Control your Xbox with the Tecla Shield for iOS

To a limited extent, it's possible to control your Xbox using an iOS device and accessible switch and/or joystick interface. Based on Microsoft's Xbox Smart Glass for iOS devices and using the excellent Tecla Shield iOS interface this is a very nice addition to game console accessibility.

This is no where near as powerful or versatile as a JoyToKey, PC and Cronus device set-up, but it's certainly a lot smaller, with a more attractive interface, and points the way forward.

Many thanks to Will Wade for the tip.

Playstation 3: Two Switch Accessibility

With the set-up above, two accessibility switches are all that are needed to browse the Playstation 3 menu system. From there you can freely switch between the likes of the BBC iPlayer, Netflix, photo albums, MP3s, the Playstation store, the internet and a range of one and two-switch playable games.

The set-up requires a PS3 connected via a Cronus adapter to a Windows PC, running JoyToKey and Bullseye with special profiles that you can download here. Two switches are connected to a C-SID (Button 1 and Button 2) but any USB connected joystick should work just fine too.

Really excited by some of the games that are now possible to make one or two-switch accessible: Poker Night 2, Pool, Golf, Fighting games, Dance mat games, Driving games, Pinball, sand-box exploration games, maybe point and click adventures and more.

Also pleased to find out that PSone CD based games work on all PS3s, so brilliant one-switch playable titles such as Destruction Derby, Um Jammer Lammy and Fluid are also back on the cards. More to follow...

Best Xbox 360 One Hand Solution to date

Jeff Humm recently bought a One Hand Controller from me, but struggled with the shoulder buttons (marked on the PS2 controller as L1, L2, R1 and R2). He tracked down a nice solution for his Xbox 360 for an extra £60 approx. on top of the price of the controller.

The hardware needed is: One One Handed Controller from me at OneSwitch for £55 plus postage (also easily available from eBay). A PS2 to Xbox 360 adapter from eBay (as pictured above) for about £11. An XCM Re-Mapper device from eBay which are currently going for about £50. There's no need to connect an official Xbox 360 JoyPad with this set-up either, which is a boon. You can do the same with PS3 as seen in this SpecialEffect video using the XCM Swapper.

With this set-up you can move the controls around to make a more comfortable/possible one-handed playing arrangement. If only all games allowed you to reconfigure controls from the off, Jeff could have saved himself £60. So many disabled gamers are penalised in this way. Seems unfair to me.

Voice control over Xbox 360 and PS3

Great work over at SpecialEffect by my colleagues running with the Cronus device. They have speech controls working via affordable off-the-shelf products on Xbox 360 (and likely PS3 too).

For the Xbox 360, a wired Xbox 360 controller is needed, a PC, GlovePie or  Say2Play and the control remapping software Bullseye.

This makes me wonder about using VOCAs, AAC and other sound emitting devices. For instance, using Inclusive's new SmoothTalker (see video below), you could use one switch to trigger random controls in a game. For instance, a random selection of fighting moves for Tekken (I guess they'd be some lag, but it should still be fun).

When I get time (a very limited commodity) I'd be curious to investigate using keyboard scripts (i.e. via AutoHotKey) to cycle through commands (a bit like this two-switch music player). Maybe to trigger a range of sound samples, maybe to interface directly with the Cronus device.

EDIT: Excellent additional information via Lily Ellis (no relation) at Dual-Ring.

LP Pad (Xbox 360)

The LP Pad controller above is from LP Accessible Technologies, due for release at the end of this month. It's a wireless Xbox 360 controller designed to be used by people with arm movement but without fine individual finger control.

Looks like a great product, although this is certainly not the only solution out there for people wanting to play first-person-shooter type games using assistive gaming technology. It's also quite expensive (although understandably) which is always a problem for access in the first place.

Added to the Accessible Gaming Shop in the "Large" section of controllers.

Remap

Massively impressed by the bespoke game controller above from Remap's Leicestershire and Rutland panel. This is an approach I've not seen before, but it looks like it works brilliantly.

The need for this type of controller I have seen before. Other solutions for people include that of Marc Busnel in France and by using an array of Altec Ultralight switches.  

