Hi Tom.
I'm afraid I utterly disagree that everything! takes more effort for a
visually impared person. Even if we restrict ourselves to just games,
something like boppit, a mainstream audio game, or indeed any audio game is
by it's very nature equal. Also, though some brouser games and games that
rely on apprehending a complex layout of information might be said to
require somewhat more effort, the case seems less so for somethin that is
purely text based and completely accessible, ie the screen reader can access
the text instantly with one key press. thus a lot of interactive fiction,
games like Eamon, gamebooks with good layouts and buttons such as lone wolf,
choiceof games or the ff project wouldn't seem to be this way.
though it is true that audio games are often developed and played by
visually impared people, there is nothing to stop sighted people from
playing them either, as proved by the few sighted people who do! play and
develope audio games such as Richard and Sander from audiogames.net, , which
is exactly why they are accessible, and also why I'd strongly encourage
audio games to be considdered as simply a genre of games with merit on their
own groundds, rather than just! an accessible alternative for the poor
segrigated blind people to play in their little getto.
As to sound in 3D games, the issue certainly isn't that I can't! it's simply
that the amount of effort involved as compared to playing a graphical game,
even with my extremely limited vision makes the games not only not worth
playing, but also frankly frustrating as hell due to low information.
if I play a game, i don't want to have to use guess work about what is
happening, or keep hitting directions at random to work out where I should
go, then use massive memorization for game objects, such a thing goes beyond
the point of fun for me.
Yes, i might have to play more slowly, and occasionally I'll get hit or
otherwise run into something and think "what the hell was that" and need to
take time learning how to avoid it, but I generally want the possibility to
sit down to a game and actually perceive most of it's objects and
atmosphere, rather than always be at the level of guess work.
This is why I'd much rather play something like original Mega man, than a 3D
brawler, sinse in Mega man, most of the objects in the game will be
instantly visible and I can work out my own stratogies and ways of dealing
with them.
This isn't a cryticism of anyone's playing method, just an explanation.
Beware the grue!
Dark.
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