6 ms·

Evaluating the State of Accessibility Design in Video Games

29 points by xingyzt 6y ago

CWuestefeld 6y ago
"Purchase Article for $37.50" No thanks.
leetrout 6y ago
Is there a free copy available?
scanny 6y ago
Why not just throw in a Sci-Hub Link?
shmde 6y ago
https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412020971500 https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412020971500
timpark 6y ago
I remember in the original God of War on PS1, I kept dying over and over, and the game offered to make the enemies weaker to help me out. I appreciated the thought, but the problem was a jump I had trouble making.
- httpsterio 6y ago
  I assume you mean God of War for PS2 that came out in 2005?
  - timpark 6y ago
    Oops yes, my mistake. Thanks for the correction.
- cptnapalm 6y ago
  Ah, jumping puzzles: game obstacles which forever halt some players advancement while never providing any interesting experiences.
xioxox 6y ago
I wish more games had better ways to reduce difficulty. There's a particularly obnoxious culture of purism in the gaming community, particularly for platforming games. People having difficulty are told to "get gud" or stop playing. I could complete the game VVVVVV because it has a slow down option. Although I have no serious disability, my reactions are not as good as a teenager's and my joints are stiffer. I've got nowhere with the Hollow Knight because it has no difficulty controls. The game's fans just say get gud, which is impossible for me, and make the community repellent.
- Pfhreak 6y ago
  I've worked in the industry for years and I'm just now starting to see accessibility become mainstream for difficulty. Developers are coming around to the idea that games should be "difficult for you" to the degree you are interested and capable of engaging in difficulty. Celeste, for instance, added some great difficulty adjustments. (Also, it's a fantastic platformer with a great soundtrack and trans main character.) I hope we continue to see further normalization of sliders for settings for players to tone down (or up) experiences to have the game meet them where they are.
- Donckele 6y ago
  I think everyone should do it like Doom did with the difficulty settings.
- watwut 6y ago
  For me it was very similar first realization at one point - that people like me really don't have place in this community and the community looks down on me. It was at the time where I still played games, but already had a kid. Having to pass through difficult boss level would mean literally over a week of my free time. That time would be spent by trying again and again the same thing, because it was simply difficult. But the suggestion that it should be easier was literally mocked and treated as illegimate by far too many people. Then I realized that jounalists that wrote something similar were treated in ridiculously aggressive ways, they are not gamers, they are lazy loosers. I think that is when I first realized how twisted logic of that community is. In order to not be "lazy" etc, you are expected to spend as much possible on gaming. And people who, like, prioritize schoolwork, work, family, create something whatever else are somehow the mocked weak lazy ones. I had multiple realizations like that about aspects of gaming culture (I moved from sort of pro-gamer to disliking it all), but that was the first one.
polytely 6y ago
Just for peoples information, Able Gamers is a wonderful charity that advocates for accessible games. It is led by https://twitter.com/stevenspohn https://twitter.com/stevenspohn and is really doing amazing in this area. Literally 4 hours ago they hosted the Accessibility Awards to shine light on games that have really put in some effort in Accessibility this year https://www.twitch.tv/videos/804780340 https://www.twitch.tv/videos/804780340

29 points by xingyzt 6y ago

CWuestefeld 6y ago

"Purchase Article for $37.50" No thanks.

leetrout 6y ago

Is there a free copy available?

scanny 6y ago

Why not just throw in a Sci-Hub Link?

shmde 6y ago

https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412020971500 https://sci-hub.se/https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412020971500

timpark 6y ago

I remember in the original God of War on PS1, I kept dying over and over, and the game offered to make the enemies weaker to help me out. I appreciated the thought, but the problem was a jump I had trouble making.

httpsterio 6y ago
I assume you mean God of War for PS2 that came out in 2005?
- timpark 6y ago
  Oops yes, my mistake. Thanks for the correction.
cptnapalm 6y ago
Ah, jumping puzzles: game obstacles which forever halt some players advancement while never providing any interesting experiences.

xioxox 6y ago

I wish more games had better ways to reduce difficulty. There's a particularly obnoxious culture of purism in the gaming community, particularly for platforming games. People having difficulty are told to "get gud" or stop playing. I could complete the game VVVVVV because it has a slow down option. Although I have no serious disability, my reactions are not as good as a teenager's and my joints are stiffer. I've got nowhere with the Hollow Knight because it has no difficulty controls. The game's fans just say get gud, which is impossible for me, and make the community repellent.

Pfhreak 6y ago
I've worked in the industry for years and I'm just now starting to see accessibility become mainstream for difficulty. Developers are coming around to the idea that games should be "difficult for you" to the degree you are interested and capable of engaging in difficulty. Celeste, for instance, added some great difficulty adjustments. (Also, it's a fantastic platformer with a great soundtrack and trans main character.) I hope we continue to see further normalization of sliders for settings for players to tone down (or up) experiences to have the game meet them where they are.
Donckele 6y ago
I think everyone should do it like Doom did with the difficulty settings.
watwut 6y ago
For me it was very similar first realization at one point - that people like me really don't have place in this community and the community looks down on me. It was at the time where I still played games, but already had a kid. Having to pass through difficult boss level would mean literally over a week of my free time. That time would be spent by trying again and again the same thing, because it was simply difficult. But the suggestion that it should be easier was literally mocked and treated as illegimate by far too many people. Then I realized that jounalists that wrote something similar were treated in ridiculously aggressive ways, they are not gamers, they are lazy loosers. I think that is when I first realized how twisted logic of that community is. In order to not be "lazy" etc, you are expected to spend as much possible on gaming. And people who, like, prioritize schoolwork, work, family, create something whatever else are somehow the mocked weak lazy ones. I had multiple realizations like that about aspects of gaming culture (I moved from sort of pro-gamer to disliking it all), but that was the first one.

polytely 6y ago

Just for peoples information, Able Gamers is a wonderful charity that advocates for accessible games. It is led by https://twitter.com/stevenspohn https://twitter.com/stevenspohn and is really doing amazing in this area. Literally 4 hours ago they hosted the Accessibility Awards to shine light on games that have really put in some effort in Accessibility this year https://www.twitch.tv/videos/804780340 https://www.twitch.tv/videos/804780340