[games_access] Accessible Game Design Initiative, in planning phase now.

[Mark Barlet]

I think "Accessible Game Design" is not the third goal  of this SIG but
number ONE. I am thinking back to YOUR poster talk, and looking back at all
of the talks this group has given at GDC over the years (and all of the
proposals we have had rejected), and I think you would be hard pressed to
argue that Game design is NOT a fundamental part of the work of this SIG.
You state as the number one "Closed Captioning, slow game speed, high
contrast graphics rendering" those are all "game design" aspects. ALL of
those things fall under "Game Design"... I dare say that what you say is
number 2, while I am a huge supporter of, is in far less a part of this SIG.
Also, I am looking at all the active member of this SIG, including you, and
the Chair, and they are all game designers.

I think it is a HUGE stretch to say "*Accessible *Game Design" does not
belong in this SIG. So please, if you have time, can you enlighten me on
what we have been doing for the last few years that I have been a member,
and how I am to catalog the work from the past.

Reid, what is really going on here?

Mark Barlet


On Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 7:16 PM, Reid Kimball <rkimball at gmail.com> wrote:

> It appears more explanation is necessary.
>
> The Accessible Game Design Initiative takes NOTHING away from the Game
> Accessibility SIG because it does not focus on helping disabled
> players. The work of the Game Accessibility SIG is still extremely
> valuable!
>
> I do think the ideas the initiative covers can be beneficial to the
> disabled, because as I like to say, "games for all". The focus areas I
> listed, such as "player tailoring" and a "hint system" can be helpful
> to both able and disabled players.
>
> To make absolutely clear, here's what I see coming from this SIG:
> * Support community for disabled players
> * Advocate and representative for disabled players
> * Research projects to help disabled players access more games for the:
> -- visually affected
> -- physically affected
> -- mentally affected
> -- aurally affected
> * Share information and assist developers wishing to implement
> features for disabled players
>
> I believe you can approach the goal of game accessibility from three
> directions:
>
> 1. Special game features
> -- Closed Captioning, slow game speed, high contrast graphics rendering
>
> 2. Alternative controllers
> -- Switch devices, Quad controllers, controller hacks, voice controls,
> brain wave controls
>
> 3. Accessible Game Design
> -- Players customizing gameplay settings
> -- Dynamic Difficulty
> -- Content Navigation system (think VCR allowing rewind, fast forward,
> skip chapters)
> -- Hint system
>
> It is number three that I think this SIG and the Game Design SIG can
> collaborate on, however I feel it is more relevant to game design than
> this SIG.
>
> -Reid
>
> On Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 2:25 PM, Mark Barlet <ioo at ablegamers.com> wrote:
> > So Reid what does that make this SIG? I would think that this would have
> > been better served to start in our SIG, and invite others... this is like
> > going to a SIG for Minorities and saying "Let's design a game for
> disabled
> > minorities" almost a secondary verb when there is already a primary SIG.
> >
> >  I think by not letting this come from the GA SIG, and us reaching out to
> > others, you have undercuts our mission a lot, Not sure that the motive is
> > here, and I hope you get what you are looking for, but I just think you
> have
> > gone about this in a way that in the end hurts the hard work this SIG has
> > done.
> >
> > Good Luck in your mission, whatever it is...
> >
> > Mark Barlet
> _______________________________________________
> games_access mailing list
> games_access at igda.org
> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist7.pair.net/pipermail/games_access/attachments/20090124/7e42594b/attachment.htm>