[games_access] GDC an idea... Platform.

[Robert Florio]

>From previous examples and experience anything that is huge risk factor
without a chance of meeting a goal a serious goal is definitely not worth
risking that much money.  Same thing with game design we should design our
approach on our risks and our rewards.

We've all been there got the response from developers and walking through
that GDC hall is overwhelming people want to see final complete things they
don't really want to sit down and say here read this paragraph.  They look
for what flashy, exciting in-your-face simple to understand and interact
with develop.

It does look like a big red flag.

This industry is impossible it seems to get the word out.  It's like you
need several million dollars to actually put your money where your mouth is
before people listen.  That day will come it has to.  It's like the industry
doesn't want to listen if they wanted to we would definitely see them coming
out themselves in promoting their own games that have these features but
they just simply don't do it.

I think just for kidding around we should start a picketing line circling
around from GDC every year and getting more and more people to join us.
That's how the people fighting for civil rights, environmental protection,
even gay rights, everything that's been infiltrated into our society except
for accessible videogames has never taken this approach.

I hate to say this but we're just not making real impacts.  Awareness is one
thing but really doing something about it is a totally different thing.  Of
course I've been with you guys saw what is done to do something about it and
don't mean that I mean actually showing that games can be made.  Needing
game to put out there.

Michelle remember when you and I met with David Perry and the interview he
set up that was so cool?  A member his first reaction which was a huge
signal to me, he said something about you guys should do game.  We should.
That's really obvious to me that that's what developers look for a look for
a product and we don't have a product the kind of just say well do you
expect me to risk everything on something I don't know anything about but
show me it can be done.

I don't know what our environment are group of people together scattered so
many places is the right group to actually put a game together my best
feeling is not.  Mostly because we all have separate schedules separate
locations and really need to be face-to-face to put a game together.  But my
experience with top-secret it's definitely possible online.

And from my experience with top-secret it should definitely not be something
that huge risk, time-consuming, money consuming, so it easy, really simple
to play, highly addictive and really catchy.

Then we will have a booth to actually show something that works.  Questions
would start popping up who's responsible for what happens to the money made
from that and then things get tangled because everyone wants money.

The biggest issue will be how to get the money in the first place to do it.
After graduation I will be looking for a job and something to really start
up if it's possible to get a company started and get all of your support to
look for the right people, and get you all involved we would have something.

For curiosity if this is something I actually wanted to do I'm not asking if
it's possible but would there be support here to help me get it done?  I'm
sure there are things I don't understand about the industry and there will
be a lot of questions and headaches.  But if we can create fast results with
easy to play games backed by an actual source of funding and a company to
build its name on the matter how small or small or the budget might be at
least paying a few people to keep them motivated.

One of those people would be me of course I'd love to start and run this
thing but give myself a source of income even if it's not a whole lot it
definitely would be something interested to do get out into the industry and
really start making a company.

Guitar hero is a huge example I was thinking the other day coming up with a
device that works in his addictive like guitar hero with a simple to play
game in some sort of device that could get ridiculously circulated through
the industry as a tool that other games can be made for.  Not talking rocket
science just rewiring some of the buttons in a existing paddle and
determining what the minimal buttons do.

Any thoughts?  Get well soon Michelle.

Robert

By the way my favorite portrait is going to get a huge PR release am going
to mention our committee and everything I can about our efforts.  Check out
my homepage where the portrait will be nationally auctioned on a huge
auction house NPR will go out to a lot of places so hopefully I get some
exposure out there.  Come on good morning America I hope they call this
time.

Also my school wants me to speak at a graduation that's really cool.  A
graduate December 13 so I'm flying from Baltimore to Pittsburgh.

Robert
www.RobertFlorio.com   


-----Original Message-----
From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
On Behalf Of d. michelle hinn
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2007 6:50 PM
To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
Subject: Re: [games_access] GDC

Hi Thomas --

I had surgery Friday so I'm a bit behind on things, understandably 
(although regretfully!).

I'm a bit concerned about the sponsorship thing and our return on 
investment, as this is a very different expo than E for All where we 
could reach consumers who had never thought about fellow gamers who 
might have disabilities. The GDC expo is going to be more of a booth 
where visitors expect something slick and packaged and will ask "well 
what is our return on investment" rather than general awareness 
raising. Yes, awareness raising can happen too, of course...but what 
is the return on OUR investment -- $8000 is a lot to raise and then 
there's the issue of who will stand at the booth (expos might seem 
short...until you've been on the other side of the booth...it's very 
exhausting!).

What I'm sensing is as bit of a warning sign (ie, maybe we shouldn't 
do a booth) is that there have only been a few voices from the group 
adding in their opinions...I think that the last thing any of us want 
to see is the bulk of things falling in my lap for GDC -- it's not 
healthy for me personally or all of us as a group!! It's been a year 
of learning for all of us and I think that's a 100% positive thing. 
But I definitely am seeing unhealthy patterns re-emerging and I know 
that no one wants to repeat GDC 2007!

Meanwhile GDC is holding fast to the December 1st date on letting us 
know how many (if any) talks were accepted. Talks have already been 
accepted but these are just the first wave...it's not a sign to panic 
that nothing got accepted. Believe me, I've already panicked about 
that -- nothing to panic about. Yet. But if you are me, you are 
always panicking. :)

As I mentioned sometime last week, we have 1 roundtable sponsored by 
the IGDA (different than the ones that went through the regular 
system -- this is a courtesy for SIGs). This is already on the 
website (gdconf.com). It's an accessibility arcade, only very small 
-- just a few games/controllers with the emphasis on more specific 
info about the things being shown. We also have the "meet and greet" 
where we meet up at the IGDA area to answer questions from anyone 
interested in finding out about the SIG.

Anyway, I will post more as I find out more. Meanwhile Kevin and I 
are preparing to give the SIG workshop at next week's FuturePlay. 
Unfortunately Dimitris and Eelke just learned that they cannot attend 
so the two of us are re-designing the workshop.

Michelle

>Hello
>
>what do we do with the sponsor thing, should we go on with the booth 
>and raise money through sponsors?
>
>if yes:
>what do you think about the template sponsor letter I wrote? 
>anything to change or add?
>
>/Thomas
>
>_______________________________________________
>games_access mailing list
>games_access at igda.org
>http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access

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