[accesscomp] Tek Talk Features Michael Feir, The Game Master, Tuesday January 12, 2015, 8 pm EST, The Pat Price Room: www.accessibleworld.org
- From: "Robert Acosta" <boacosta@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "awannouncements" <awannouncements@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2015 08:15:02 -0800
NEWSWIRE:
The Game Master
Journeys of the Mind:
Play is Where Community Begins
Presenter: Michael Feir
phone: 416-305-2757
Email: michael.feir@xxxxxxxxx
Skype: Michael-Feir
Twittter: mfeir
Games are more than mere pastimes. They are works of art with their own
lessons to teach us about reality, ourselves and our companions in play.
They help us to explore the consequences of our ideas in a safe manner. They
are superb tools for breaking down barriers between people allowing
friendships and discoveries to take place. They can also reduce the
intimidation people feel when faced with technology they must learn to use.
Important human connections are formed through play. Games have become a
vital cultural medium. The digital games industry earns more profit than the
movie and music industries combined. For all these reasons, it is vital that
blind people share in these experiences as much as possible.
In some cases, a game cannot be made accessible since its core challenges
depend on players having sight. However, in far too many cases, a lack of
awareness of what technology makes possible is a widespread needless
impediment to play. Game developers often have no idea that blind people are
capable of using computers and smartphones. Sadly, many games are
inaccessible due to the developers of graphical user interfaces failing to
provide easy means of conveying information to screen-readers.
Technology and the Internet are drastically changing the economics and
business case for making games accessible for blind people as well as people
with other disabilities. Crowd funding platforms like Kickstarter make it
possible for interested individuals to invest in projects of interest to
them from anywhere in the world. This makes catering to a wider range of
abilities and smaller interest groups economically viable. Manuals and rule
books for role-playing games are now almost certain to be available in
electronic formats which software like the Voice Dream Reader app for iOS
devices can render accessible to potential blind players. Thousands of such
documents could easily be stored on a smartphone and then either spoken or
read in Braille via a screen-reader and portable Braille display. Affordable
Braille embossing machines and 3d printers are poised to bring fresh
possibilities of inclusion when it comes to physical board and modern card
games.
This lecture and question period discusses the history, current and future
possibilities of accessible games and why it matters that blind people are
included in the realm of play. I have begun writing a book which will expand
on the thoughts and topics covered in this presentation.
Key Accessible Gaming Sites:
www.audiogames.net
This site should be your first destination. It has become the central point
for information and discussion surrounding games specifically relying on
audio. These games need not be made for blind people exclusively. Most will
be accessible to blind people provided they are able to hear. Key resources
include a large database of all known auditory games. Each entry has a
description, download and developer links, and much more. Very active
well-moderated forums allow for hundreds of ongoing discussions between
interested people to take place. Be sure to stop by the "new releases" forum
to learn about the latest accessible games.
www.applevis.com
As its address implies, this site is focused on providing information to
people using Apple products. There are tutorials, guides, thriving
discussion forums, and rapidly expanding directories of information about
apps. These directories are very well-organized and easy for community
members to add to. If you're uncertain whether a given app is accessible,
check for an entry in the app directory. Moderators also encourage people to
make entries for apps which are found to be inaccessible. This serves to
warn other people who might contemplate purchasing apps which are not useful
to those requiring Voiceover.
www.inclusiveandroid.tk
This initiative is similar to Applevis. However, it focuses exclusively on
Android devices and apps.
www.serotalk.com
This resource strives to provide useful information for blind and visually
impaired people seeking to live "the digital lifestyle". Among a wide range
of access technology and other topics of interest, the staff and community
often discuss games found to be accessible.
www.audyssey.org
This site contains all 54 issues of the Audyssey e-zine I created in 1996
and edited up to issue 40 in 2004. Although the magazine itself is of purely
historical value, the community which grew out of it is still a thriving
conduit of email communication between players, game creators and other
interested parties.
Recent Kickstarter Projects
http://www.64ouncegames.com/
This successful Kickstarter initiative aims to make modern board games
accessible to blind players. People will need to purchase the original board
game plus the accessibility kit designed by 64 ounce Games. Sleeves
containing Braille will cover pieces or cards. Dice, pieces and other
essentials will be produced using 3d printing.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1704875037/rpg-dice-for-the-visually-im
paired
This project reached its funding goal and will soon offer Braille dice used
in role playing games produced by 3d printing.
http://www.ulule.com/a-blind-legend/
This project aims to create a video game experience completely in audio and
make it accessible to blind players on mobile devices like smartphones.
Using bin oral sound, players will be able to navigate, solve puzzles and
fight in a fully 3d audio environment.
