[games_access] Checkpoints for game accessibility...

[Barrie Ellis]

Picking up on Richard's thread on accessibility features, I remember Atari's 
old "Special Feature" Teddy Bear icon that adorned the front of some of 
their 2600 game boxes. Try:

http://www.atariage.com/system_items.html?SystemID=2600&ItemTypeID=BOX
Then search on Missile Command (or Warlords, Super Breakout, Pac-Man or 
Defender).

What about using a standardised image representing "Accessibility Features" 
on the front of a game box, with some bullet points on the back - linking to 
a web-site for more details. Perhaps an IGDA database of accessibility 
information?

Bullet points might include (taking into account what Richard has already 
said):

- User definable controls (to include using much simplified controls - 
auto-rapid fire etc.).
- Closed captioning.
- Wide Difficulty level selection (speed control - variable invulnerability 
periods - etc.).
- Gaming assistant modes.
- Sight impairment tweaks (e.g. contrast / colour schemes / basic or 
detailed graphics etc.).
- Simplified menus (see Metropolis Street Racer for epic menus before you 
can even race a car).

I can't see game developers making their games accessible to all for a long, 
long time - but I can see them adding increasing numbers of features. In 
fact a number of games have what I'd describe as accessibility features 
already - e.g. the Sega game F355 Challenge on the Dreamcast has automatic 
braking, so you don't over shoot corners, auto-centering to line you up for 
corners and so on. Why not sell these as accessibility features?

What do people think?

Barrie
www.OneSwitch.org.uk


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"Now a question: did anyone here try to define a list of checkpoints for 
game accessibility already? Maybe we could discuss such a list on this 
emailgroup?
Just in case, let's start here (this is just from the top of my head so we 
have something to talk about; some of the things are maybe absurd, let's 
hear it then!):

- Provide a visual equavalent for any auditory information (which is the 
opposite to...) >>> subtitles
- Provide an auditory equavalent for any visual information
- Support controller alternatives: for any type of controller (mouse, 
joystick, game controller, etc... provide an alternative: keyboard, eye 
controller, speech commands)
- Use clear language: avoid difficult language
- Avoid color communication: make sure that any information provided by 
color has an alternative
- Let players set the speed of the game
- Let players set the difficulty of the game
- Avoid flickering (includes heavy explosions?)
- (anyone)"