[Audyssey] Excellent NewArticleAboutGameAccessibilityonGamasutra

Thu Apr 26 01:07:25 EDT 2007

Hi,

What I hope you all *get* is that this "article" is an 'opinion piece' = a 
personal view on a subject. Dimitris and the rest of us have also written 
several other articles and papers with different approaches, like:

http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20050706/bierre_01.shtml
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20060817/grammenos_01.shtml
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20061207/grammenos_01.shtml
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20051003/adams_01.shtml

and here's one on legalities and money:

http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20060428/buscaglia_01.shtml

Dimitris' piece is not THE approach, it is one of many approaches. It was 
written by Dimitris on the plane home after this years GDC where we 
(AudioGames.net & IGDA GA-SIG) all went to spread the word about game 
accessibility. This years didn't go as well as we would have liked because 
of many reasons, but one of the biggest problem was that  that the majority 
of game developers simply can't connect with this subject. Many don't know 
that this subject is relevant for them too. And Dimitris simply wrote a 
simple piece explaining this. And honestly, how many 'emotional appeal 
pieces' about game accessibility are there out there? I don't know any? And 
this community never published anything on Gamasutra after Gavin 
Andresens/ZForms article.

Although I agree money IS an issue, it still is not THE issue. Awareness 
(especially during design decision) is equally important! Technically 
speaking, design decisions don't necessarily cost more money. The decision 
for the designers of Bejeweled to not only make different coloured jewels, 
but also different shaped jewels was one that made the game accessible for 
everyone who is colour blind. So with those 4 or 6 extra graphics, the game 
is accessible for millions of people. That decision didn't neccesarily cost 
more money (ok, the graphic designer had to make 5 more jewel shapes but 
considering the amount of graphics in the game... ;).

Greets,

Richard

http://www.audiogames.net

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lora" <loravara at comcast.net>
To: "'Gamers Discussion list'" <gamers at audyssey.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2007 1:17 AM
Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Excellent 
NewArticleAboutGameAccessibilityonGamasutra

> I'll throw my two cents in.
>
> Emotional appeals just won't work.  For developers, for companies, it's 
> all
> about the money, about the glitz, the gloss, the numbers.  They won't 
> write
> games for niche markets, and since the needs of the disabled community are
> scattered, with different accommodations required for blind, deaf, and
> paraplegic users, they won't be able to round us up into a significant
> enough market to make their corporate sponsors care.
>
> Developing to targeted audiences also does take time, not just in coding,
> but in testing as well.  We have to make that worthwhile, and an emotional
> appeal won't do that.  To suggest that it will come easily trivializes the
> programming effort involved.
>
> Besides, developers reading that article might fleetingly be affected by 
> the
> prose, but they'll forget it tomorrow.  Most of us, whoever we are, don't
> think about what could happen tomorrow.  We don't dwell on the 
> possibilities
> that were outlined.  We keep going until it happens, and then we try to
> cope.  That's just the human way.
>
> Just my two cents.
>
> Lora
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gamers-bounces at audyssey.org [mailto:gamers-bounces at audyssey.org] On
> Behalf Of AudioGames.net
> Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 12:46 PM
> To: Gamers Discussion list
> Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Excellent New
> ArticleAboutGameAccessibilityonGamasutra
>
> Ok,
>
> Yvonne...
>
> I dare you to join the GA-SIG and share your point of view...
>
> Why Don't You?
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Yvonne Alaniz" <yalaniz1 at sbcglobal.net>
> To: "Gamers Discussion list" <gamers at audyssey.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 2:14 PM
> Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Excellent New Article
> AboutGameAccessibilityonGamasutra
>
>
>>I am not impressed by the article.  It does appeal on emotional level
>>and  that is not what concerns the developers.  It is simply cold, hard,
> cash.
>> We need to present our case for more accessible games from that
>>perspective.
>> That will be the only way to get their attention.
>>
>> Yvonne
>> Stressed out?  Need to relax?  Call Yvonne and schedule your massage
>> today!
>>
>> (361) 249-8739
>> Massage4me at sbcglobal.net
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "AudioGames.net" <richard at audiogames.net>
>> To: "Gamers Discussion list" <gamers at audyssey.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 12:25 AM
>> Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Excellent New Article About
>> GameAccessibilityonGamasutra
>>
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> *quote*
>>> I can't deny that I remain skeptical but I'm not dead set against the
>>> possibility either.
>>> *quote end*
>>>
>>> Against what possibility is that?
>>>
>>> Greets,
>>>
>>> Richard
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Bryan Peterson" <b-peterson at hotmail.com>
>>> To: "Gamers Discussion list" <gamers at audyssey.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 4:40 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Excellent New Article About Game
>>> AccessibilityonGamasutra
>>>
>>>
>>>>I must agree wholeheartedly. A nice tactic, using emotional appeals
>>>>to try  to make devs see the value of accessibility. I can't deny
>>>>that I remain  skeptical but I'm not dead set against the possibility
>>>>either.
>>>> It ain't pretty when the pretty leaves you with no place to go.
>>>> J.D. Fortune, Pretty Vegas
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Luke Yelavich" <themuso at themuso.com>
>>>> To: <gamers at audyssey.org>
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 5:29 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Excellent New Article About Game
>>>>Accessibility  onGamasutra
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> On Wed, Apr 25, 2007 at 04:41:18AM EST, AudioGames.net wrote:
>>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Check out this well-written article titled Game Accessibility: Why
>>>>>> Bother?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=13650
>>>>>
>>>>> A very very good read.
>>>>> --
>>>>> Luke Yelavich
>>>>> GPG key: 0xD06320CE
>>>>> (http://www.themuso.com/themuso-gpg-key.txt)
>>>>> Email & MSN: themuso at themuso.com
>>>>> Jabber: themuso at jabber.org.au
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Gamers mailing list .. Gamers at audyssey.org To unsubscribe send
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>>>>> any subscription changes via the web.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
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>
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