Category: Accessible Games
Hello all.
I want to create video games since long, but have never achieved anything yet...But I plan to.
I am a fan of text-based games. I also love experimental gameplay, at least as long as games are still games (i.e, I do not like so-called artsy games).
I am a sighted person, but I was thinking, if I am going to make a text-based game, might as well make it as accessible as I can.
I began searching a bit what types of games exist for blind people, and ended up on this forum. Spent hours lurking, found a new universe I had no idea of.
I am now considering being a bit more ambitious and try something different. As far as I have seen, all games that are for blind people or accessible to blind people are turn-based: either things like hangman, or text-based.
I was searching for what other types of interaction had been proposed. I stumbled upon the BlindSide kickstarted project, but frankly found the idea a bit dull. The short demo of what they presented felt heavy: the character explains everything he bumps into.
I conceive that, without a machine to transmit touch, it is difficult to have a grasp of your surroundings, but I still don't like it. It seems like a text-based games, but with cumbersome 3D-space movement instead of simple choices.
I am trying to imagine a game that could be played by blind people, but where reactions would need to be fast, and controls twitchy. It would be heavily narrative, but story would be conveyed mostly through gameplay, not walls of text. I am thinking a horror game, but it could also be a detective game, or anything else.
If on a mobile, then vibrations can be used in addition to sound to provide information about the surroundings.
I haven't played Papa Sangre, because I do not own an Iphone, but it seems like a great example of what I would like to create, even if it is still slow-paced (from what I could find on youtube).
Why am I writing all this?
Because:
1 - I would like to know what blind people think of BlindSide. I would very much like to know if it is interesting from the side of someone who knows blindness
2 - I would like to discuss what sort of twitchy, fast game would be possible, and moreover, what would be interesting.
3 - I would like to know if a game like the one I propose exists, because I haven't found any.
Since I have never finished anything, and I have very little time, I don't know if I'll ever get started, but I thought a theoretical discussion about a fast-paced game that would be 100% accessible would be interesting.
I guess my real question is: Blind people, what game do you dream of playing?
P.S. On another note, please bear in mind that I don't exactly know the etiquette. If I write anything that is offending, whether from the choice of theme or the choice of word, or if I use words or expressions that are hard to parse for electronic readers, I apologize in advance.
Wish you all a good day
These are old but something like what you're thinking of: GMA Games has 3d audio games especially Tank Commander and Shades of Doom, it's GMAGames.com.
Anyway also check out Papa Sangre and The Nightjar in the iOS app store.
There's also a straight shooter called Sixth Sense, the Zombie.
Oh and welcome and there's quite a few sighted people on here also. I think it's great to be as inclusive as possible on this site.
Anyway there is a lot of room for more game engine technology that incorporates audio in 3D, but even in a competitive sense where sighted and blind alike can enjoy playing it. There's a lot of younger gamers and some game developers on here who will have the experience to help you with ideas though.
Yeah, I wasn't thinking of a game "for blind people", but more of a game that everyone could enjoy. Or better, a game that could be played differently and experienced differently, but that would still be the same narrative, or the same universe.
Thank you for the pointers; I am going to get an iPhone to try these games. I am becoming sort of fascinated in that kind of gameplay suddenly...It happened overnight. I was listening to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u163wC6mP2A
It is badly acted, the sounds are not very good, and overall, it is of poor quality. But even this had me shivering and made me feel tension that very few games achieved.
And last, thank you for acknowledging me, it was a bit awkward for me to jump in, I didn't know how it would be perceived. Glad to see it is not a problem.
Very compelling!
I moved this to accessible games. Perhaps it will get more notice from interested users here.
Sohara for the IPhone is nother great alternative for accessible games on the mobile. I found that i outgrow PapaZanga in couple of days, and hangman, and dise games do not hold my interest long.
There're more and more accessible games available, specially with the IOS, and also, you can check out Swamp for PC.
I know there are quite a number of zoners really in to Swamp.
Text base games are great, however, unless you have a really good script, if not, i'm afraid it will be hard to catch one's attention for long.
