PlayGamer Magazine featuring Accessible GameBase

Fantastic to see my colleague Bill Donegan, the guy behind the bulk of content on the Accessible GameBase, recognised in the gaming press. PlayGamer magazine have published a four page spread on gaming charities in issue 15 which is still in UK shops now.

Column inches are shared between the SpecialEffect Accessible GameBase, GamesAid and CODE. I of course don't believe accessible gaming is purely something for charities to tackle alone. In my view, it's simply the right thing for developers to be taking into account from day one. But until that day...

Things to Listen To

Three things for your ear holes today: 1. The latest Access Collective Number 6 podcast has arrived (no Electronic Soup Podcast - I was busy getting married and on honeymoon). 2. The August Ouch! Podcast. 3. Justin Bieber slowed down 90% ish for ambient heads (link via Bill at the Accessible GameBase).

Quasicon Axis Basile

Pictured above is the rightly chuffed looking Josh Basile with his Quasimoto built Quasicon Axis Basile (aka Axis-3). It took him many years of searching and testing before finally getting a game controller that suited him. I ran a few questions by Josh to find out more...

How did the Quasicon Axis Basile come about?

"I designed and customized this controller with the Quasimoto team based on my physical limitations and the type of games I like to play [e.g. Tiger Woods Golf, Madden, Call of Duty]. "

Are you 100% happy with this, or are there any adjustments you'd like made to it to suit you even better?

"This new controller has opened the door for me to resume my love for gaming. I am 100% happy with my new controller. I'm now working with Quasimoto to design a special attachment that extends the main section with all the buttons near an individual face in order to push the buttons with a mouth stick while freeing up an individual's hands to control both analog joysticks. "

If game developers could make their games more accessible for you, how might they do so?

"Game developers could provide more settings that word allow a user to customize what each button does and how each joystick functions. "

I can vouch for Quasimoto gear too. Superb build quality, and highly compatible with multple game platforms. Prices break down as $349.99 plus shipping for an Axis-1 or Axis-2, and $599 plus shipping for an Axis-3 (use www.xe.com to convert the currency). For all, you can request metal extension rods to the analogue joysticks (with 1", 1.25" or 1.5" balls on the end) for $13.99 each.

Added to the Accessible Game Shop.

Sophie's Switch Accessible Toys

The pictures have been re-published here thanks to Sophie Patmore's Mum and Dad from their truly lovely web-site, The Sophie Story.

Sophie's Mum bought a switch adapted Gazillion Bubbles Machine from me a while back, which I was really happy to learn that Sophie loved. Later, Sophie's Dad tracked down and switch adapted a water pistol himself (a Saturator AK47 from the looks of it). Most recently, they asked me to adapt a Thomas the Tank Engine train-set for switches, which you can see Sophie using above.

It does make me very happy to see this kind of stuff finding such a good home. Click on the pictures for more.

Happy Day

In high seas or in low seas
I'm gonna be your friend,
I'm gonna be your friend.
In high tide or in low tide,
I'll be by your side,
I'll be by your side.

(I heard her praying, praying, praying)
I said, I heard my mother,
She was praying (praying, praying, praying)
And the words that she said (the words that she said),
They still linger in my head (lingers in my head),
She said, "A child is born in this world,
He needs protection,
God guide and protect us,
When we're wrong, please correct us.
(when we're wrong, correct us).
And stand by me." yeah!

In high seas or in low seas,
I'm gonna be your friend,
He said, "I'm gonna be your friend."
And, baby, in high tide or low tide,
I'll be by your side,
I'll be by your side.

Repeat

Electronic Soup Podcasts Help Sheet

A help-sheet that ties up the first four "Electronic Soup Podcasts" on audio games and playing with a visual impairment is now available at the Accessible GameBase. It includes links to most of the games and events discussed for further exploration, as well as a one-point stop to grab all the podcasts and available transcripts.

As a side note, we were really chuffed when Damon Rose described ESP as, "the most unusual sounding podcast I've ever heard! Wow!". It's good to be different!

Reconfigurable Controls

So few games offer reconfigurable controls, which is bonkers when you consider: 1. How many alternative controllers can be attached to modern games consoles. 2. How many different people there are in the world who may like to use a different set-up (small hands, left-handed, limited use of hands, those using one-handed controllers, etc.).

Really good to see on the Accessible GameBase that Gran Turismo 5 Prologue has a pretty versatile set-up system. Even better would be a latching accelerator and auto-braking, but even so, great work Polyphony! More please everyone else!!