"Game Over" airing on PBS

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Andy Hawkins   (May 09, 2007 at 00:04 GMT)

I agree this is an important niche that should be explored more thoroughly. While I haven't the funding to support it myself, I would like to see a min spec doc for accessibility, for game designers to adhere to and I will adopt that in my games as I produce them. Does such a doc exist?

Greg Gardinier   (May 09, 2007 at 00:13 GMT)

Wow, they said "SONY's Xbox 360 and Microsoft's Playstation3" What!? Despite that amazing error, the video was interesting.
Edited on May 09, 2007 00:20 GMT

Steve Flowers   (May 09, 2007 at 00:13 GMT)

Such min spec docs should exist for every piece of electronically accessible media. It really gets me how ambiguous accessibility rules and recommendations are (Web, eLearning). Some accessibility practices are just plain good for everyone and are seriously thirsty for some established standards and a 'great seal' of conformance sticker to slap on there - so you know that it meets the prescription.

When the same keys access the same functions where possible in a standard spec, etc... I'd think everyone wins. Makes for a better experience when you are already familiar with the fingerwalk and stuff.

S

Joshua Dallman   (May 09, 2007 at 00:50 GMT)

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While I haven't the funding to support it myself

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Most accessibility options are cheap to add. For example, when adding closed captioning to a game with dialogue, you already have all the dialogue in text format, it's just a matter of having it display on screen with the audio file played. Another example, having a second set of gems that use symbols instead of colors for a match game so colorblind players can play. Takes a few seconds in photoshop and a few extra lines of code and one GUI checkbox. Something like making sure your game is compatible with special input devices does take more of an investment in time, but there certainly exists easy things that game developers can do.

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I would like to see a min spec doc for accessibility

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Here's something close: a Top 10 List of Ways to Improve Accessibility. Even if you hit only one or two, like closed captioning and control remapping, it can make a big difference.

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It really gets me how ambiguous accessibility rules and recommendations are (Web, eLearning).

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I couldn't agree more. The IGDA SIG is working on specs as you describe. Adobe has a simply excellent information resource for developers creating web and flash content with accessibility considerations (located at http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/), but obviously far more people use the web than make games, so accessibility issues are more visible in that medium than ours (one look at the near empty room at the GDC accessibility event shown in the video gives a clear visual indication of just how much interest the game industry has in this topic).

Andy Hawkins   (May 09, 2007 at 03:33 GMT)

@Joshua - excellent - that's exactly what I want. I think it's best to know how to incorporate the aids early in development so it's just part of the process and make it accessible to everyone.

With regard to funding, I mean I don't have the money to work on a joystick or voice recognition system for physically challenged people. I do however have the ability to support other methods of accessibility and will do so. Thanks for the links.

Steve Flowers   (May 09, 2007 at 18:46 GMT)

Interesting Link, could form a model for other voluntary / involuntary industry standards. The Australian Bankers association has laid out in some detail what they will be / are doing to standardize things like ATM machines.

www.bankers.asn.au/Default.aspx?ArticleID=344

Industry standards are nice, especially when conformance comes with some type of a seal indicating participation. Less brainwork when a braintrust has already figured some good things out. Making it voluntary gives people an out (which is good in some ways - creates progression and creative abrasion).
Edited on May 09, 2007 18:48 GMT

Vashner   (May 09, 2007 at 20:44 GMT)

Congrats!

Jonathan McGirr   (May 27, 2007 at 02:05 GMT)

As the parent of a visually impaired (VI) child who strongly desires to be involved when our other kids play video games, I definitely want to see improvements here. He actually does play a few games such as MonkeyBall (gamecube...you can tell where you are by the sounds) and the $15.00 Nick Spongebob "game in a joystick" games, also because the sounds tell you what to do. From this, I have been careful to include "sounds cues" in my projects.

This experience has also made me notice that in games I truly love to spend time in (WoW, Starcraft) that while a LOT of the game has text display, there is a lot of KEY game interaction that is not! It is amazing this simple thing is overlooked so easily. (yes, VI sensitity leads to sensitivity to deafness, also). Think about how easy it is to "caption in" the dialogue for your game....I mean, you already have a script, right?

BTW, If anyone wants the services a young VI beta tester, let me know ;-)

Kevin Summers   (Nov 14, 2007 at 19:08 GMT)

@Jonathan,

If I may ask, what's his vision like? I have a special interest in adding accessability to my
games because I am legally blind myself, and my wife used to interpret for the deaf.
If you'd rather continue this in private, my email address is in my profile.

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