Good luck
To see what kinds of accessible games are currently available and what gamers think about these games check out the Top 25 Lists for Gamers who are Blind, Motion Impaired, and Deaf at www.7128.com. These lists pick the top websites for games available, information about accessible games, and community each year. If it is happening in accessible gaming you can find out about it on one of the websites listed. 7-128 Software builds casual games that are for everyone, not just for gamers who are blind so we are familiar with what you are trying to do. The Zone for example is one of the top 25 listed in the Top 25 list for gamers who are blind.
Eleanor Robinson
7-128 Software
Another few examples of fast-paced games designed with the blind in mind:
q9
Monkey Business
TechnoShock
Q9 is a 2d side-scroller. Monkey Business is limited 3d, sort of an adventure game. TechnoShock is like Shades of Doom, but with hazards, a couple of basic puzzles and a huge difficulty curve.
As far as raw speed goes, you probably can't beat a fighting game though. There are a lot of mainstream games a blind person can play. If you're at all interested, check out:
http://www.brandoncole.net
if it's still up. There are tons of examples of blind people playing mainstream games there..some aren't great but most are interesting enough.
Anyway, I have a question. I mean this without intending to be sharp, but why do you insist on speed? Is it because you feel there is an outcry for such games? Is there some other reason specifically that you wish to do something fast-paced? Because while you're right when you say there aren't very many fast audio games, there are also a lot of blind people I know who would just about swoon for a fully-functional audio RPG...something big and sprawling and interesting, along the lines of Final Fantasy or whatnot.
Whatever you do, I look forward to keeping an eye on what you may develop.
If you haven't yet checked it out, you should have a peek at:
http://www.audiogames.net
since that's an audiogame community with a database containing literally hundreds of different games of many types. Good luck.
This is a really interesting idea. One thing I will say, however, is that if you're looking for something fast, text may not be that compelling. I'm not saying this is true for everyone, but I react much quicker to the sound of an armed enemy, or the sound of a creature attacking me than my screen reader saying "look out! monster ahead!". and with sound effects, its easier to fight or do things faster, as the buttons will probably react quicker to you pushing them. I've noticed that with text games, you usually have to type in stuff to do what you want. and I think it'd be way faster and more interesting just to hit a button or two to fight, rather than "hit monster with fist," or something like that.
There are a bunch of games I'd love to have around to try, but the closest to this particular topic would be a game like the Grand Theft Auto series. Run around, fight people, steal and wreck cars, go on missions (if you want) etc. There'd have to be a bunch more audio cues for the blind to be able to play it (like how to line up the car to steal it, lining up enemies, etc), but it could work.
I wish there were a way to make things like Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, and the like accessible. I'd love to find things that my sighted son and I could enjoy together. I welcome any suggestions.
For which system are you interested in writing?
Honestly, I wish there wer more FPS games that I could play. For example, there was a project a couple years ago that was going to make a huge FPS for blind people. It was called max shrapnel. It never got finished as far as I know.
There's also a version of the classic FPS quake that was made accessible. I wish they'd do that with games like halo, or call of duty, or medal of honor, or metal gear solid. I'd love to play the exact same games as my sighted friends.
Oh hell yeah, I'd love to be able to play Halo. I played one day with my son just kind of telling me when to shoot and it was really fun. It would have been even better if I could have seen what I was doing. lol
This is going to sound stupid but he's 9 and video games are a big part of his life. I just wish I could really share that with him. I could see us playing for hours. Hmm, perhaps, it's a good thing I can't play. lol
Yes, cody, I would love to play thoughs games also, all my brothers, and cousins play them, and don't mind shooting things, lol.
and for Nick, I wouldn't mind playing thoughs games either, or scarface.
@lightning, funny thing is that MGS is at the very least partly playable if you have the patients
goddess, you might like to try some fighting games then? if your son can like those maybe you could play them too, fighters are some of the best mainstream games for us blinds
as for fast paced audio games? if you're comparing to something like ninja gaiden or metal gear solid, there aren't that many audio games at that speed
the closest you'll get is either 3D velocity which is a flight mission which is pretty fast and requires some practise, or bokura no daibouken2, a japanese side scroler which has a variety of enemies, runs quickly and can involve having to kill over a hundred enemies that are coming from both sides of you constantly