{"video_id":"1AS9q0qogak","title":"Is Gaming Really For Everyone?","channel":"Techquickie","show":"Techquickie","published_at":"2024-05-04T14:58:16Z","duration_s":611,"segments":[{"start_s":0.0,"end_s":4.86,"text":"think about your favorite video game if","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":3.0,"end_s":8.84,"text":"you lost your site tomorrow would you still be able to play it what about your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":6.66,"end_s":14.16,"text":"hearing or the dexterity in your hands anyone can be a gamer at least in theory","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":11.88,"end_s":18.42,"text":"but historically very few games were designed to be played by everyone these","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":16.92,"end_s":22.199,"text":"days developers are using some cool tricks to bridge The Divide and we're","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":20.64,"end_s":27.06,"text":"not just talking about closed captioning but also settings that changed the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":24.539,"end_s":31.859,"text":"actual gameplay but to appreciate these it helps to understand what gaming was","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":28.74,"end_s":33.78,"text":"like in the olden times due to the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":31.859,"end_s":38.46,"text":"limitations of early gaming technology designs were simple and rather","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":35.64,"end_s":43.26,"text":"inflexible games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders had high contrast visuals","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":40.559,"end_s":47.64,"text":"straightforward gameplay no dialogue and a minimal number of possible inputs","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":45.059,"end_s":51.86,"text":"which meant they happen to be somewhat accessible games like these were fine","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":50.1,"end_s":56.16,"text":"for people with moderate low vision developmental delays or learning","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":54.0,"end_s":60.539,"text":"disabilities even if that wasn't at the front of the developers Minds there's","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":58.199,"end_s":63.899,"text":"not a lot of tactical complexity to a game like pong you move the paddle up","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":62.46,"end_s":68.58,"text":"then down then up again if you're feeling cheeky","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":66.36,"end_s":72.6,"text":"compared to a modern controller the big buttons of an arcade cabinet don't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":70.74,"end_s":76.68,"text":"demand a ton of precision and you can see some common design themes between","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":74.4,"end_s":80.82,"text":"old arcade controls and specialized peripherals like the Xbox adaptive","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":78.659,"end_s":86.82,"text":"controller and it's assorted plug-in accessories but some of those old games","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":82.92,"end_s":89.759,"text":"were also highly visual fast paced and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":86.82,"end_s":93.54,"text":"they had no real easy mode a problem for people who are nearly or completely","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":91.32,"end_s":98.4,"text":"blind and for people with more profound fine motor challenges even something as","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":96.0,"end_s":102.54,"text":"common as arthritis can seriously impact a player's ability to engage with genres","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":100.5,"end_s":107.4,"text":"like first person shooters and Rhythm games as gaming matured we started to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":105.42,"end_s":110.96,"text":"see Gamers getting more options for how they'd interact with their games things","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":109.2,"end_s":115.979,"text":"like adjustable difficulty settings simultaneous text and audio dialogue and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":113.82,"end_s":120.18,"text":"lightweight ergonomic controllers but these weren't true accessibility options","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":117.84,"end_s":123.899,"text":"as much as they were basic quality of life measures that improved the gaming","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":121.92,"end_s":128.459,"text":"experience for a much larger popular Nation than just disabled Gamers for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":126.78,"end_s":132.84,"text":"example assistive settings like tutorials and Story Only modes were","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":130.739,"end_s":137.04,"text":"designed to help new and inexperienced players but they also help Gamers with","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":135.42,"end_s":141.239,"text":"physical and cognitive disabilities while these helpful options have been","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":139.02,"end_s":145.92,"text":"with us for a long time they've often been implemented haphazardly or as an","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":143.94,"end_s":151.26,"text":"afterthought because it was left up to individual developers to decide whether","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":148.26,"end_s":153.599,"text":"or how to include them unsurprisingly","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":151.26,"end_s":157.68,"text":"those developers rarely got it right the first time a good example is the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":155.64,"end_s":163.44,"text":"original Assassin's Creed which has a score of 3.3 out of 10 on can","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":160.56,"end_s":169.56,"text":"iplaythat.com because it has no option for subtitles despite being released in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":165.92,"end_s":171.72,"text":"2007. subtitles had been invented only","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":169.56,"end_s":176.599,"text":"two years later the second Assassin's Creed had both subtitles and fully","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":173.94,"end_s":182.76,"text":"voiced lines in five different languages now many many games