DMS Blog Post #9

During week 12, we talked about the accessibility of games. We described it as games being available to the public, it’s easy to use and understand, and how broad the game can be in terms of audience and the content. We then talked about the accessibility in games we usually play, such as tutorials, limited amount of controls, using familiar controls like WASD or joystick for movement, and an accessibility option (subtitles, brightness, difficulty mode, etc.). This really helps players familiarize themselves quickly with games nowadays, with previous knowledge of similar games and control layouts or introducing new mechanics slowly. Next, we looked at the Xbox Adaptive Controller, designed for people with disabilities. It adjusts things like increasing the movement, having bigger buttons, or use other senses to function. Though the controls are different, they’re easier to use and this allows them to play games that are intended for regular controllers or players. During the next class, we read some tips for accessibility and gaming. Some things we noted was that people with disabilities are rarely considered because it’s rare and they don’t want others to know or it can lead to harassment. That’s why games with accessibility options are always helpful and dependable, caring for all players.

For examples we looked at the games Jackbox Party Pack and Blindscape. What makes Jackbox very accessible is that it can be played on almost any devices. All we had to do was go on thier website on our phones and type in a passcode to get in the game. The game also has a cool feature where people can participate as the audience, where they spectate the game and vote for whoever they want to win. Another thing that makes it great is that there’s barely any restrictions, no right or wrong, and it can be relevant to real times like making the answers UB related. For Blindscape, it’s a free mobile game, and the whole experience was just a black screen and listening to a narrator. The purpose of the game was to experience how blind people would play a game, use what you hear and touch to progress instead of seeing. Though it’s not very accessible for us to play, it’s a good way to show what’s necessary to add for games to make it as accessible as possible.

Sources

The Jackbox Party Pack, Jackbox Games

Blindscape, Gavin Brown