Happy Action Theatre

Clearly standing on the shoulders of  Video Place and the later EyeToy Play "Play Room", Happy Action Theatre from Double Fine looks like a hugely enjoyable Kinect experience.

Via: SpecialEffect News.

LP Accessible Technologies

It's not often that I discover a new business creating accessible game controllers. LP Accessible Technologies is such a thing. Looks like early days though as they only seem to have prototype controllers.

Take a look at their YouTube video channel for a better look at their wireless Xbox 360 Assistive Technology controller.

Tekken 6

Just time for a last little bit of info on the SpecialEffect stand at REPLAY will be that Tekken 6 will be on show for one-switch or two-switch play. Brilliant thing about Tekken 6 is the practice areas, difficulty adjustment and the fact that two-player games can be set-up with just one or two buttons.

Adroit Switchblade

Launched last month, the Adroit Switchblade for Xbox 360 from EvilControllers resulted after a tie-up with AbleGamers. It's got a lovely mix of accessibility features such as remote rumble packs you can position anywhere (a bit like the Rez Special Edition "Trance Vibrator" for PS2 Rez but should work on all games). It has split modules for the left and right thumb sticks (a bit like the HORI Separate controller but more versatile). It has latching functionality built-in (cheaper than buying external latching switches which my C-SID relies upon). It has three different set-up profiles that can be triggered by a single switch (like JoyToKey on PC).

It comes in at about £266 + import tax in the UK. In comparing the Adroit Switchblade to it's nearest price rival, my C-SID I see things as follows: In the UK, The C-SID is going to work out about £50 cheaper. The C-SID is not available outside of Europe. The C-SID can connect to all the modern platforms and PC/Mac as the Switchblade can plus Wii (classic controller games only such as Mario Kart), fat PS2, Xbox, Dreamcast and Gamecube. The Switchblade has a single switch switchable profile system for the Xbox 360, the C-SID can only do that on PC). The Switchblade has latching features built in, you need to purchase external latching switches for the C-SID. Both allow for team-play on an Xbox 360 with a secondary standard controller (so I'm told), but on the C-SID you can also use a keyboard if helpful.

If you're thinking of buying a switch interface, more food for thought can be found at the Accessible Gaming  Shop. The Adroit Switchblade is definitely good news for choice in game accessibility.

VRAA!

The clip above shows off the VRAA! box I built for SpecialEffect a while back. It stands for "Variable Reverse And Accelerate", and works as a speed-limiter for both pedal and switch users. But why?

Well, a problem that turned up at road shows with the likes of Forza 3, is that some kids wanted the most powerful and impressive looking cars, but just couldn't handle the speed of them. The VRAA! box enables them to pootle around the track at 20 mph if needed but under much greater control.

This works well for free-driving, but led us to think of another wish for accessible driving games: An in-game option to set the speed-limit of your own car, and separately for your opponents. Until then, if anyone would like to know how the VRAA! box was built, feel free to get in touch.

Five Months of Kinect Projects

Johnny Chung Lee has posted a short video of some of the weird and wonderful Kinect projects that have turned up in the past five months.

And below is a video from 1985 showing some early VideoPlace work by Myron Krueger whose work clearly inspired EyeToy and Kinect.

Xbox 360: The Avenger

N-Control's 'The Avenger' is a case that fits over any standard Xbox 360 joypad to bring controls into easier access. There's a great story at CBS Miami on the origins of this device and it enabling a young man who was unable to use a standard Xbox controller.

Link with thanks to Sheri Rubin. Added to the OneSwitch Accessible Gaming Shop.

New Wave of Evil Controllers

Adam from Evil Controllers recently sent me photos of a couple of his latest joypad accessibility adaptations, which I'm sharing with you above.

Top and middle pictures are of an Xbox 360 joypad tailor adapted for Randy Fitzgerald, a quadriplegic gamer known as N0M4D. The D-pad has been made easier to use and four metal buttons have been added to the faceplate. Those metal buttons and the thumb-stick clicks are reprogrammable where any push button can be reassigned. On top of this, Andy's enabled a "toggle" system so that Randy can just tap a button now to make it hold or release a game function. Stunning job!