later into the same","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":180.48,"end_s":187.68,"text":"franchise the accessibility options for Assassin's Creed are a extensive albeit","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":185.58,"end_s":190.56,"text":"imperfect and players can separately control the difficulty level for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":189.12,"end_s":196.98,"text":"different aspects of the game like combat exploration and stealth taking","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":193.44,"end_s":199.319,"text":"into account cognitive motor vision and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":196.98,"end_s":203.159,"text":"hearing challenges and Ubisoft has been far from The Cutting Edge when it comes","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":200.879,"end_s":207.54,"text":"to accessibility compare naughty dog for example who released The Last of Us in","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":205.019,"end_s":212.099,"text":"2013 with visual cues for important sounds highlights for small hard to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":209.94,"end_s":217.62,"text":"notice pickups and the option to change handwritten notes to more readable plain","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":214.56,"end_s":219.78,"text":"text 2020 is The Last of Us Part Two was","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":217.62,"end_s":224.58,"text":"especially ambitious including text to speech fully remappable controls a high","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":222.48,"end_s":229.26,"text":"contrast mode labeled subtitles indicating who is saying what a glossary","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":227.04,"end_s":234.659,"text":"of game important audio cues screen magnification auto aim and navigation","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":231.78,"end_s":238.92,"text":"assistance in fact Naughty Dog promised that blind players could play through","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":236.22,"end_s":243.9,"text":"the entire game without cited assistance which many did Naughty Dog more like","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":241.86,"end_s":248.94,"text":"well-behaved dog if you don't count crunch but naughty dog and Ubisoft are","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":246.659,"end_s":252.12,"text":"large established game developers how are small independent Studios supposed","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":250.799,"end_s":256.32,"text":"to provide the same level of accessibility and how are Studios small","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":254.34,"end_s":259.859,"text":"and large implementing features specifically designed for disabled","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":258.12,"end_s":264.12,"text":"players we'll tell you more right after we thank sidekick for sponsoring this","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":261.78,"end_s":268.74,"text":"video with sidekick you can supercharge your workflow stay focused and shield","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":266.22,"end_s":273.72,"text":"yourself from online distractions it's the only browser designed to address the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":270.9,"end_s":278.88,"text":"effects of ADHD and create a safe haven in the digital economy sidekick blocks","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":276.3,"end_s":283.56,"text":"ads trackers and protects your privacy unlike other browsers it doesn't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":281.04,"end_s":287.88,"text":"monetize your attention say goodbye to interruptions and hello to a seamless","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":285.54,"end_s":291.78,"text":"browsing experience don't settle for a standard browser when you can have the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":289.62,"end_s":295.68,"text":"ultimate sidekick by your side try sidekick today and unlock your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":293.639,"end_s":299.639,"text":"productivity potential click the link below to get started the truth is that a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":297.84,"end_s":304.259,"text":"lot of the push for accessibility in games came from naturally disabled","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":302.34,"end_s":308.04,"text":"Gamers themselves a lot of experimentation in both software and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":306.24,"end_s":312.36,"text":"Hardware came from independent programmers and Hardware developers","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":309.66,"end_s":316.5,"text":"looking to serve a niche Community often because they or someone they knew wanted","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":314.1,"end_s":321.0,"text":"to play video games but couldn't it's hard for an able-bodied developer to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":318.419,"end_s":324.479,"text":"imagine in a vacuum all the barriers disabled Gamers might run into never","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":322.919,"end_s":329.16,"text":"mind how to address those barriers that's also why the PC with its plethora","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":327.419,"end_s":333.78,"text":"of specialized peripherals and open standard connectors like USB has been","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":331.56,"end_s":338.22,"text":"the machine of choice for many disabled Gamers the adroit","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":336.139,"end_s":342.72,"text":"switchblade controller which allowed Gamers with limited Mobility to play on","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":340.139,"end_s":347.18,"text":"the Xbox 360 was originally developed by ablegamers a non-profit organization","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":345.12,"end_s":351.72,"text":"dedicated to accessible video games ablegamers was founded by Mark Bartlett","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":349.86,"end_s":355.74,"text":"whose best friend was slowly losing her ability to play EverQuest due to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":353.4,"end_s":359.4,"text":"multiple sclerosis it was only after the launch of the adroit switchblade that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":357.539,"end_s":363.78,"text":"Microsoft took notice and tapped ablegamers to