide assist modes (auto-targeting, training options, etc)
>>   5.. provide a broad range of difficulty levels from incredibly simple 
>> to
>> difficult
>>   6.. make interface fonts scalable
>>   7.. allow for high-contrast color schemes
>>   8.. add audio tags to all significant elements (actors, doors, items,
>> resulting actions, etc) in true spatial 3D
>>   9.. allow for a varied range of control over play-speed
>>   10.. announce accessibility features on packaging
>> Still looks good to me - with personal one-switch wish lists being 1, 4, 
>> 5,
>> 9 and 10. I think there should be inclusion of an alternative reduced
>> controls option, such as with Electronic Arts Wii Madden game:
>> http://switchgaming.blogspot.com/2007/07/well-done-electronic-arts.html -
>> this does tie up with section 4, but I think we need to highlight this 
>> need.
>>
>> Barrie
>> www.OneSwitch.org.uk
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "d. michelle hinn" <hinn at uiuc.edu>
>> To: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List" <games_access at igda.org>
>> Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 8:58 AM
>> Subject: Re: [games_access] same proposal in multiple tracks
>>
>>
>> > >Sweet !
>> >>
>> >>Cool so can I help organize /coordinate the accessibility task force
>> >>and use my physical appearance to intimidate game developers and get
>> >>their asses at our talks?
>> >
>> > Hehe. Ok, but you have to tell me what an accessibility task force is
>> > first! And remember I'm the "accessibility evangelist" (as Richard 
>> > dubbed
>> > me) so I'm always for multiple approaches because it spreads the word!
>> > Yes, I think if you stood in front of the doors to other talks and 
>> > pointed
>> > at our room, looking super fierce that would help. ;)
>> >
>> >>What we need:
>> >>- cool shirts
>> >
>> > So as Barrie found out...Cafe Press yanked our design. I'm going to 
>> > shop
>> > around town here at some t-shirt shops to find out cost per shirt and
>> > where the quantity price breaks are. Can you do the same in Reno? 
>> > Wherever
>> > there's a university, there's t-shirt shops. Then we can compare prices
>> > for bulk shirt orders. And we need some place who will print the 
>> > ghosts.
>> > :D
>> >
>> > Should we go with the file Barrie sent? That would make sense to me. It
>> > might need to be tweaked in photoshop if we are going to print it on
>> > black, which always adds a little extra work. Richard, can you help us
>> > tweak Barrie's file so that it can be printed (and look good) on black? 
>> > We
>> > definitely needs some shirts of some sort for E for All but I don't 
>> > know
>> > where we can get them quickly enough if Vista Print can't do it.
>> >
>> >>- if only we had booth babes/hunks to help us.
>> >
>> > hmmmmm....this probably isn't gonna happen unless we figure out where 
>> > we
>> > can find a set of really good looking people who all want to stand at 
>> > the
>> > booth for free. :D So I guess we'll all just have to do our best to be 
>> > as
>> > baby (babish? babelike?) and as hunky as we can. Hmm...I just 
>> > remembered
>> > that my class is making an accessible game with sexual themes...well 
>> > maybe
>> > the graphics guys in the class can make us some avatars we can make
>> > lifesize cutouts of? Lol.
>> >
>> >>- brief concise flyers with 10 little nuggets of knowledge that can be
>> >>pinned to a game developers cubicle and provide immediate inspiration
>> >>on how to improve his or her game. Draft topics list (lets vote on
>> >>what should be on here & this is in no way a promotion of my work I
>> >>suggest we keep the number of "adds' to a minimum maybe just a link to
>> >>the igda / accessibility sig so they can find the rest from there):
>> >>   1. Closed captions
>> >>   2. Customizable controls
>> >>   3. Slow
>> >>   4. Assists
>> >>   5. x
>> >>   6. x
>> >>   7. x
>> >>   8. x
>> >>   9.x
>> >>10. x
>> >
>> > Well we have our current top ten list (it's somewhere on the wiki too 
>> > but
>> > I'm still madly typing) -- that has a lot on it. We can update it
>> > though -- so far I think the ones you suggest are on the list. So maybe
>> > take a look at the list we've used for the past two years and see what 
>> > can
>> > be consolidated, added, subtracted, better explained. And then we can
>> > start there with the addition of other ideas and then we can 
>> > discuss/vote
>> > on what makes the cut for the flier. As you said, the rest can be on 
>> > the
>> > sig site.
>> >
>> > I think we're getting there for GDC -- I'm already feeling pumped now 
>> > that
>> > we have you looking at the "what to do when you aren't speaking" plan 
>> > of
>> > attack and I'll keep charge of the proposals and CMP stuff.
>> >
>> > So we do both and hopefully reap the benefits of having a real plan in
>> > place for negotiating the talks AND the expo. There's no reason to drop
>> > proposals when so many get axed anyway and they are important too --  
>> > but
>> > networking is just as important and it will no doubt help get more 
>> > people
>> > into our talks and visiting our booth. And it's also something that
>> > happens after a talk, during Q&A and when people come up to you to swap
>> > cards with you. So with strong proposals like we have and a strong
>> > marketing plan, it can only serve to help us!
>> >
>> > Kick. Ass. :D
>> >
>> > Michelle
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > games_access mailing list
>> > games_access at igda.org
>> > http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> 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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