[games_access] Re: [AGDev-discuss] "top ten" suggestions for SIG Access

[hinn at uiuc.edu]

Hi all,

Let me give you a bit more information behind the "top ten" 
list. Mainstream devs and game console companies are coming 
back to us with "well, ok, if we tried to make 'grand mario 
super katamari tetris kingdom' more accessible, where do we 
even start? we could probably fit one or two items to 
increase our accessibility before the game goes gold -- so 
what are our options and how to we tackle it?"

So the idea behid the "top ten" is not to be all inclusive 
or the "cure all" for all accessibility issues in games but 
rather serve as a way for us to help developers start 
building in accessibility features. Kind of a "baby steps" 
approach but it is one that we could say to them, ok, if you 
are serious about creating games that are more accessible, 
even if it's just for one type of disability, pick one from 
this list and DO IT!

Comprehensive lists like the fantastic website that Matthew 
sent us, are great. However, it gives a developer who is not 
in the business of creating, say, games for the blind, a bit 
of a panic attack. Kind of like web developers of a small 
company who honestly want to create a more accessible web 
site but have no idea how exactly to interpret the W3 
standards because they have become to in depth and confusing 
to "jump right in" and make an improvement to their site. 
Devs don't know where to start and how to start so we want 
to provide something to help them start.

So we see the "top ten" as a way for us to help bridge the 
gap a bit, serve as a way for us to start getting 
accessibility features built into mainstream games. No, it's 
not a "total" solution but if we could get even one 
mainstream company to start adding in these features -- with 
the understanding that their game isn't "accessible to all" 
but now "accessible to more" -- we'd be able to start 
setting the tone for game devs to follow.

Does that help clear things up a bit?
Michelle
Chair, IGDA Game Accessibility SIG

---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 17:55:36 +0200
>From: "AudioGames.net" <richard at audiogames.net>  
>Subject: Re: [AGDev-discuss] "top ten" suggestions for SIG 
Access  
>To: "AGDev discussion list" <agdev-discuss at lists.agdev.org>
>
>Impressive website! Is this a student project or something 
else? I kinda 
>disagree about the way the author swamps "rule" 
and "guideline" and much of 
>the text I'd like to challenge to a good discussion. Still, 
it is a great 
>website... wondering why IGDA lacks this information?
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Matthew T. Atkinson" <matthew at agrip.org.uk>
>To: "AGDev discussion list" <agdev-discuss at lists.agdev.org>
>Cc: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List" 
<games_access at igda.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 5:39 PM
>Subject: Re: [AGDev-discuss] "top ten" suggestions for SIG 
Access
>
>
>> Here's something I've been contributing to that I think 
may be of use to
>> us all.  This thread has been very interesting so far; I 
thought Phil's
>> post was great for FPS-a-like games and Richard's makes 
some valuable
>> points, too.  Anyway, here it is:
>>
>> http://www.integriert-
studieren.jku.at/GamesAccessibility/index.php
>>
>> best regards,
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Matthew T. Atkinson <matthew at agrip.org.uk>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> AGDev-discuss mailing list
>> AGDev-discuss at lists.agdev.org
>> http://lists.agdev.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/agdev-
discuss 
>
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