help make the Xbox","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":361.5,"end_s":367.86,"text":"adaptive controller but the good news is is that the push for Solutions has","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":366.0,"end_s":371.46,"text":"already led to some useful features like screen magnification for Low Vision","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":369.479,"end_s":375.6,"text":"altered color schemes for different kinds of color blindness and haptic","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":373.68,"end_s":379.32,"text":"feedback as a replacement for audible signals any new feature a developer","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":377.759,"end_s":383.759,"text":"implements is going to take time and effort but open well-documented","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":381.539,"end_s":387.66,"text":"developer resources can shave down that workload to make it more realistic for","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":385.74,"end_s":391.919,"text":"small teams to implement some of these Solutions some of the past reluctance to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":390.24,"end_s":396.36,"text":"fully Implement certain kinds of accessibility options like adjustable","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":393.72,"end_s":401.699,"text":"difficulty settings aim assist automatic navigation and glowing visual guides","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":398.52,"end_s":403.86,"text":"comes from concerns about cheating as","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":401.699,"end_s":409.5,"text":"well as a certain stigma common to the mainstream AAA sector a get good","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":407.419,"end_s":415.139,"text":"gatekeeping mentality that wants to preserve the perceived exclusivity of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":411.9,"end_s":417.96,"text":"especially challenging games I have Dark","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":415.139,"end_s":423.18,"text":"Souls from software some games don't even allow the player to finish the game","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":420.06,"end_s":426.3,"text":"on easy mode for an extreme example of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":423.18,"end_s":428.699,"text":"this twisted Metal 2 from 1996 has an","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":426.3,"end_s":433.86,"text":"easy mode that ends after the first boss telling players no losers allowed Beyond","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":431.759,"end_s":440.52,"text":"this point you must switch to medium or hard to continue because how dare you","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":437.4,"end_s":443.34,"text":"try to have fun another concern is that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":440.52,"end_s":447.36,"text":"well certain changes to a game might turn it into a wholly different","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":444.72,"end_s":452.34,"text":"experience the accessible version of The Last of Us Part 2 is still a poignant","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":450.419,"end_s":456.18,"text":"and brutal narrative experience thanks to the thoughtful work of its developers","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":454.199,"end_s":459.539,"text":"however if you took a game like getting over it an experience that is","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":457.8,"end_s":463.199,"text":"fundamentally about accepting the frustration that comes with having to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":460.979,"end_s":468.539,"text":"start over from zero and you made it impossible to fail well then you haven't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":465.96,"end_s":471.9,"text":"made a game accessible you've made a completely different game instead","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":469.86,"end_s":476.639,"text":"getting over it has options for using a mouse a joystick or a touch screen","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":473.759,"end_s":481.02,"text":"allowing flexibility but still retaining the spirit of the experience","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":478.62,"end_s":484.44,"text":"a big part of what makes games fun is the catharsis of overcoming a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":482.88,"end_s":490.08,"text":"significant challenge especially a challenge that is difficult or impossible for Less dedicated players","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":487.62,"end_s":494.039,"text":"but being unable to participate in a game because you are physically unable","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":491.819,"end_s":497.699,"text":"to play is a fundamentally different challenge than the one that was intended","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":495.78,"end_s":501.479,"text":"and there are a lot of accessibility options that do not necessarily","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":499.68,"end_s":505.5,"text":"eliminate challenge for their intended users for example the quadstick is a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":504.12,"end_s":509.94,"text":"controller specifically designed to allow tetraplegic players to game using","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":507.9,"end_s":513.659,"text":"their mouth and honestly if you can't get a killstreak in cod with just your","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":511.5,"end_s":517.08,"text":"lips are you even a real gamer the fact that gaming is a more participatory","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":515.399,"end_s":521.459,"text":"experience than watching a movie or listening to music complicates the goal","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":519.539,"end_s":525.66,"text":"of a universally accessible experience but it also means that games can provide","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":523.56,"end_s":529.44,"text":"experiences that might otherwise be Out Of Reach for people with disabilities","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":527.16,"end_s":532.8,"text":"for example it's often much harder for wheelchair users to leave the house","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":531.0,"end_s":536.76,"text":"which can be extremely socially isolating online video games can be