[games_access] Re: Top 10 accessibility features in mainstream games
AudioGames.net
richard at audiogames.net
Thu Mar 30 17:34:04 EST 2006
Hiya Reid,
You were there, weren't you? So you contributed to the initiative.. ;)
Ok, I was the first to start writing, but still...
Here's what I got now:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Top 10 accessibility features in mainstream games (?)
by Richard van Tol, Tim Chase, Reid Kimball (and others…join in!)
1. Bullet time: Bullet time is a concept introduced in recent films and computer games whereby the passage of time is displayed as extremely slow or frozen moments in order to allow a viewer to observe imperceptibly fast events (such as flying bullets)[1]. Although it is often used to create a dramatic effect, bullet time gives players with a slower reaction speed (for instance caused by a physical disability) the possibility to play the game at a slower rate, giving the player a chance in the game.
2. Extensive auditory feedback: some games, especially in the fighting/beat’m’up genre, features extensive auditory feedback, enabling gamers with a visual impairment to play (and even win) the game. Good example are Tekken, Soul Calibar, Mortal Kombat, Grand Theft Auto.
3. “Not only convey meaning by colour only, but by other distinctions as well” (rewrite!). A good example is Bejeweled[2], which uses shapes and colour to distinguish the different elements of the puzzle.
4. Subtitles and captioning: Several games, like Zork: Grand Inquisitor and Halflife 2 offer closed captioning, which provides text descriptions in the game for both audible dialog and sound effects. In addition to hearing impaired or deaf gamers, many hearing players use subtitles and players not familiar with the games' native language find them helpful.
5. Scalable / Zoomable (?) game visuals: Windows Vista’s Winesweeper is fully scalable, including the fonts (although this might be a lame example). Several games allow you to extensively zoom in/out on the game while others give the player tools for zooming (binoculars, rifle scopes). Examples include:
6. Customizable controls: … (note: also include the easiness with which to find such options – where are they located in the game?)
7. “Training” option: some games gradually introduce the gamer to the functionality of the game. This enables gamers to learn the game while playing instead of forcing them to read the manual prior to playing the game. Kevin!
8. "Scalable difficulty": The "Handicap" option in Everybody's Golf 2 / Hot Shots Golf 2 allows gamers of differing abilities to compete more fairly against one another. Also, the Novice/Easy option makes playing the game much easier (no hook and slice on shots). …
9. …
10. …
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_time
[2] http://www.mumbojumbo.com/retail/g.bejeweled2.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Need some good terminlogy... anyone?
Richard
----- Original Message -----
From: "Reid Kimball" <rkimball at gmail.com>
To: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List" <games_access at igda.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 6:37 PM
Subject: Re: Top 10 accessibility features in mainstream games
(was:[games_access] GDC '06 report of Day 1)
I'm so glad someone took the initiative to start up this list! It
should be a great one.
Here's my write up for captioning. Let me know if it needs to be shortened.
Subtitles and captioning: Closed captioning provides text descriptions
in game for both audible dialog and sound effects. In addition to
hearing impaired or deaf gamers, many hearing players use subtitles
and players not familiar with the games' native language find them
helpful. Examples of games that have used CC are Zork: Grand
Inquisitor, Halflife 2 and Doom3[CC] (a modification for Doom3).
-Reid
On 3/30/06, AudioGames.net <richard at audiogames.net> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> Working on an outline document now:
>
> ________________________________
>
>
>
>
> Top 10 things that make regular games more accessible
>
> Top 10 list of accessibility features in regular games
>
> Top 10 list of coffee musical songs issues
>
> Top 10 list of accessible features in mainstream games
>
>
>
> Top 10 accessibility features in mainstream games (?)
>
> by Richard van Tol (and others…join in!)
>
>
>
> 1. Bullet time: Bullet time is a concept
> introduced in recent films and computer games whereby the passage of time
> is
> displayed as extremely slow or frozen moments in order to allow a viewer
> to
> observe imperceptibly fast events (such as flying bullets)[1]. Although it
> is often used to create a dramatic effect, bullet time gives players with
> a
> slower reaction speed (for instance caused by a physical disability) the
> possibility to play the game at a slower rate, giving the player a chance
> in
> the game.
>
> 2. Extensive auditory feedback: some games,
> especially in the fighting/beat'm'up genre, features extensive auditory
> feedback, enabling gamers with a visual impairment to play (and even win)
> the game. Good example are Tekken, Soul Calibar, Mortal Kombat, Grand
> Theft
> Auto.
>
> 3. "Not only convey meaning by colour only,
> but
> by other distinctions as well" (rewrite!). A good example is Bejeweled[2],
> which uses shapes and colour to distinguish the different elements of the
> puzzle. (we'd better not mention bad examples,such as Chuzzle[3]).
>
> 4. Subtitles and captioning: Halflife 2 >>> I
> bet Reid can write an excellent five line summary?