The hacked in half controller pictured bottom, is a prototype and much like the HORI Separate in effect: Ideal for those unable to bring their hands together. I have to say as the HORI Separates have become so hard to find recently, this is really fantastic news. Read more at Evil Accessibility.

Bundle of Wrong

The Bundle of Wrong is a great concept. Pay what you like, then get the okay to download all of Rob Fearon's games. These include the wonderful "SYNSO: Championship Edition" with one-switch play compatibility.

What would your money buy? Firstly, some hugely fun and massively colourful games, some with a brilliant range of accessibility options. Secondly, you could also treat it as a donation towards his totally free "Fish Fish Bang Bang" demo and "The Ambiomat" one-switch art toy, in the hope that he'll carry on with this type of work. Thirdly, Rob's recovering from Pneumonia, and any donation would surely put a smile on his face.

Rob has made a massive difference to the world of accessible gaming, through the support of RetroRemakes and beyond. Please consider supporting one of the biggest advocates of accessible gaming at Bag Full of Wrong.

Real Time Sensory Substitution

The video above shows the hurdles event in Kinect Sports made accessible to players who are blind, using a technique called real time sensory substitution. Using video analysis, visual cues that indicate when to jump are detected and then translated into vibrotactile cues provided with a Wii remote, which should allow someone who is blind to play this game without visual feedback.

I can see this system greatly assisting some learning disabled players in getting the timing of jumps right too. Fantastic stuff, with so many possibilities.

Read more at the SpecialEffect Accessible GameBase.

Xbox 360 Kinect Accessibility Round Table: Some Questions and Answers

On the 2nd of September Microsoft drew together some of the biggest advocates of accessible gaming to a round table event on Kinect, the Xbox 360 and accessibility.

I couldn't make it (expense and timing) and nor could SpecialEffect. Boo. But, we did submit our thoughts and some questions for the day. These are now shared over at the Accessible GameBase, alongside Microsoft's answers. Feel free to draw your own conclusions. My personal thoughts...?

Absolutely chuffed to bits that there is a small exponent within Microsoft pushing for greater accessibility in game development. Really happy that they ran this ground breaking round table. Don't think we'll see any massive improvements in accessibility this year, but who knows what's around the corner? Could be very exciting times ahead. Are Microsoft listening now? Will Sony and Nintendo follow suit? I'm hopeful.

Indie Kombat

I've been shabby in not reporting on Indie Kombat and the recent mash-up competition between two superfly one-switch compatible games, Rob Fearon's SY!NSO! and Farb's Fishie Fishie. I'll try to put that right here, as it's turned out two stunning new one-switch games.

Farbs concocted Fish Squid Time Machine, a game unlike any I've ever seen before. It's an Xbox 360 game for one to fifty players. It layers SY!NSO! and Fishie Fishie (and a flying donkey) where you can see bits of SY!NSO! underneath as parts of the screen get torn up. It's hypnotising, and available for a free demo run too, so you can see if you've got the tracking skills to play it.

Rob Fearon created the rival Fish Fish Bang Bang, taking extra inspiration from Vectrex classic Bedlam (love that game), Llamasoft's psychedelics and humour, and Chip Shops. This is a 15 level demo version for PC's and it's pretty wonderful. Highly accessible as is (again you'll need good tracking skills), the game will even play itself! I hope Rob, will offer a range of difficulty levels (keeping the current difficulty, as that's perfect for many), as I personally wanted it to be tougher. Sweet as, though.

Definitely recommend getting both games through Indie Kombat.

Kinect: Milo and what could be...

Avoiding any mean-spirited Charlie Brooker type-comments, that is a pretty fantastic looking game. I haven't been so impressed by a new style of game since I first saw Shenmue demoed in 1999. This said, there's virtually no thought for alternative access I'm guessing, but so much food for thought. Just imagine if you could use the Kinect as an additional accessible controller, alongside your alternative controller of choice. So many possibilities...

Via: TED Talks

Nathan Fouts says...

Nathan Fouts, author of Shoot 1UP, has blogged a list of excellent Accessibility Option Ideas. As the author of the game with the most accessibility features ever seen in a games console game, he's worth taking seriously. Really looking forward to his next game now, Grapple Buggy.