Notable Games:
*All In Play: This site was the first attempt at a game portal whose
objective was to create games and a community for both blind and sighted
players. It currently focuses on word and card games including the popular
Texas Holdem variant of Poker. People can try the games for free but must
then pay a subscription to continue playing and participating in the
community. A text chatting system is incorporated into all games on the site
allowing participants to communicate easily with each other at the virtual
table. Tournaments occur frequently.
www.allinplay.com
*Shades of Doom: This game was the first attempt to give blind players an
experience similar to this particular kind of popular action game. Players
must find their way through a laboratory and shut down an experiment gone
wrong. Find this game, a tank-driving simulation and more at:
www.gmagames.com
*Top Speed 3: This was the very popular culmination of a group of racing
enthusiasts to bring the thrills of multi-player racing to blind people. The
game supports force-feedback steering wheels if available but a keyboard is
all that is required to play. Sadly, lack of time and interest has ended
further development of game by this promising group. However, Top Speed 3
stands as a profound example of how far compassion can take us.
www.playinginthedark.net
*She Noire: This is the first game of a popular casual style known as
"hidden object" to be made accessible for blind players. It can be played on
Mac, PC, or iOS and puts you in the role of a detective with a shady past
attempting to thwart a master-villain. You do this by finding and retrieving
objects hidden in various scenes. Finding all of the hidden objects in a
given scene advances the game's story.
http://www.ticonblu.it/audiogame/index.html?lang=eng
*ESP Pinball Classic: The company offering this title, Draconis
Entertainment, has preserved it along with many others originally created by
James North. This controversial but brilliant developer found a way to use
the principles of stereo sound to present the blind community with a fully
accessible authentic experience of six Pinball tables. Hear the ball roll
and bump into obstacles after carefully timing your flipper strike or aiming
your shot. Find this piece of accessible gaming history at:
www.dracoent.com
*Paladin Of The Sky: This game has quickly attracted a large player base. It
is the first attempt to bring the experience of what is called a console rpg
to blind players. A computer running Windows and a keyboard are required.
www.vgstorm.com
Find the following games in the appstore on your iOS device:
*King of Dragon Pass: This game was originally inaccessible. It is a story
and statistic-driven simulation complete with artwork and an interactive
map. Players make choices on behalf of a clan situated on a magical world.
The developer, David Dunham, had no idea that blind players would be
interested until he was contacted. David chose to invest the time and
resources needed to make this game accessible on devices running Apple's iOS
operating system using the built-in Voiceover screen-reader. Blind players
can enjoy this game knowing they have access to all information and options.
There are now also versions for the PC and for Android. However, these are
developed by different companies who did not include accessibility support
due to the increased effort and cost this would have incurred.
*Crossly: A game capable of generating endless crossword puzzles allows
competition with other players. It has been made fully accessible using the
Voiceover screen-reader built into Apple's iOS operating system. Other
popular word games include Hanging With Friends, Ordet, iAssociate 2, and
Clever Clues.
*Papa Sangre II: This illustrates what can happen when audio games are made
for everyone as opposed to just blind people. You are placed in a fully
immersive audio environment as a dead spirit attempting to retrieve stolen
memories thereby gaining the strength to return to life. The famous actor
Sean Bean acts as your guide through this strange realm. You control your
character by tapping on the corners of your device's screen and physically
turning to steer your character. This game requires you to wear headphones
or earbuds.
*Frotz: This app now constitutes the most accessible and easy way to share
in the joy of text adventures or interactive fiction as games of this kind
are called today. There are literally thousands of games which this app can
handle including Infocom classics like Zork. Voiceover allows complete
control and access to this app letting people have the text read to them or
read it themselves using a Braille display. Commands can be entered from the
onscreen keyboard, dictated using SIRI, or entered in Braille with the
keyboard of a Braille display or the new onscreen Braille input method
introduced in iOS8.
*Zombies, Run: This game introduces blind people to combining fitness and
fun. Defend Able Township from hoards of zombies in a world where the dead
can't even stay still. Since headphones or earbuds should be worn while
running in order to enjoy the audio dramatics, I humbly suggest a treadmill
or safe venue for running be added to the list of requirements. The
accelerometer in your iPHONE or iPOD can track your runs and the came gives
you supplies with which to build and upgrade your town as a reward for your
real-world physical effort. The story is told during your runs via audio
segments played in between your chosen play list of music.
Articles of Interest:
This recent article in the New Yorker discusses an audio-only game which
caught the attention of the sighted gaming community. It discusses the
growing economic case for accessible games.
http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/a-video-game-that-you-cant-even-see
When a group of Dungeons and Dragons players chose to include a blind person
who wanted to participate, they found that including him meant discovering
what role-playing was supposed to be.
http://dungeonsmaster.com/2012/03/blind/
Terry Garrett wants to play the same games as his sighted friends. Good
audio design helps this be possible. He can actually play the Oddworld
series of games due to good sound design.
http://kotaku.com/5766791/how-a-blind-man-plays-video-games
Brandon Cole has learned to play many songs in a popular music game called
Rock band. He has created a site with tutorials for blind people to help
them play mainstream games.
http://www.brandoncole.net/
Jordan Verner from Ontario has beet en Legend of Zelda; Ocarina of Time. He
had sighted friends give him literally step by step instructions.
http://kotaku.com/5484361/with-the-help-of-friends-blind-man-beats-legend-of
-zelda
Blind gamer Brice Mellen was able to become good enough at Mortal Combat to
reach championship level play.
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-07-28-blind-gamer_x.htm
This article caught the attention of hopeful players and game developers
alike when it appeared on Polygon, a widely respected games site.
http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/8/6/4550490/blind-games-rock-vibe
Date: Monday January 12, 2015
Time: 5:00 p.m. Pacific, 6:00 p.m. Mountain, 7:00 p.m. Central, 8:00 p.m.
Eastern and elsewhere in the world Tuesday 01:00 GMT
Approximately 15 minutes prior to the event start time: go to The Pat Price
Tek Talk Training Room at:
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Or, alternatively.
Select The Pat Price Tek Talk Training Room at:
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Enter your first and last names on the sign-in screen.
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Accessible World
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