a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":535.2,"end_s":540.42,"text":"great option for shared social experiences despite those physical","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":538.56,"end_s":545.519,"text":"barriers there are still Financial barriers however as adaptive controllers","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":542.58,"end_s":550.62,"text":"can be prohibitively expensive and it's not all about adapting existing games to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":547.92,"end_s":555.36,"text":"suit disabled Gamers audio games are entirely blind accessible by default","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":552.66,"end_s":559.5,"text":"using just audio and haptic feedback to communicate with the player a recent","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":557.22,"end_s":563.1,"text":"popular example is the veil a story about a blind Adventurer where the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":561.18,"end_s":567.6,"text":"player has to navigate and even fight and Dodge enemies using only auditory","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":565.44,"end_s":572.16,"text":"cues these kinds of games often use binaural audio recording which uses two","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":570.12,"end_s":576.54,"text":"microphones specifically positioned to give a sense of 3D space so the player","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":574.86,"end_s":580.2,"text":"can tell whether a sound comes from the left or right front or back if you're","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":579.0,"end_s":586.38,"text":"wondering what the game looks like well we would show you some gameplay footage but well in the end we're probably never","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":584.399,"end_s":590.22,"text":"going to live in a world with perfectly accessible games but there's a lot of","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":588.42,"end_s":594.959,"text":"low hanging fruit and great new ideas when it comes to making gaming a hobby","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":592.44,"end_s":598.62,"text":"for everyone and my thanks to everyone who watched this whole video like the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":597.18,"end_s":602.22,"text":"video if you liked it dislike it if you dislike to check out our other videos we","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":600.72,"end_s":606.6,"text":"got lots comment below with video suggestions we can make a lot more and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":604.44,"end_s":612.38,"text":"don't forget to subscribe and follow in techwiki that's this channel so in case","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1},{"start_s":609.06,"end_s":612.38,"text":"you were where am I","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":1}],"full_text":"think about your favorite video game if you lost your site tomorrow would you still be able to play it what about your hearing or the dexterity in your hands anyone can be a gamer at least in theory but historically very few games were designed to be played by everyone these days developers are using some cool tricks to bridge The Divide and we're not just talking about closed captioning but also settings that changed the actual gameplay but to appreciate these it helps to understand what gaming was like in the olden times due to the limitations of early gaming technology designs were simple and rather inflexible games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders had high contrast visuals straightforward gameplay no dialogue and a minimal number of possible inputs which meant they happen to be somewhat accessible games like these were fine for people with moderate low vision developmental delays or learning disabilities even if that wasn't at the front of the developers Minds there's not a lot of tactical complexity to a game like pong you move the paddle up then down then up again if you're feeling cheeky compared to a modern controller the big buttons of an arcade cabinet don't demand a ton of precision and you can see some common design themes between old arcade controls and specialized peripherals like the Xbox adaptive controller and it's assorted plug-in accessories but some of those old games were also highly visual fast paced and they had no real easy mode a problem for people who are nearly or completely blind and for people with more profound fine motor challenges even something as common as arthritis can seriously impact a player's ability to engage with genres like first person shooters and Rhythm games as gaming matured we started to see Gamers getting more options for how they'd interact with their games things like adjustable difficulty settings simultaneous text and audio dialogue and lightweight ergonomic controllers but these weren't true accessibility options as much as they were basic quality of life measures that improved the gaming experience for a much larger popular Nation than just disabled Gamers for example assistive settings like tutorials and Story Only modes were designed to help new and inexperienced players but they also help Gamers with physical and cognitive disabilities while these helpful options have been with us for a long time they've often been implemented haphazardly or as an afterthought because it was left up to individual developers to decide whether or how to include them unsurprisingly those developers rarely got it right the first time a good example is the original Assassin's Creed which has a score of 3.3 out of 10 on can iplaythat.com because it has no option for subtitles despite being released in 2007. subtitles had been invented only two years later the second Assassin's Creed had both subtitles and fully voiced lines in five different languages now many many games later into the same franchise the accessibility options for Assassin's Creed are a extensive albeit imperfect and players can separately control the difficulty level for different aspects of the game like combat exploration and stealth taking into account cognitive motor vision and hearing challenges and Ubisoft has been far from The Cutting Edge when it comes to accessibility compare naughty dog for example who released The Last of Us in 2013 with visual cues for important sounds highlights for small hard to notice pickups and the option to change handwritten notes to more readable plain text 2020 is The Last of Us Part Two was especially ambitious including text to speech fully remappable controls a high contrast mode labeled subtitles