[games_access] Press Release: Game Accessibility Arcade to be Presented at Game Developers Conference 2008

[d. michelle hinn]

Please forward!!

For Immediate Release

Game Accessibility Arcade to be Presented at Game Developers Conference 2008

Event to Showcase Solutions for Creating 
Accessible Versions of Commercial and Independent 
Games and Game Controllers for Gamers with 
Disabilities; IGDA Game Accessibility Group to 
Host; Corporate Participants Include Emotiv, 
NaturalPoint, and more.

CHAMPAIGN, IL - February 13, 2008 - The Game 
Accessibility Special Interest Group (SIG) of the 
International Game Developers Association (IGDA) 
will be presenting its popular Accessibility 
Arcade session at the Game Developers Conference 
2008 in San Francisco at the Moscone Center, 
February 18 - 22. SIG members hope that these 
sessions will provide the opportunity will help 
raise awareness amongst game developers and the 
gaming media that people with disabilities also 
want the chance to play commercial games and game 
controllers that have been re-designed for 
computers and the latest console systems.

"The message we hope to convey at GDC 08 is that 
games are for everyone and are an important part 
of life today that cannot continue to be 
inaccessible for people with disabilities," said 
Michelle Hinn, chairperson of the Game 
Accessibility SIG, game design instructor at the 
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and 
Game Accessibility Researcher at the National 
Center for Supercomputing Applications. "The 
majority of games on the market remain unplayable 
by up to 10-20% of the population. This is not 
only an opportunity for developers to increase 
revenue - it is an issue of social injustice that 
must be corrected."

SIG members also want to convey that Game 
Accessibility does not mean non-creative, 
non-innovative games. Hinn welcomes both skeptics 
and supporters of game accessibility to see the 
opportunities for fostering a more socially aware 
industry and "to educate themselves and help 
break down preconceived notions about configuring 
games and controllers that can also include 
gamers with disabilities. Come take a look at 
some of the incredible next generation 
controllers that we'll have on display from 
Emotiv, Natural Point, One Switch, as well as 
game accessibility solutions such as Doom3 and 
other games with complete closed captioning by 
Reid Kimball of Games[cc] and "Blind Hero," which 
allows the blind to play guitar hero using a 
haptic device developed by SIG member Eelke 
Folmer at the University of Nevada, Reno. And 
find out more about our partner sites, 
AbleGamers.com and One Switch, to see how we are 
getting information not just to the game 
development community but also out to gamers with 
disabilities themselves about games and 
controllers that are or can become accessible at 
one of the kiosks we'll have to showcase these 
web communities. These are just some of the many 
examples we'll have for session goers to interact 
with. And, hey, who doesn't want to do the Jedi 
Mind Trick?"

Commercial controllers that help represent the 
future of accessible game play and controllers 
that will be shown include those by:

o	Emotiv: A pioneer in brain computer 
interface (BCI) technology, Emotiv Systems 
creates technologies that allow machines to take 
both conscious and non-conscious inputs directly 
from your mind. Currently focused on the gaming 
industry, its Emotiv EPOC wireless nueroheadset 
enables video games to respond to players' 
emotions and expressions and allows players to 
manipulate objects in the game using the power of 
their thoughts. This entirely new interface will 
dramatically change the gaming experience by 
making it more immersive, intuitive and personal.

o	NaturalPoint: NaturalPoint's SmartNav 
has been making gaming possible for people with 
physical disabilities around the globe for seven 
years.  Complete computer independence is 
achieved with this hands-free ergonomic mouse by 
using only slight head movements.  Elizabeth 
Ryan, SmartNav Marketing Director, says "Optical 
head tracking has been a breakthrough in 
assistive technology, making PC gaming accessible 
for those that can only move their heads."

o	Oneswitch.org.uk: One Switch is a 
UK-based organization/web site that reaches out 
to gamers with cognitive and mobility 
disabilities throughout the world. One Switch 
provides controllers that have been "rerouted" in 
order to allow gamers with disabilities to play 
commercial computer and console games, as well as 
Do-It-Yourself guides for those who want to 
modify their own controllers to make them 
accessible.

The response by the industry toward adding in 
game accessibility features into their products 
"Šhas been dismal. The gaming industry cannot 
just assume that because these controllers hacks 
exist that they are off the hook," Hinn added. 
"There are many types of disabilities that impact 
game play in different ways. Even if someone is 
using these controllers, many are quite costly - 
often more than a game and even a console system 
- and many games still remain impossible to play 
due to issues such as button combination choices 
that seem to be complex just to be complex and 
cannot be reconfigured. But this criticism has 
not only been made by disability advocates - 
Industry veterans such as Ernest Adams and Peter 
Molyneux have also spoken out on the game 
complexity control issue for gamers in general. 
Solutions that help gamers with disabilities can 
enhance the game play experience for ALL gamers."