>
> 5. Scalable / Zoomable (?) game visuals:
> Windows
> Vista's Winesweeper is fully scalable, including the fonts (although this
> might be a lame example). Several games allow you to extensively zoom
> in/out
> on the game while others give the player tools for zooming (binoculars,
> rifle scopes). Examples include:
>
> 6. Customizable controls: … (note: also
> include
> the easiness with which to find such options – where are they located in
> the
> game?)
>
> 7. Training: some games gradually introduce
> the
> gamer to the functionality of the game. This enables gamers to learn the
> game while playing instead of forcing them to read the manual prior to
> playing the game. Kevin!
>
> 8. …
>
> 9. …
>
> 10. …
>
> ________________________________
>
>
>
> [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_time
>
>
> [2] http://www.mumbojumbo.com/retail/g.bejeweled2.html
>
>
> [3] http://www.mumbojumbo.com/retail/g.chuzzle.html
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
>
>
>
> or have a look at the attachment if the email messes things up :) I think
> having an archive of games with accessible features make a great showcase!
> Certainly for http://www.game-accessibility.com but also
> for the IGDA website?
>
>
>
> Sander, is there anywhere where we can create a workplace for the "top 10
> accessibility features in meanstream games"- list instead of a .doc
> document? Like the AG-database functionality? Or the SIG-wiki?
>
>
>
> Greets,
>
>
>
> Richard
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Sander Huiberts
> To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
> Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 11:04 AM
> Subject: Re: [games_access] GDC '06 report of Day 1
>
>
> If a game is rewarded at a certain place on the net, eventually I can
> imagine that game developers do care....
>
> Let's have a place where gamers themselves can submit "good cases". I'm
> willing to program a form or anything (I have to reprogram some php-things
> on the AudioGames server anyway).
>
> submit a good game accessibility feature case
>
> name of game:
> developer:
> description of feature:
> (why is it useful?)
> send
>
> Or something like this.
>
> Then we put it on a/the site(s). And we can show them to the rest of the
> world. And the rest of the world will become very enthousiastic!
>
> The Sondor
>
>
> P.S. Michelle, you ARE my photo sister! So many photos with the same point
> of view of same subjects. If you look through the optical finder of your
> cam, are you a left-eye or a right-eye?
>
>
> AudioGames.net schreef:
> Great! I have already started a "" Top 10 list of accessible things that
> games do right" ... maybe we should sync them... ?
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "d. michelle hinn" <hinn at uiuc.edu>
> To: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List" <games_access at igda.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2006 7:41 PM
> Subject: Re: [games_access] GDC '06 report of Day 1
>
>
>
> Yes, I second that! The whole week was great and soon I'll unveil "Mission
> Positive Campaign: Press Releases Galore" (once I have IGDA's permission
> to
> do those...) that I went on and on about last week! Ok, basically the idea
> is that we will send press releases stating the things that games do
> "right"
> with regard to accessibility in the hopes that they will want to learn
> more.
> :) It beats "Mission Negative Campaign: Lawsuits Galore"
>
> Kevin and I are definitely willing US university funding people so if you
> need University support for a NSF grant or something like that, we can
> lend
> a hand!
>
> Great day one write up. Now that I have the sig blog password again, I'll
> link to it and be adding more news items each week. :)
>
> M
>
>
> Hey everyone,
>
> I have begun posting daily reports of my time at GDC '06. I have day 1
> posted with the other days to follow:
>
> Day 1:
> http://gamescc.rbkdesign.com/03.20.06_gdc.php
>
> Before I forget, I want to thank everyone for your awesome support in
> the past year, this past week at GDC and you're all an inspiration to
> me to keep working hard on developing closed captioning for games.
>
> After the tutorial session on Monday I was so motivated and
> enthusiastic for the future. I wanted to do whatever I could. I've
> always had side projects I wanted to do that got in the way of closed
> captioning in games but I've decided to put those on hold. I want to
> revamp my gamescc.rbkdesign.com website, make it more professional.
> Start writing a weekly column where I critique the quality of closed
> captioning in games and make detailed recommendations for how it can
> be included if not already. I'll be pursuing alternate funding options
> and grants to help develop the CC software for developers to use.
>
> I have a lot planned and I wanted to be sure I thanked everyone for
> helping me and Games[CC] to get to where we are today.
>
> -Reid
> _______________________________________________
> games_access mailing list
> games_access at igda.org
> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
>
> _______________________________________________
> games_access mailing list
> games_access at igda.org
> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
> _______________________________________________
> games_access mailing list
> games_access at igda.org
> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> games_access mailing list
> games_access at igda.org
> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> games_access mailing list
> games_access at igda.org
> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
>
>
>
>
_______________________________________________
games_access mailing list
games_access at igda.org
http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist7.pair.net/pipermail/games_access/attachments/20060331/9622597c/attachment.htm>
More information about the games_access
mailing list