[games_access] Project Natal: Microsoft's Alternative Controller
hinn at illinois.edu
hinn at illinois.edu
Wed Jun 3 16:17:50 EDT 2009
Thanks everyone! As I mentioned before, I will be speaking in Redmond in a few weeks (a reschedule from a few weeks ago due to emergency surgery I had) about it and game accessibility. I used to work for Microsoft and have had a long standing relationship with them so they invited me to talk on behalf of AbleGamers and the IGDA SIG.
I'll be having one-on-one and group meetings with several of their engineers on the project, etc. in addition to my two schedule talks. If anyone would like me to cover a particular concern, please email me off-list at hinn at uiuc.edu and we can discuss your concerns in more detail so that I have more information to give the engineers that would go beyond media coverage. This is definitely our chance to get information directly to those who can make changes happen now! It actually worked out better to have had to delay the talk because now we can all talk about it on here and off-list BEFORE I go so that I can help make sure that they know everything they can to make this project as accessible as possible. Yay! This is going to be a big win for the movement, I know it!
I have been working with Microsoft and AbleGamers for a long time now on this but due to an NDA none of us who were included in the conversation were able to mention anything about the project -- now that it's been announced we can say that we knew it existed but nothing else that they haven't already told the public. Please feel free to email Mark Barlet (mark at ablegamers.com) as well with comments that we can get to their engineers -- I can reveal now that he's the only other person that was involved outside Microsoft. :) They reached out to both of us as individuals and we've been working together ever since.
Microsoft is the first console company who has involved any of us in the game accessibility movement at this level and this is exciting! I'm glad the announcement finally came out so that we can now freely discuss the project! Don't let this chance pass us by -- let me know what you are thinking so we can get information to those in positions of power at Microsoft to make change happen!
Michelle
---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 11:54:10 -0400
>From: Mark Barlet <mark at ablegamers.com>
>Subject: Re: [games_access] Project Natal: Microsoft's Alternative Controller
>To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List <games_access at igda.org>
>
> we did a stroy on it the day it was announced and
> there are some great comments from the community
> that may be worth taking a look at.
>
> http://ablegamers.com/xbox-360-news/571-natal-be-a-disabled-gaming-revolution.html
>
> Mark
>
> On Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 11:49 AM, Nathalie Caron
> <nathalie at gamefwd.org> wrote:
>
> I am preparing an article on the subject and will
> be contacting Microsoft with some questions.
>
> If you have some you'd like answered about this
> technology, please let me know asap and I will
> include them.
>
> NC
>
> On Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 3:44 AM, David Colven
> <Colven at ace-centre.org.uk> wrote:
>
> I have hopes that it may be a useful tool for
> people with Asperger's
> syndrome or similar inter-personal communication
> problems.
>
> It would be interesting to see if it could be
> refined to produce switch
> actions - I am with the Cambridge team at the
> AEGIS meeting and they are
> very interested.
>
> How about the 3D web cam I've seen advertised?
>
> David
>
> David Colven
> Technical Advisor
> 01865 759813
> 077121 68901
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> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: games_access-bounces at igda.org
> [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
> > On Behalf Of will wade
> > Sent: 02 June 2009 19:14
> > To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
> > Subject: Re: [games_access] Project Natal:
> Microsoft's Alternative
> > Controller
> >
> > Its a interesting development.
> > I agree - as it stands its not that
> potentially useful to
> > children/adults with a lot of movement. What
> would be interesting if
> > the technology could be used to look at a
> particular reliable movement
> > of a person for a particular output - e.g.
> move a hand inwards at a
> > certain angle in relation to the body, or a
> head movement to the left,
> > and that produces a output just like a switch.
> Something like this is
> > currently being developed by the inference
> group at Cambridge so watch
> > this space..
> >
> > w
> >
> > 2009/6/2 Nathalie Caron
> <nathalie at gamefwd.org>:
> > > Hi Barrie, and group:
> > >
> > > I watched the Microsoft presentation
> yesterday and while it has a
> lot of
> > > potential to increase mainstream
> accessibility, I think there is
> some
> > way to
> > > go in order for it to be accessible to all.
> > >
> > > I can already imagine one of my friends, who
> argued the same point.
> He
> > has
> > > CP and is in a wheel chair with minimal hand
> coordination, has
> managed
> > to
> > > adapt to use a controller, but does not
> speak (unless using a voice
> > device).
> > > I don't think Natal would be able to
> recognize his facial
> expressions as
> > > well, nor would it be able to find
> expressions in his synthetic
> voice
> > > (thinking in reference to that interactive
> game with the little boy
> -
> > Tobi
> > > was it?)
> > >
> > > I think that if Microsoft was really serious
> about this, they would
> have
> > to
> > > look, perhaps into neurofeedback for those
> who do not have the means
> to
> > use
> > > their bodies, voices and facial expressions.
> Surely they have the
> > ability to
> > > implement something like this en masse.
> > >
> > > I don't know if they would consider that, or
> if they are satisfied
> by
> > having
> > > already "broken new ground"... I guess we
> will have to watch and
> see.
> > >
> > > Nathalie
> > > http://gamefwd.org
> > >
> > > On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 5:14 PM, Barrie Ellis
> > <barrie.ellis at oneswitch.org.uk>
> > > wrote:
> > >>
> > >> Lots of potential for improved
> accessibility? But will it be
> > realised...
> > >>
> > >> Microsoft announce Project Natal - gesture,
> facial expressions and
> > voice
> > >> recognition:
> > >>
> > >>
> http://switchgaming.blogspot.com/2009/06/microsofts-new-controller.html
> > >>
> > >>
> http://kotaku.com/5274317/microsoft-makes-you-the-motion-controller-
> > with-project-natal
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
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> > >>
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> > >>
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> > >
> > >
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> --
> Mark C. Barlet
> Editor-in-Chief
> AbleGamers.com
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