ablegamers and the inevitability of inclusive gaming
Post on 20-Oct-2014
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DESCRIPTION
AbleGamers promotes the many benefits of developing highly accessible gaming software, whereby disabled gamers have brand new outlets for everything from esteem-building escapism to social experiences. Gaming as an entertainment medium and culturally vital art form has seen a vast increase in the diversity of players in recent years, however many gamers with special needs can have a difficult time enjoying it. In this talk, I discussed how we reach out to developers about making their games more accessible. I also detailed some of the best examples of accessible games, explained how engineering options for disabled gamers can be very simple, and got into the business advantages of reaching a wide gamer audience.TRANSCRIPT
Johnny Richardson
The Inevitability of Inclusive Gaming
Who?
Games, Web Developer and Consultant
@ Jack Morton Worldwide Disabled Gamer Accessibility Evangelist Director of Industry Outreach,
AbleGamersMission and specialty: to make games and entertainment software more accessible
AbleGamers
Player and caregiver support Developers Events and community Editorial Grants Accessible hardware
The AbleGamers Foundation is dedicated to bringing greater accessibility in the digital entertainment space so that people with disabilities can gain a greater quality of life, and develop the rich social life that gaming can bring.
Benefits
For disabled players… Empowerment Self-efficacy Escapism Social experiences Aids in rehabilitation
Audience diversification
Outreach
Events such as PAX and GDC AbilitiesExpo World Congress on Disabilities
Day-to-day support and consulting Sponsors: Microsoft, Rockstar,
PopCap, Harmonix, IndieGala
Recent Efforts
Includification First-ever permanent accessibility
arcade in D.C. New advisor and Board of Directors
member Paul Barnett (EA) Larry Goldberg (WGBH)
Weeklong of coverage on G4TV.com AAPD Paul G. Hearne Leadership
Award and documentary
Accessibility Arcade
Located at the MLK MemorialLibrary in D.C.
Several gaming stations featuringa variety of games and hardware Kinect/Xbox, PC, Adroit, Quasimoto Axis Fruit Ninja, Forza
“When properly used, video games can be an important learning tool for literacy, spatial reasoning and curriculum support as well as a wonderful social
experience.”- Venetia Demson, Chief of D.C. Public Library’s Adaptive
Services Division
First-ever arcade of its kind open to public
Generated a lot of attention
Accessibility Arcadecon’t…
Includification
The “How” Comprehensive Best Practices
Good, Better, Best Case Studies Developer Exercises Testimonials Will be updated annually in print and
often online Has gotten excellent feedback
Areas of Focus
“There should beno barriers to fun”
Solutions for DevelopersHardwareBusinessEthical Imperative
Solutions
Don’t add lots of time (for the most part)
Are not technically infeasible Do not violate platform requirements Will not alienate your player base …or ruin your gameplay
Accessibility is accessible to everyone
Realistic
Solutions
Never say someone
wouldn't want to play your
game a certain way
Mobility
Remappable Keys, Camera Options Dragon Age, Rift, Resistance
Third party access Moveable UI, Macros
WoW, Dark Age of Camelot Save Points Speed
Vision
Font colors Colorblind options Target marking Change fonts Customizable interface Speed Text-to-speech
Hearing
Closed Captioning Needs to account for
dialogue and events Fonts/colors Alternative
indicators Call of Duty
Hard to come by
Cognitive
Tutorials/training “Starter” areas
Sandboxes/freedom Open-world games
Difficulty adjustment Good menu systems Camera options Auto-pass
Mobile
Still evolving very rapidly Most of these practices apply Modified multi-touch Alternative input
iOS/Android both have theirstrengths
Accessibility not heavily enforced
Can be more accessible than other platforms
…or far less, depending on need.
Devices
Adroit Quasimoto Axis, etc. Motion controllers
Wii/Wii U, Kinect, Move Coming along…
Brain enabled
Business Advantages
42 million disabled people in US alone
Average household has some kind of gaming device
Audience represents major untapped revenue
Money is an excellentmotivator
Where We’re At
We’re getting through Developers who act see happier
players Changes design process Medicine is major proponent Increasing awareness
Where We’re At
Market demandMaturation of the art formIndustry changes constantlyNew gen of developersObsolescence of AbleGamers
would be welcomed
Gaming as an accessible activity is inevitable, in
the long run
What’s it all mean?
It’s about playing Not rewards, points, etc.
Innumerable benefits for player Social optionsEthical and cultural imperative
THANKS!
[email protected] 944 4841
ablegamers.comincludification.com
/ablegamers/ablegamers
@ablegamers@johnnycrich