GDC08 Audio1
International Game Developers Association
Contents |
Title
When Audio IS the game experience: Gamers with Visual Disabilities
Track
Audio
Presentation Format
60 Minute Lecture
Theme
Inspirational
Audience level
All: Open to to all experience levels.
Brief Session Overview
Max: 480 characters
Many developers and designers are unaware how many of their games are being played by gamers with visual impairments. Even less are aware of the recently emerged field of audio games – games consisting only of sound. This session discusses gaming for the visually impaired and the relevance of this field for mainstream games. The session will include examples of games played by visually impaired gamers as well as design tips for game audio designers and game designers from the IGDA Game Accessibility SIG.
Concise Presentation Description
Many developers and designers are unaware how many of their games are being played by gamers with visual impairments. Even less are aware of the recently emerged field of audio games – games consisting only of sound. This session discusses gaming for the visually impaired and the relevance of this field for mainstream games. The session will include examples of games played by visually impaired gamers as well as design tips for game audio designers and game designers from the IGDA Game Accessibility SIG.
Intended Audience and Prerequisites
Max: 400 characters
Game audio designers, game designers, mobile phone game designers and publishers interested in getting an opportunity to learn about audio games and blind-accessible gaming.
Session Takeaway
Max: 400 characters
Attendees learn about the games that gamers with visual disabilities play, how these games may apply to a broader audience, and also how to improve the accessibility of mainstream games for visually impaired gamers.
Extended Abstract
Max: 4000 characters
[Note: This session is an update to our invited GDC Austin talk in September. We felt this session was very successful and that the topic was something that the Audio Track audience was very interested in and receptive to. Based on this experience, we'd like to bring this to even more Audio designers at this larger GDC]
Below is an outline of what we plan to present:
What constitutes a visual impairment (VI) and what is the range of the disability?
- Discussion of types of visual impairments, including total blindness, low vision, color blindness, monopsia, and more
- Examples of how games are "viewed" by gamers that represent* the range of visual impairments
- Statistics on how many people are visually impaired; i.e., the potential for market expansion
What is the VI Game "Industry"?
- Who develops games for visually impaired gamers? Information about games made by Indie Developers, Disability Organizations, Research Projects, Hobbyists, and Blind Gamers
- Discussion of the quality and qualities of representative games
Which games do visually impaired gamers play? Game demos, including demos of how they are played by VI gamers:
Games not specifically for VI Gamers, such as Text-based games (ASCII) using screen reader software, speech synthesizer software and/or braille display hardware; Mainstream Games that happen to be partially accessible (Tekken, Mortal Combat, GTA)
- Games designed specifically for VI gamers (Terraformers)
- Games with VI-accessible MODs (Accessible Quake, Audio Quake)
- Audio Games -- sound only games, not specifically designed for the blind (Shades of Doom, Scarface, Sound Voyager, Drive, Demor)
Why Should Audio Designers Support VI Gaming?
- Laws in different countries that require accessible gaming that includes the need for audio-based accessibility
- Psychological Benefits of Games
- Social Justice
- The need for assistance in closed captioning for those with auditory disabilities
Presentation Materials
Max: 400 characters
PowerPoint, Game Demos, Game CD with examples of accessible games
Past Speaking Engagements
Max: 800 characters for EACH presenter
Michelle Hinn:
Game Not Over: Why Disabled Gamers Can’t Play Your Game Titles and How to Fix It! (FuturePlay 2007); When Audio IS the Experience: Games for the Visually Impaired (AGDC 2007); Serious Accessibility for Serious Games (SGS GDC 2007); The Untapped Market of One Button Games: Gamers with Disabilities (GDCM 2007); Accessibility Idol (GDC 2007); Game Accessibility Arcade (GDC 2007); Gamers with Disabilities: Expanding the Market through Accessible Design (Montreal Game Summit 2006); Game Accessibility (FuturePlay 2006); Increasing the Accessibility of Your Game (ACM SIGGRAPH Sandbox Symposium 2006); IGDA Accessibility Workshop (Develop Brighton 2006); Game Not Over: Expanding the Market with Accessible Games (GDC 2006); Games Accessibility: Where Does the Industry Stand? (GDC 2005)
Richard van Tol:
When Audio IS the Experience: Games for the Visually Impaired (AGDC 2007); Serious Accessibility for Serious Games (SGS GDC 2007); The Untapped Market of One Button Games: Gamers with Disabilities (GDCM 2007); Accessibility Idol (GDC 2007); Game Accessibility Arcade (GDC 2007); IGDA Accessibility Workshop (Develop Brighton 2006); Game Not Over: Expanding the Market with Accessible Games (GDC 2006); Serious Audio Games (DIGRA NL Seminar Serious Games: Playful); 3D Shooting Games, Multimodal Games, Sound Games and More Working Examples of the Future of Games for the Blind (ICCHP 2004); Drive (26eme Festival International des Ecoles de Cinéma, 2003)
