ablegamers and the inevitability of inclusive gaming

Johnny Richardson

The Inevitability of Inclusive Gaming

Who?

Games, Web Developer and Consultant

@ Jack Morton Worldwide Disabled Gamer Accessibility Evangelist Director of Industry Outreach,

AbleGamersMission and specialty: to make games and entertainment software more accessible

AbleGamers

Player and caregiver support Developers Events and community Editorial Grants Accessible hardware

The AbleGamers Foundation is dedicated to bringing greater accessibility in the digital entertainment space so that people with disabilities can gain a greater quality of life, and develop the rich social life that gaming can bring.

Benefits

For disabled players… Empowerment Self-efficacy Escapism Social experiences Aids in rehabilitation

Audience diversification

Outreach

Events such as PAX and GDC AbilitiesExpo World Congress on Disabilities

Day-to-day support and consulting Sponsors: Microsoft, Rockstar,

PopCap, Harmonix, IndieGala

Recent Efforts

Includification First-ever permanent accessibility

arcade in D.C. New advisor and Board of Directors

member Paul Barnett (EA) Larry Goldberg (WGBH)

Weeklong of coverage on G4TV.com AAPD Paul G. Hearne Leadership

Award and documentary

Accessibility Arcade

Located at the MLK MemorialLibrary in D.C.

Several gaming stations featuringa variety of games and hardware Kinect/Xbox, PC, Adroit, Quasimoto Axis Fruit Ninja, Forza

“When properly used, video games can be an important learning tool for literacy, spatial reasoning and curriculum support as well as a wonderful social

experience.”- Venetia Demson, Chief of D.C. Public Library’s Adaptive

Services Division

First-ever arcade of its kind open to public

Generated a lot of attention

Accessibility Arcadecon’t…

Includification

The “How” Comprehensive Best Practices

Good, Better, Best Case Studies Developer Exercises Testimonials Will be updated annually in print and

often online Has gotten excellent feedback

Areas of Focus

“There should beno barriers to fun”

Solutions for DevelopersHardwareBusinessEthical Imperative

Solutions

Don’t add lots of time (for the most part)

Are not technically infeasible Do not violate platform requirements Will not alienate your player base …or ruin your gameplay

Accessibility is accessible to everyone

Realistic

Solutions

Never say someone

wouldn't want to play your

game a certain way

Mobility

Remappable Keys, Camera Options Dragon Age, Rift, Resistance

Third party access Moveable UI, Macros

WoW, Dark Age of Camelot Save Points Speed

Vision

Font colors Colorblind options Target marking Change fonts Customizable interface Speed Text-to-speech

Hearing

Closed Captioning Needs to account for

dialogue and events Fonts/colors Alternative

indicators Call of Duty

Hard to come by

Cognitive

Tutorials/training “Starter” areas

Sandboxes/freedom Open-world games

Difficulty adjustment Good menu systems Camera options Auto-pass

Mobile

Still evolving very rapidly Most of these practices apply Modified multi-touch Alternative input

iOS/Android both have theirstrengths

Accessibility not heavily enforced

Can be more accessible than other platforms

…or far less, depending on need.

Devices

Adroit Quasimoto Axis, etc. Motion controllers

Wii/Wii U, Kinect, Move Coming along…

Brain enabled

Business Advantages

42 million disabled people in US alone

Average household has some kind of gaming device

Audience represents major untapped revenue

Money is an excellentmotivator

Where We’re At

We’re getting through Developers who act see happier

players Changes design process Medicine is major proponent Increasing awareness

Where We’re At

Market demandMaturation of the art formIndustry changes constantlyNew gen of developersObsolescence of AbleGamers

would be welcomed

Gaming as an accessible activity is inevitable, in

the long run

What’s it all mean?

It’s about playing Not rewards, points, etc.

Innumerable benefits for player Social optionsEthical and cultural imperative

THANKS!

johnny@ablegamers.org585 944 4841

ablegamers.comincludification.com

/ablegamers/ablegamers

@ablegamers@johnnycrich