[games_access] Game control question...

[Michael Ellison]

On Jan 20, 2008 4:33 PM, d. michelle hinn <hinn at uiuc.edu> wrote:
> >On Jan 18, 2008 2:04 PM, d. michelle hinn <hinn at uiuc.edu> wrote:
> That's what we now have some funding to do -- at last! It takes
> money/time-time/money as you know to come up with these plans, get a
> flashy brouchure/investers package printed out, etc in order to get
> more money to do things like contacting companies and arranging for
> them to have a controller and/or purchase one themselves.

Yep - it's very hard work.  One thought, I shopped my ideas a little
looking to get help on my hardware and software costs for my current
projects in the area (estimating ~$5k/year) and was told that was
*way* below most investors' interest level - even for philanthropic
grants - and I'd have an easier time raising $1 million for it if I
could figure out how to spend it.

> I must admit that I'm kinda torn between buying controllers for the
> companies that could easily afford to buy one themselves and buying
> them to give away to gamers that would actually use them day-to-day.

Totally understand, but I think the numbers work out better if we
target the industry for awareness first.  Then we just have to
convince resource centers / insurance companies / disability
associations that gaming is important enough to help fund for
individuals :)  Might be worth talking to the people at Child's Play
for ideas on raising cash to get controllers into the hands of people
that need them.

> We've always been short on both time and money. But now we have some
> funding but I don't know how to budget it out/write it up in a way
> that will be successful. The grant is to help us grow and raise more
> funds. So the grant is to help us afford to ask people for more money
> basically. This is perhaps where you could really help us out on -- I
> have no business background other than having worked for businesses.

I'll try to help, but I'm really just a software guy.  I've worked
almost exclusively for small and startup companies though for the last
decade (or more? ouch... my joints are creaking...), so I do have a
general sense of that side and a few contacts.

> I have music, psychology,
> and CS degrees...none of those required any business/legal course
> work (although, I'm wondering why at least one of them didn't require
> at least one course). Not that course work is necessarily all that
> great -- it's experience that really counts when push comes to shove.

I could rant for quite a while on the current university curriculum -
I'm the first high-school dropout in a long line of professors in my
family because I didn't see much practical value in the university
programs I looked at that were offered in my field that I couldn't get
faster studying on my own, talking to others, and just doing.  On the
other hand, my apartment's walls are lined with shelves of heavily
worn academic and technical books.

> I need to come up with this for the SIG grant and it's a steep
> learning curve for me. It's something I need to learn how to do now
> that we're playing in the big(ger?) leagues now!

Yep. I'll try to help with what I can.  First off - what are our
goals?  My guesses would be something along the lines of:

1.) To promote awareness of the needs of disabled gamers.
2.) To research and develop technologies to bridge the gap between
disabled gamers and the games themselves.
3.) To promote the results of research and development efforts and try
to get enabling technologies incorporated within mainstream games.

> Yeah...those controllers aren't cheap -- and I have a completely
> broken one thanks to airport security (I've taken it through carry on
> and through checked luggage -- doesn't matter, they break it anyway).
> But, as you know...it *does* look a little suspicious. However, I
> think that they might be better off worrying about the things that
> don't look suspicious. I guess!

This I could rant on for even longer :)  Long-haired hackers with
goatees wearing old T-shirts and blue jeans are also extremely
suspicious and *must* get the extra special treatment every time they
get on planes if they have to be allowed on at all.  Might be safer,
if more expensive, to use FedEx or UPS to ship the thing to a hotel or
convention sponsor, then back home.

Do you have one that works for the show?

> Anyway, I'm asking him if he can fix it for me -- I think he'd be
> willing to do so if he and I could come up with a repair fee that was
> fair value. I'm sure we can!

Post it if he's got an estimate.  What's broken on it?

-Mike