[games_access] Game accessibility survey journal article

Sun Jul 4 18:16:01 EDT 2010

Just finished reading the Game Accessibility survey. Very good! I found the bulk of it really smartly explained, with excellent diagrams and tables. Very useful. Very Nice!

My 10 pence worth...

p7. 3.1.1: One-handed controller typically provides only one analogue input... Apart from the Wii, the only game console one-handed controllers in recent production I'm aware of have both analogue sticks available (Access controller and "one hand controller" - http://www.oneswitch.org.uk/1/AGS/AGS-onehand.htm).

p8. 3.1.2: OneSwitch.org.uk isn't actually non-profit, although there is tons of free stuff. Over 100 one-switch games now for free. Thank you for the mention!

p9. 3.1.3: Frogger - all good points about this game, but might have been worth mentioning that you can move left and right, when you hop on the moving logs and turtles.

p14 3.5: Universal design does not indicate that all impairments are supported, but rather that multiple types of impairments are supported... I always thought it did, but simply hasn't been managed yet. Doesn't seem to make sense to me otherwise.

p16: For example, a one-switch racing game does not allow the player to brake or speed up because certain input options may have been removed to allow for one-switch
input... Can be done. Using the 4Noah utility and Destruction Derby on a PSone emulator, at Kit 4 Kidz in Leeds earlier this year, we had tap to cycle between left-nothing-right-nothing-(and repeat) for steering, and hold for a couple of seconds then release to cycle between accelerate-nothing-reverse-nothing-(and repeat). Because Destruction Derby has helpful barriers all around the track to help keep you on course, plus a self-righting system if you get spun in the wrong way, it's quite playable for someone with really accurate one-switch skills. You could also have a game with auto-braking (e.g. F355 Challenge and Forza 3), and perhaps Mario Kart style speed ups on the track.

p16 4.3: ...severe motor and visually impaired players can only play games within a limited number of game genres. Popular game genres [20] such as strategy, sports and role playing games are not yet available to those groups. Unlike hearing impaired players, severe motor impaired and visually impaired players typically face critical barriers preventing them from playing the game.... I guess it depends upon the degree of visually impairment, but wonder if some of these would be playable: http://www.oneswitch.org.uk/2/sd-sport.htm ?

My final thoughts links to the lack of games for cognitively impaired players. I do agree that it's a complicated area, but when taking into account learning disabled users, I'm surprised only a handful of games were found:

http://www.helpkidzlearn.com/games.html
http://www.graemesfreegames.com/
http://nanogames.com/index.htm
http://www.inclusive.co.uk/catalogue/acatalog/switch_friendly_games.html
http://www.priorywoods.middlesbrough.sch.uk/page_viewer.asp?page=Free+Program+Resources&pid=161
http://www.scottmckay.com/
http://www.marblesoft.com/products.php?group=1
http://www.shinylearning.co.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/games/switch/

In my experience, a lot of more severely "learning disabled" people have reacted well to some one-switch games, or games that use relatively simple interfaces, such as eye-toy and basic joysticks. Some of course get on better than I do with complicated games. 

Cheers,

Barrie.

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Michelle Hinn" <hinn at uiuc.edu>
Sent: Sunday, July 04, 2010 9:02 PM
To: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List" <games_access at igda.org>
Subject: Re: [games_access] Game accessibility survey journal article

> I've read the article and it is very, very good! Because the permissions are owned by the journal, he cannot post it online because they (Springer) are very strict with permissions. But he can send you a copy as he said. :) Eelke didn't mention it but he's second author on it and although it goes without saying...the quality is excellent!
> 
> Michelle
> 
> On Jul 4, 2010, at 1:53 PM, Brannon Zahand wrote:
> 
>> Eelke,
>> 
>> Can I get a copy as well?
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> Brannon
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org] On Behalf Of Kestrell
>> Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2010 7:15 AM
>> To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [games_access] Game accessibility survey journal article
>> 
>> Eelke,
>> 
>> May I request an electronic copy of your student's paper on game accessibility?
>> 
>> Thanks!
>> 
>> Kestrell
>> 
>> 
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Eelke Folmer" <eelke.folmer at gmail.com>
>> To: <games_access at igda.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2010 2:13 AM
>> Subject: [games_access] Game accessibility survey journal article
>> 
>> 
>>> Hi,
>>> 
>>> For those of you interested in: 1) a comprehensive overview of
>>> academic literature on game accessibility; 2) a synthesis of
>>> strategies used to make games for sensory, motor and cognitive
>>> impairments; and 3) data on how many people in the US are unable or
>>> limited in playing video games per type of impairment, a journal paper
>>> called: "Game Accessibility: a Survey" written by my student Bei Yuan
>>> is available online at:
>>> http://www.springerlink.com/content/a0273kw751q71332/?p=3116a648a3a545a5b5f805933963a70f&pi=0
>>> 
>>> Email me offline if you would like a copy of this paper and you don't
>>> have access through a university library.
>>> 
>>> -- 
>>> Best, Eelke
>>> 
>>> Eelke Folmer
>>> Assistant Professor
>>> Department of Computer Science and Engineering
>>> University of Nevada, Reno
>>> http://www.eelke.com
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> games_access mailing list
>>> games_access at igda.org
>>> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
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