[games_access] Project Natal: Microsoft's Alternative Controller

Reid Kimball rkimball at gmail.com
Wed Jun 3 00:56:43 EDT 2009


1. Don't control how developers use this tech, let them experiment.
    -- MS might not like the idea of using facial expressions to
control simple gameplay, but someone who's disabled might benefit.
2. Get creative with the applications. Not everything needs to be a
game for hardcore players.
    -- An interactive screensaver app where people can fly through
clouds by using their arms stretched out sideways (sitting or
standing) could be therapeutic for some, even though it's not a "game"
by traditional definitions.
3. Encourage developers to allow access to alternative control scheme.
    -- If someone can't talk, allow conversations to happen in more
traditional UI driven ways.
4. Develop tools to help developers do # 3.

-Reid

On Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 9:03 PM,  <hinn at illinois.edu> wrote:
> I've got the Microsoft inside coverage on this -- I had to reschedule due to that emergency surgery and the BIG emergency surgery where I was clinically dead for about a minute and would have been really dead in a few more hours had the surgery been delayed.
>
> ...anyway...I'm heading back out there in a few weeks so and they are serious about avoiding some of those wii missteps.
>
> What would be cool is if everyone could offer some "what they are worried about" and "what might make that less worrisome" bullet point ideas, rants, etc that I could take to them next month. The more I can bring them from the community the better!
>
> Michelle
> IGDA Game Accessibility SIG Chair
> AbleGamers Foundation
>
> ---- Original message ----
>>Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2009 18:08:28 -0400
>>From: Mark Barlet <ioo at ablegamers.com>
>>Subject: Re: [games_access] Project Natal: Microsoft's Alternative Controller
>>To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List <games_access at igda.org>
>>
>>   Microsoft has taken notice. More details later.
>>   Mark
>>
>>   Sent from mobile device.
>>   On Jun 2, 2009, at 5:38 PM, Nathalie Caron
>>   <nathalie at gamefwd.org> wrote:
>>
>>     My answer to your question Barrie, is to write,
>>     write, write about it. The more we bring attention
>>     to it, the more likely Microsoft is to take
>>     notice.
>>
>>     Nathalie
>>
>>     On Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 3:39 PM, Barrie Ellis
>>     <barrie.ellis at oneswitch.org.uk> wrote:
>>
>>       Natal doesn't need to suffer from the same
>>       problems as the Wii - i.e. Not being able to
>>       adjust what the Wii remote is expecting as
>>       regards how fast and how broad movements are is
>>       a real loss. Very rare support for alternative
>>       controllers to be used.
>>
>>       I could well imagine that Natal car game being
>>       controlled by expressions alone if needed. Maybe
>>       Microsoft will encourage developers to offer
>>       alternative ways to play - perhaps leant and
>>       stored as part of the Avatar system from the off
>>       to share between different games. It's early
>>       days - anything is possible...
>>
>>       How do we best get this message to Microsoft
>>       though?
>>
>>       Barrie
>>
>>       ----- Original Message ----- From: "will wade"
>>       <willwade at gmail.com>
>>       To: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List"
>>       <games_access at igda.org>
>>       Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 7:13 PM
>>       Subject: Re: [games_access] Project Natal:
>>       Microsoft's Alternative Controller
>>
>>         Its a interesting development.
>>         I agree - as it stands its not that
>>         potentially useful to
>>         children/adults with a lot of movement. What
>>         would be interesting if
>>         the technology could be used to look at a
>>         particular reliable movement
>>         of a person for a particular output - e.g.
>>         move a hand inwards at a
>>         certain angle in relation to the body, or a
>>         head movement to the left,
>>         and that produces a output just like a switch.
>>         Something like this is
>>         currently being developed by the inference
>>         group at Cambridge so watch
>>         this space..
>>
>>         w
>>
>>         2009/6/2 Nathalie Caron
>>         <nathalie at gamefwd.org>:
>>
>>           Hi Barrie, and group:
>>
>>           I watched the Microsoft presentation
>>           yesterday and while it has a lot of
>>           potential to increase mainstream
>>           accessibility, I think there is some way to
>>           go in order for it to be accessible to all.
>>
>>           I can already imagine one of my friends, who
>>           argued the same point. He has
>>           CP and is in a wheel chair with minimal hand
>>           coordination, has managed to
>>           adapt to use a controller, but does not
>>           speak (unless using a voice device).
>>           I don't think Natal would be able to
>>           recognize his facial expressions as
>>           well, nor would it be able to find
>>           expressions in his synthetic voice
>>           (thinking in reference to that interactive
>>           game with the little boy - Tobi
>>           was it?)
>>
>>           I think that if Microsoft was really serious
>>           about this, they would have to
>>           look, perhaps into neurofeedback for those
>>           who do not have the means to use
>>           their bodies, voices and facial expressions.
>>           Surely they have the ability to
>>           implement something like this en masse.
>>
>>           I don't know if they would consider that, or
>>           if they are satisfied by having
>>           already "broken new ground"... I guess we
>>           will have to watch and see.
>>
>>           Nathalie
>>           http://gamefwd.org
>>
>>           On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 5:14 PM, Barrie Ellis
>>           <barrie.ellis at oneswitch.org.uk>
>>           wrote:
>>
>>             Lots of potential for improved
>>             accessibility? But will it be realised...
>>
>>             Microsoft announce Project Natal -
>>             gesture, facial expressions and voice
>>             recognition:
>>
>>             http://switchgaming.blogspot.com/2009/06/microsofts-new-controller.html
>>
>>             http://kotaku.com/5274317/microsoft-makes-you-the-motion-controller-with-project-natal
>>
>>             _______________________________________________
>>             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
> .......................................
> these are mediocre times and people are
> losing hope. it's hard for many people
> to believe that there are extraordinary
> things inside themselves, as well as
> others. i hope you can keep an open
> mind.
>  -- "unbreakable"
> .......................................
> _______________________________________________
> games_access mailing list
> games_access at igda.org
> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
>



-- 
Reid Kimball
Game Designer / Writer
http://game.rbkdesign.com



More information about the games_access mailing list