[games_access] Game Accessibility - How to we get there?

[Lynsey Graham]

I think it'd be useful (certainly for 'mainstream' games) if accessibility criteria and symbols could be incorporated into the existing rating systems, such as PEGI and the ESRB, that are supposed to inform consumers of a game's suitability.

http://rashedgamedev.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/pegi_ratings_system.png

As well as being more informative for the consumer, it might raise publisher/developer awareness if there was an extra set of boxes to tick on the rating submission form.  Given that you have to check 'Yes' or 'No', it might actually embarrass some developers/publishers to realise how even the most basic accessibility measures such as subtitles and colour blind friendly mechanics have been overlooked...


-----Original Message-----
From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org] On Behalf Of Dimitris Grammenos
Sent: 26 June 2012 10:26
To: 'IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [games_access] Game Accessibility - How to we get there?

First of all let me express my great pleasure of seeing such a vivid conversation taking place again in our list!

Now, I'll try to be brief - honestly.

1) Standardising information and symbols related to accessibility  is a good thing - But I think using the wheelchair icon is a little bit misleading, as well as not very "sexy" from a marketing point of you. Why not using a symbol that focuses on the fact that this game has extra capabilities - use a highly positive sign? E.g. have you seen all those labels on food products that have extra vitamins, minerals, etc? They are full of colorful plus signs. I think accessibility capabilities should be advertised similarly.
For example, you have "Football game" and  "Football game++". The notion is that you get more for what you pay. "Play anyway you like" - I guess you get the idea. Else, game developers might be afraid that buyers will wrongly perceive that their game is targeted to people with specific disabilities.  

2) In this respect, I agree with Richard's approach, that if we want to "mainstream" accessibility then we need to see it from a game features/capabilities perspective and not from a disabilities point of view.
I believe for example that many people would like to know if a game can be played using an alternative controller, if it supports scalable difficulty, subtitles, etc. 

3) I don't believe that legislation is the answer to game accessibility.
Obviously, finding that "elusive" business case would be the best. So, one thing we can do, and now it seems that we are many, we can try to look for it, or collaboratively build it up.

4) Ablegames and Gamebase are already doing a great job regarding game reviews. I do not know if it would be possible to access mainstream game magazines and offer to write for them a condensed version of your accessibility reviews using less disability-oriented terminology, so that gradually accessibility gets mainstream in practice, but most importantly becomes integral part of their readers' "game culture".

5) It seems that there is a fundamental misunderstanding among people in this list that game accessibility is about "homogenizing", "watering down", "lowest common denominators", etc. This - to some extent - may be true for the "real world" due to physical constraints, but in the digital world it is the exact opposite. Game accessibility is about freedom, diversity and multiplicity of choices. It is about playing a game the way you like and prefer, not about everyone playing the game exactly the same way (what is the current situation). It is about adapting to the player. So, unless this is completely made clear, then just like in our list, people who are fully supporting game accessibility, maybe skeptical about the extent to which it can and should be pursued.  If you have some time you can have a look at
these:
- Unified Design of Universally Accessible Games (Say What?). URL:
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20061207/grammenos_01.shtml
- The Theory of Parallel Game Universes: A Paradigm Shift in Multiplayer Gaming and Game Accessibility. URL:
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20060817/grammenos_01.shtml
- Universally Accessible Games & Parallel Game Universes" (206 slides) PDF
format(15MB)
http://www.ics.forth.gr/hci/ua-games/docs/DGrammenos_Universally_Accessible_
Games_and_Parallel_Game_Universes.pdf


I'll be back for more :-)

Dimitris



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