[games_access] Whinge and whine (Top Ten List)

Wed Mar 28 11:30:05 EDT 2012

It makes perfect sense.

Also just to add to the list of what the GASIG has achieved, is that it 
really did break-down a sense of isolation for many people working in game 
accessibility, bringing (and continuing to bring) like-minded people 
together.

Good on you IGDA GASIG members, past, present and future; for all the work 
you do to break down barriers. Lots has been done, and lots left to do.

Barrie

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From: "Thomas Westin" <thomasw at dsv.su.se>
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 7:50 PM
To: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List" <games_access at igda.org>
Subject: Re: [games_access] Whinge and whine (Top Ten List)

> All,
>
> I understand from Steve that the comment wasn't meant to be perceived the 
> way it was, and a result of editing the video. IMHO I agree with Richard. 
> It is always hazardous to talk about being first at anything, which 
> editors should be aware of; I once talked about Terraformers as the first 
> 3D game for blind and sighted; someone pointed me to a prototype game 
> which was released some time before TF. So, we were not first, although 
> certainly among the first, and perhaps the most serious attempt so far. Or 
> so I thought, until the AudioQuake mod was released about the same time - 
> or was it before/after?. And so on. I bet I would find a blind accessible 
> game with 3D graphics from 1980 if I looked long enough :) But that is the 
> danger of research, you may end up producing nothing but papers, and I 
> strongly wanted to do a game which would make some difference.
>
> - The point with this is that it is not very interesting who did what 
> first, because that depends on so many factors of what you actually were 
> first about doing. When it comes to this SIG it just popped up in my mind 
> at the first time I visited GDC in 2003: when I looked at the speaker 
> schedule accessibility was nowhere to be found. So when I came home, I 
> e-mailed IGDA and we got started. I didn't do much more research than 
> that - it just felt like a good idea to do at the time, to get the issue 
> on the GDC agenda.
>
> Further, I don't agree with some of the comments about the SIG in this 
> thread. A quick summary of the SIG history may be useful. In May 2004 we 
> released the IGDA white paper, the result of weekly meetings with about 6 
> people for 8 months. After that was released I stepped down as chairperson 
> for personal reasons, and Michelle worked really hard for years. I also 
> think Tara has done a great job; the new website and the work with 
> Victoria film is very much thanks to her, I believe. Further, I have met 
> many in the research community via this list, and at GDC the SIG has 
> worked hard to reach out to the industry, every year since 2004. The SIG 
> has also been at Develop conference and E3. The top ten list, the Game 
> Accessibility Arcade, the roundtables, the GA-SIG DVD handouts, the Game 
> Accessibility Day etc are examples of what has been done by the SIG. I 
> agree that we could do more (you always can) but I think everyone is doing 
> their best, as Sarah said.
>
> Finally, to relate to the discussion about collaboration. Collaboration is 
> good, but it is sometimes necessary - maybe even better - to do things 
> yourself / within your local organization. All the organizations which has 
> been mentioned in this thread, had not existed if everyone had been just 
> talking rather than creating them. I like to see all the organizations as 
> gearwheels in an engine. They all fill a purpose, and need each other to 
> advance the car/cause, while being individual units. And which gearwheel 
> that started spinning first is not so important. And what gear the driver 
> has selected to drive the car at the moment is not that interesting 
> either. It is the fact they are working locally which is most important, 
> everything may not be possible to do bilaterally.
>
> So to everyone here - with various involvement in other organizations / 
> gearwheels, I would like to say: keep on doing what you are doing, with or 
> without collaboration with other organizations. Just keep spinning! All we 
> need is <your-choice-of-eco-friendly-fuel> and some oil. The media 
> attention like both AbleGamers and SpecialEffect has received recently are 
> great power-plants.
>
> Does this make any sense?
>
> Mvh / Best regards
> Thomas Westin
> Stockholm University :: dsv.su.se :: +46 73-707 86 86
>
> On 26Mar 2012, at 8:10 PM, Sandra Uhling wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> when I learnt about the Top Ten list
>> I was able to give feedback and ask questions :-)
>> That was great.
>>
>> Best regards,
>> Sandra
>>
>> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
>> Von: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org] 
>> Im
>> Auftrag von Tim Chase
>> Gesendet: Montag, 26. März 2012 20:01
>> An: Barrie Ellis; IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
>> Betreff: Re: [games_access] Whinge and whine
>>
>> On 03/26/12 12:47, Barrie Ellis wrote:
>>> @Sandra - re. the Top 10 - I see zero problem in opening that up to full
>>> scrutiny:
>>> http://igda-gasig.org/about-game-accessibility/game-accessibility-top-ten/
>> -
>>> However, as that takes time, you'll see that may put in perspective how 
>>> it
>>> came about. A list being needed very quickly for support with this:
>>>
>> http://igda-gasig.org/2011/10/11/announcement-partnering-with-film-victoria/
>> .
>>> Not ideal, I agree. Aside from how it came about (and more in its 
>>> defence,
>>> the list was heavily influenced by the original top 10, and the many
>>> discussions on this list) - feel free to let rip with your thoughts for
>>> improvements.
>>
>> As the guilty party who threw together one of the early drafts of
>> the Top 10[1], I'll be the first to admit it could use work.
>> There was a conference around the corner, and I seem to remember
>> the aim being to get some semblance of a Top-10 list out the door
>> with as much useful material as possible without swamping the
>> reader.  So suggestions/improvements won't offend me :-)
>>
>> -tim
>>
>> [1]
>> http://tim.thechases.com/top10.pdf
>>
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>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>
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