The Game Accessibility SIG will be presenting the following sessions at GDC:

Accessibility Arcade: Or How to Do the Jedi Mind 
Trick (Day One): Wednesday (Feb 20nd); 4:00pm - 
5:00pm; Room 121, North Hall

Accessibility Arcade: Or How to Do the Jedi Mind 
Trick (Day Two): Thursday (Feb 21st); 9:00am - 
10:00am; Room 121, North Hall

Dynamic Closed Captioning for Your Game 
Date/Time: Thursday (Feb 21st); 1:00pm - 2:00pm; 
Station 2, 2nd Floor

Game Accessibility & Developers with Disabilities 
Group Gathering Date/Time: Thursday (Feb 21st, 
2008); 2:30pm - 3:30pm; IGDA Booth, West Hall

For more information about these sessions, the 
SIG, or to schedule an interview about any of the 
sessions or game accessibility in general, 
contact Michelle Hinn, IGDA Game Accessibility 
SIG Chair, at 1.217.898.9684 or at hinn at uiuc.edu 
-- Members of the SIG will be available the 
entire week of GDC.

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About the IGDA Game Accessibility Special Interest Group (SIG)

The IGDA Game Accessibility SIG is a game 
industry advocacy group formed to promote 
awareness of the issues that gamers with 
disabilities face and to help provide solutions 
that can be used to design games that are 
accessible to all. For more information on the 
IGDA Game Accessibility SIG, please visit 
www.igda.org/accessibility -- Press inquires 
should be directed to the SIG chairperson 
Michelle Hinn at hinn at uiuc.edu or by mobile phone 
at 1-217-898-9684.

About the International Game Developers Association (IGDA)

The International Game Developers Association is 
a non-profit professional society that is 
committed to advancing the careers and enhancing 
the lives of game developers by connecting 
members with their peers, promoting professional 
development, and advocating on issues that affect 
the developer community. For more information on 
the IGDA, please visit www.igda.org

About Emotiv

Emotiv Systems is a pioneer in brain computer 
interface technology. Its focus is on leveraging 
neuro-technology to create the ultimate interface 
for the next-generation of man-machine 
interaction. It does this by evolving the 
interaction between human beings and electronic 
devices beyond the limits of conscious interface. 
Emotiv creates technologies that allow machines 
to take both conscious and non-conscious inputs 
directly from your brain. These technologies 
include a hardware and software platform that can 
be licensed to commercial software developers and 
other third parties, as well as a suite of 
products for consumer applications.

Today, Emotiv is developing solutions 
specifically for the electronic games industry. 
In the future, Emotiv's technology has the 
potential to be applied to numerous industries, 
including interactive television, accessibility 
design, market research, medicine, and security.

Founded by four award-winning scientists and 
technology entrepreneurs, Emotiv is headquartered 
in San Francisco, CA, and has offices in Sydney, 
Australia. Investors include Technology Venture 
Partners, Epicure Capital Partners and the 
Australian Federal Government. More information 
is available at www.emotiv.com.

About NaturalPoint

NatturalPoint is Based in Corvallis, Oregon. 
NaturalPoint® is the creator and manufacturer of 
the SmartNAV, TrackIR, and OptiTrack product 
lines. NaturalPoint specializes in providing 
innovative control solutions through optical 
tracking technology, and has developed tracking 
systems for computers, video games, military 
simulators, and unique display systems. Press 
inquires should be directed to Elizabeth Ryan, 
Marketing Director, at elizabeth at naturalpoint.com 
or by mobile phone at 541.207.7976

About AbleGamers.com

AbleGamers.com is an online community for 
disabled gamers. Founded by two gamers with 
disabilities, AbleGamers provides news, 
interviews, and more to gamers with disabilities 
as well as provides a way for game developers to 
get directly connected to the potential consumer 
base of gamers with disabilities. AbleGamers is 
an official partner of the IGDA Game 
Accessibility SIG. Press inquires should be 
directed to Mark Barlet, Editor-in-chief, at 
ioo at ablegamers.com or by phone at 1-202-258-1937.

About Games[cc]

Games[cc] is a company that provides closed 
captioning solutions via its "Dynamic Closed 
Captioning" system for videogames that allows 
gamers with hearing impairments or who chose to 
game without sound to see every line of dialog, 
sound effects and music displayed on screen in 
real time, dynamically changing by the players' 
interactions. In 2006, less than 1% of all the 
games rated by the ESRB were closed captioned, 
preventing millions of deaf and hard of hearing 
players from achieving maximum enjoyment of their 
games. Press inquires should be directed to Reid 
Kimball, Owner, at seethesound at rbkdesign.com or 
by phone at 415-632-9982.

About Oneswitch.org.uk

The One Switch Organisation is a UK based web 
site reaching out to learning and physically 
disabled gamers around the world. One Switch 
provides nearly one hundred free games playable 
with a single button, an Accessible Gaming Shop, 
D.I.Y. accessible controller guides and more. One 
Switch is an official partner of the IGDA Game 
Accessibility SIG. Press inquires should be 
directed to Barrie Ellis, Owner, at 
info at oneswitch.org.uk
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