[nabs-l] accessible video games

Mon Sep 19 07:50:06 UTC 2011

There is a link to accessible video games on Sarah Alawami's Website.
Here's her site.
www.marrie.org
Blessings, Joshua

On 9/18/11, Patrick Molloy <ptrck.molloy at gmail.com> wrote:
> Kirt,
> You raise a good point. I mean, we really don't know what the future
> holds. Maybe someday you and I will be able to drive a car just like
> everyone else. And maybe someday you and I will be able to play video
> games just like our sighted friends. But we won't know unless we try.
> I personally think there's nothing to lose by at least trying to talk
> to game companies and see what they have to say. The worst thing that
> could happen would be that they try and make a game accessible, and it
> doesn't work.
> Patrick
>
> On 9/18/11, David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com> wrote:
>> Well, you make some good points, but the two situations are not the
>> same and I still am not convinced.
>>
>> Yes, some people say the Blind Driver Challenge is a waste.  Many of
>> us think it is important.  We the blind are either paying for it
>> ourselves, or raising the money.  This is different from compelling a
>> third party to do it for us.  Secondly, most people can see the
>> importance of being able to drive, and most of us, sighted and blind
>> alike, would not put playing video games in the same place.  Yes, we
>> could learn valuable things from it, but it frankly would be a hard
>> sell to members and outsiders.
>>
>> For me it is a pretty low priority.  I work in rehab and it is
>> getting harder to get blind guys jobs, even entry level jobs, in part
>> because of more complex computer systems and software.  This, and the
>> BDC and other ythings should be a higher priority.
>>
>> Finally, I am guilty too, this is mostly off topic for this list.  Sorry!
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> At 05:53 PM 9/18/2011, you wrote:
>>>Dave,
>>>   Some people would say the blind driver challenge is a waste of time
>>>and money which would be better spent on something practical and
>>>possible and it's a valid point.  But I think lots of us agree that
>>>it's a risk worth taking because of the potential benefits.
>>>   Now I'm not suggesting accessible video games would be as valuable
>>>for us as a car we could drive, but if our goal is to help us live on
>>>terms of equality with the sighted world then it's certainly within
>>>the scope of that mission.  Should pressuring gaming companies to at
>>>least try and make something accessible be one of the top priorities
>>>of the nNFB?  Of course not.  But is it something worth pursuing?  I
>>>say so.  After all, it's very possible, some would say likely, that
>>>the blind driver challenge will just be a waste of millions of dollars
>>>that could be put into something actually useful.  I think this is a
>>>similar situation, on a much smaller scale.  Thoughts, anyone?
>>>   Best,
>>>Kirt
>>>
>>>On 9/17/11, Juan Munoz <jcmunoz1989 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> > Hi all,
>>> >
>>> > My favorite games are the only games I know for sure I can play, and
>>> > those are fighting games, in particular, Mortal Kombat games. The
>>> > newer versions of these incorporate stereo surroundsound, meaning that
>>> > the location of my fighter is very easy for me to keep track of. I
>>> > grew up with some sight before losing it, and therefore was able to
>>> > play games like Tetris, Super Mario, and 007. I do get nastalgic when
>>> > I hear my nephews play newer versions of my childhood games, and often
>>> > wonder how these could be made accessible without taking away from the
>>> > enjoyment of both blind and sighted players. The only thing I can
>>> > think of is to at least have audible menu options read allowed by
>>> > either human or synthesized speech so that we can customise player
>>> > options, create online accounts on XBOX Live and PSN, etc. Beyond
>>> > this, I've got nothing, but wouldn't that be quite the huge leap
>>> > forward?
>>> >
>>> > Respectfully,
>>> > JC
>>> >
>>> > On 9/17/11, Patrick Molloy <ptrck.molloy at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >> Thanks for all of your thoughts. It seems like game companies should
>>> >> at least try and make their games accessible. What's the worst that
>>> >> could happen? Furthermore, how will we know unless we try?
>>> >> Patrick
>>> >>
>>> >> On 9/16/11, David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com> wrote:
>>> >>> We are just to small a market for it to be worth their while.  And
>>> >>> ... in many instances, it just wouldn't be possible.  Many games are
>>> >>> based on eye-hand coordination and can't be reproduced with sound or
>>> >>> other  modalities in the same way.
>>> >>>
>>> >>> Dave
>>> >>>
>>> >>> At 08:00 PM 9/14/2011, you wrote:
>>> >>>>Hi All,
>>> >>>>I'm curious to get your thoughts on this question that's been in the
>>> >>>>back of my mind recently: Why haven't mainstream video game companies
>>> >>>>even attempted to make their products accessible to blind people?
>>> >>>>Wouldn't it grow their profits? And would it be all that difficult to
>>> >>>>make a video game accessible? We have described movies, after all,
>>> >>>> and
>>> >>>>there's the blind driver car. If they can make an accessible CAR, why
>>> >>>>not video games? What do others think about this issue?
>>> >>>>Patrick
>>> >>>
>>> >>>
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>>> >>
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>>> >
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > Respectfully,
>>> >
>>> > Juan Carlos Munoz, President
>>> > Texas Association Of Blind Students
>>> > www.nfbtx.org/tabs
>>> > Phone: (832) 378-8632
>>
>>
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