indicating who is saying what a glossary of game important audio cues screen magnification auto aim and navigation assistance in fact Naughty Dog promised that blind players could play through the entire game without cited assistance which many did Naughty Dog more like well-behaved dog if you don't count crunch but naughty dog and Ubisoft are large established game developers how are small independent Studios supposed to provide the same level of accessibility and how are Studios small and large implementing features specifically designed for disabled players we'll tell you more right after we thank sidekick for sponsoring this video with sidekick you can supercharge your workflow stay focused and shield yourself from online distractions it's the only browser designed to address the effects of ADHD and create a safe haven in the digital economy sidekick blocks ads trackers and protects your privacy unlike other browsers it doesn't monetize your attention say goodbye to interruptions and hello to a seamless browsing experience don't settle for a standard browser when you can have the ultimate sidekick by your side try sidekick today and unlock your productivity potential click the link below to get started the truth is that a lot of the push for accessibility in games came from naturally disabled Gamers themselves a lot of experimentation in both software and Hardware came from independent programmers and Hardware developers looking to serve a niche Community often because they or someone they knew wanted to play video games but couldn't it's hard for an able-bodied developer to imagine in a vacuum all the barriers disabled Gamers might run into never mind how to address those barriers that's also why the PC with its plethora of specialized peripherals and open standard connectors like USB has been the machine of choice for many disabled Gamers the adroit switchblade controller which allowed Gamers with limited Mobility to play on the Xbox 360 was originally developed by ablegamers a non-profit organization dedicated to accessible video games ablegamers was founded by Mark Bartlett whose best friend was slowly losing her ability to play EverQuest due to multiple sclerosis it was only after the launch of the adroit switchblade that Microsoft took notice and tapped ablegamers to help make the Xbox adaptive controller but the good news is is that the push for Solutions has already led to some useful features like screen magnification for Low Vision altered color schemes for different kinds of color blindness and haptic feedback as a replacement for audible signals any new feature a developer implements is going to take time and effort but open well-documented developer resources can shave down that workload to make it more realistic for small teams to implement some of these Solutions some of the past reluctance to fully Implement certain kinds of accessibility options like adjustable difficulty settings aim assist automatic navigation and glowing visual guides comes from concerns about cheating as well as a certain stigma common to the mainstream AAA sector a get good gatekeeping mentality that wants to preserve the perceived exclusivity of especially challenging games I have Dark Souls from software some games don't even allow the player to finish the game on easy mode for an extreme example of this twisted Metal 2 from 1996 has an easy mode that ends after the first boss telling players no losers allowed Beyond this point you must switch to medium or hard to continue because how dare you try to have fun another concern is that well certain changes to a game might turn it into a wholly different experience the accessible version of The Last of Us Part 2 is still a poignant and brutal narrative experience thanks to the thoughtful work of its developers however if you took a game like getting over it an experience that is fundamentally about accepting the frustration that comes with having to start over from zero and you made it impossible to fail well then you haven't made a game accessible you've made a completely different game instead getting over it has options for using a mouse a joystick or a touch screen allowing flexibility but still retaining the spirit of the experience a big part of what makes games fun is the catharsis of overcoming a significant challenge especially a challenge that is difficult or impossible for Less dedicated players but being unable to participate in a game because you are physically unable to play is a fundamentally different challenge than the one that was intended and there are a lot of accessibility options that do not necessarily eliminate challenge for their intended users for example the quadstick is a controller specifically designed to allow tetraplegic players to game using their mouth and honestly if you can't get a killstreak in cod with just your lips are you even a real gamer the fact that gaming is a more participatory experience than watching a movie or listening to music complicates the goal of a universally accessible experience but it also means that games can provide experiences that might otherwise be Out Of Reach for people with disabilities for example it's often much harder for wheelchair users to leave the house which can be extremely socially isolating online video games can be a great option for shared social experiences despite those physical barriers there are still Financial barriers however as adaptive controllers can be prohibitively expensive and it's not all about adapting existing games to suit disabled Gamers audio games are entirely blind accessible by default using just audio and haptic feedback to communicate with the player a recent popular example is the veil a story about a blind Adventurer where the player has to navigate and even fight and Dodge enemies using only auditory cues these kinds of games often use binaural audio recording which uses two microphones specifically positioned to give a sense of 3D space so the player can tell whether a sound comes from the left or right front or back if you're wondering what the game looks like well we would show you some gameplay footage but well in the end we're probably never going to live in a world with perfectly accessible games but there's a lot of low hanging fruit and great new ideas when it comes to making gaming a hobby for everyone and my thanks to everyone who watched this whole video like the video if you liked it dislike it if you dislike to check out our other videos we got lots comment below with video suggestions we can make a lot more and don't forget to subscribe and follow in techwiki that's this channel so in case you were where am I"}