[games_access] E for All and GDC booths

Fri Oct 12 03:03:36 EDT 2007

Yes about GarageGames I had my doubts from the start, given my  
previous support experiences with them (I spent summer 2004 to test  
Torque, but since documentation sucked I asked for improvements or  
help but the reply I got was just marvaleous: they were working on  
their own games and didn't have time to do that. I mentioned this for  
Reid too, just as a warning. Seems GG don't take their Torque engine  
clients very seriously. And this CC thing just confirms that.

Yes, Nintendo and AudiOddessey, for sure. Nintendo is already doing  
what we are talking about, with innovative interfaces so that's a  
strong partner. I don't have contacts with them though, perhaps Eitan  
has?

For E for all; in case we don't get donations or help from anywhere  
else, you can count me in on sharing the cost as Eelke proposed, I  
just hope as many as possible in the SIG are able to that as well.  
The share must not necessarily be equal counted in dollars; each and  
everyone can contribute with what they feel is doable for them. What  
do you think?

Kind regards
Thomas

11 okt 2007 kl. 19.03 skrev d. michelle hinn:

> Yes I agree -- or at least find out how willing to be dedicated and  
> learn more about accessibility through supporting our work.
>
> Looking at the list...we can throw Garage right out the window.  
> They have failed to respond to any emails or calls about Eelke's  
> work (with Reid helping test) on Torque[cc]. I don't know what  
> happened and I'm 99% sure it's not something we did wrong. It's a  
> strong lesson for us on dedication from the industry, although they  
> sure made it seem like they were on board because they contacted us  
> first. It's a shame...nothing more or less to say about that.
>
> I think we also could ask Nintendo, as Eitan has been leading the  
> effort on AudiOdyssey and this could get some more support from  
> Nintendo and Nintendo 3rd party studios after E for All. We can  
> also go the "brain age" route and tell them why things like this  
> are so important for cognitive abilities.
>
> We could also ask Microsoft and Sony -- I doubt that they would  
> help sponsor given their track record to date but, hey, it doesn't  
> hurt to ask. I/we just need to figure out who the best people to  
> ask are and my contacts plus former colleagues have not been able  
> to help. Organizations for, say, the blind might also be able to  
> provide some monetary support (not as much as a game company but  
> every bit counts, every bit adds up). And we need to start writing  
> the SIG into grants when it makes sense.
>
> And, yeah, E for All...that's going to be whatever money we can beg  
> for after the fact. I wish I was a billionaire (don't we all?) and  
> that this would be pocket change for me...but it's not. And we're  
> too close to do something like cancel because (1) I signed a  
> binding agreement that will charge me for the booth if we don't  
> show or decide not to show at this late date that is MORE than what  
> I have already had to cover and (2) too many people will get hotel  
> penalties (the travel group for this conference charges you a day  
> if you cancel now) and airline penalties. So anything we can get  
> now would be great but it's mostly a done deal.
>
> So...we have to start learning about how to raise funds. I think we  
> can do it if we all do what we can to help. The days of as many GDC  
> passes as we want are over. The days of not needing to raise money  
> are over. And I need to set us up (and find out the IGDA rules for  
> this) as a charitable non-profit in the US (which is where the IGDA  
> is set up, although they aren't a charitable non-profit -- boy have  
> I been learning a lot) so that we can get our Tax ID and a bank  
> account that will help cover things like this and maybe even travel  
> for those of us who do important work for the SIG and for game  
> accessibility in general but cannot afford to attend conferences.
>
> Ah...growing pains. :)
>
> Michelle
>
>> OK, for GDC it's time to find out how dedicated the industry is
>>
>> As we have some great examples to show from the big league, I  
>> think it should be possible to get sponsoring from example:
>>
>> - Valve:  HL2 [CC] features + Eelke's one button mod
>> - Id software with Doom 3 [CC] and AudioQuake
>> - GarageGames with [CC]
>> - Adobe with games/tools made with Director: Terraformers and  
>> Audio Game Maker
>> - others, please continue...
>>
>> If we put them on display in the GDC booth it will be really good  
>> for them and they should see the value of it
>>
>> (for E for all time is against us to hope for sponsors, so I don't  
>> think it's worth to ask for that)
>>
>> /Thomas
>>
>>
>> 10 okt 2007 kl. 18.26 skrev d. michelle hinn:
>>
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> Ok some really bad news...
>>>
>>> I admit I have NEVER but together a booth for an expo as large as  
>>> E for All. Because I'm not a marketing person (although I tend to  
>>> play one with the SIG) I have just learned that I have to pay up  
>>> to a thousand dollars for carpet, tables, electricity (that whole  
>>> exact number of things that need to be plugged in, union money,  
>>> etc). Wow.
>>>
>>> Yeah. Crap. Nice thing to learn with a week to go. There are two  
>>> unions that a required to (1) put the carpet, tables etc in our  
>>> booth and (2) actually set up and plug in our stuff IF it takes  
>>> more than one person 30 minutes to set up the whole booth.  
>>> Yeah...and I heard from a friend who used to exhibit at E3 that  
>>> the unions will watch people like hawks.. I realize that we have  
>>> a number of people showing up at staggered times (ie, not  
>>> everyone will be there on the Wednesday we set up and some set up  
>>> will occur later). I'm hoping that late set up of some things can  
>>> be done quickly and less intrusively so we don't occur more cost.
>>>
>>> If anyone going to the show can help out with the cost (and I'm  
>>> about to learn the total damage), please, please do so. I'll  
>>> obviously just need to eat the cost (thank you nearly maxed out  
>>> credit card) at this point but any/all donations and/or ideas for  
>>> post-show sponsorship is GREATLY appreciated. If you have ideas  
>>> for last minute fund raising...please let me know with exact  
>>> details and contact info (please don't just tell me to ask  
>>> disability organizations -- exact contact info is what I need at  
>>> this point).
>>>
>>> More bad news...the GDC booth...
>>>
>>> There was some major miscommunication -- IGDA is NOT covering the  
>>> cost of the booth (they will cover the cost of fliers for both  
>>> shows) and I'm waiting to find out the total for a 100 square  
>>> foot booth (same size as E for All) -- CMP is going to give us a  
>>> significant discount but I just don't know what this entails.  
>>> Because we are finding this out now, we have time to beg for a  
>>> few hundred here and there (for any tech we show that is earning  
>>> revenue, as much as possible is appreciated). I realize that none  
>>> of us are making big money if we are making any money. So the  
>>> bulk of the fund raising is going to have to come elsewhere. And  
>>> I'm ok with that. But the same weird rules for E for All (carpet,  
>>> drapes for the tables, the cost of the tables, etc is also going  
>>> to be tacked on.
>>>
>>> Yes...I found this out AFTER the GDC proposal deadline and we  
>>> didn't have a main GDC arcade (we're trying for an indie games  
>>> one now but that won't get the people that don't show up until  
>>> Wednesday. I really want this booth to work out. And we have time  
>>> to raise some cash because we have a few months to do so. So if  
>>> we can come close to cost, that will be better than nothing.
>>>
>>> Welcome to the big leagues. Sure, the booth is a significant  
>>> boost and we can get more press attention and dev and gamer  
>>> attention (all are important in spreading the word). For E for  
>>> All I have (believe it or not) sent over 700 press release style  
>>> emails to raise press awareness) -- can you believe my contact  
>>> list is that big now??? I didn't realize how hard I have worked  
>>> to get these until I put it into excel.
>>>
>>> So thoughts? Ideas?
>>>
>>> Michelle
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