[games_access] Looking for feedback

[Sandra_Uhling]

Hi Chad,

I think in practise mainstream games will be designed for core audience
and Game Accessibility Features will be added.

Games for education and games special designed for gamers with a disability
should be designed accessible as possible.

Regards,
Sandra

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: games_access [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org] Im Auftrag von Chad
Philip Johnson
Gesendet: Samstag, 11. April 2015 23:41
An: games_access at igda.org
Betreff: Re: [games_access] Looking for feedback

Little late in replying to this one, but I think that the following idea is
quite powerful:  make considerations for X, Y and Z in a way that will not
only create a larger audience, but also improve the overall design.  This
could be applied to anything, but in the case of game accessibility,
developers should construct their games so that any efforts made toward
accommodating disabled gamers also somehow work to enhance the experience
for their core audience.

For example, if I'm going to design a luxury car, it would be really good to
put in an adjustable seat.  This will allow people to make changes to the
seat's position according to their personal preferences during a drive--e.g.
a person who has spent four hours on the freeway might turn on cruise
control and slide the seat back much farther than he would while taking a
trip to the grocery store.  It has another benefit in that it allows people
of varying heights to be able to fit into and drive the car (although for
them it might lose some amount of its luxury appeal).  The point is that the
feature that was added to create an improved experience for someone of
average height is also what allows taller and shorter people to be able to
drive the car at all.

This contrasts what Ian mentioned earlier about hotels: shower handrails are
provided specifically for guests with disabilities, but arguments can be
made about them benefiting other guests as well.  In one case, the
experience for the core audience is provided first and then the
accommodation is designed around it.  In the other case, the accommodation
is provided first and then the experience for the core audience is designed
around it.

I'm new here, but practicality and a grade school business sense suggests to
me that the SIG will be spending more of its time working to convince
developers to design proper accommodations after the core experience has
been developed and not the other way around.  This means that companies will
need to be shown how careful implementation of accommodations will also work
to improve the core experience before most of them will adopt the idea.

Fortunately, when this is done enough times, a particular accommodation will
eventually become a part of standard game development procedures. 
This seems to be the end goal.

--
Chad Philip Johnson
Anacronist Software




> Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2015 14:11:37 +0000 From: Ian Hamilton
> <i_h at hotmail.com> To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
> <games_access at igda.org> Subject: Re: [games_access] Looking for
> feedback Message-ID: <DUB130-W54C55DCD59142C679A3B5A910D0 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> 
> In the wider world it means option 2 - "The concept focuses on enabling
> access for people with disabilities, or special needs, or enabling
> access through the use of assistive technology; however, research and
> development in accessibility brings benefits to everyone."
> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility). E.g. an accessible hotel
> room contains features such as a handrail in the shower and lots of
> floorspace, universal design features that are useful for lots of
> guests but are included solely because of disability. A website's
> accessibility policy refers only to the commitments and considerations
> are made for users with disabilities. And you certainly aren't allowed
> to park in an accessible parking spot just because you're an
> inexperienced driver or have an old car. We're only a small part of a
> much larger cross-industry effort, so we should really be consistent
> unless there's a compelling reason not to be.


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