|
News
|
|
Written by Jeremy Stratton
|
|
Saturday, 15 December 2007 14:01 |
I was surprised too. I was even more surprised at hearing there was some sort of Accessible Games division, or genre, or...well you get the idea. It's actually pretty cool that there's a current strong movement to make video games playable and available to people who otherwise wouldn't be able to play. This is fascinating news, especially in light of the popularity of rhythm games. As if playing games wasn't hard enough, for the handicapped, with a controller, now games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band are widening the gap.
The 'specialist' in question is Robert Florio. Florio just got his degree in Game Art and Design from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He also won the first Dean's Merit Award that honors students who've demonstrated an extraordinary accomplishment and who promotes academic integrity. This is an accomplishment in itself, but let me add that Florio is paralyzed. Yes he's a quadriplegic. He didn't let that stop him. Ever since the accident at age 14 he began to draw and paint with his mouth. His interests turned to video games which led to his newly earned degree.
Now Florio is working with Acclaim's Chief Creative Officer, David Perry. Together they're working on making games for people with physical impairments.
I have little personal knowledge on the technologies involved with video games and the handicapped, but it's illuminating to see a major beginning to what could become an economically viable section of an $11 billion dollar game industry. Just what could Acclaim be up to?
I'd like to add a quick side note stating men like Robert Florio are showing they are new pioneers in the video game industry deserving of a little limelight, especially in a business where everyday we see and hear the same small handful of people everyday. I'm not trying to say Sakaguchi, Toriyama, or the other well knowns are not deserving of what they got, but from a spectator point of view, it is rather refreshing to see a new face.
How many of you have physical challenges when playing games? If you have any news on "Accessible Video Games", what Acclaim is up to, or any specific games and how they work, let me know.
|
Gaming Lifestyle 
