The Wonder of Gaming

Whilst watching the VGA’s last Saturday night and sitting perched in the back end of our website typing endless award winners and watching the latest premiere we posted an article based on a comment made by the music legend Stevie Wonder. He was at the VGA’s to present the award for Best Music and rightly so, after all he would be in the best position to judge had it not been for the thousands of online voters. Before the presentation was made however he made a point of asking a very simple question “Why are video games not more accessible for the disabled”, now before you jump and shout but is a video game and he’s blind. Think !

What he actually said was disabled not blind but for that matter why not, blind or partially sighted people could still enjoy video games and with the diverse range of music titles like Guitar Hero and now D.J. Hero there is no real reason why blind people could not enjoy making music in this way. After we posted the article we were inundated with mails and suggestions from various people from all walks of life. People who had disabled relatives who enjoyed gaming and also from people who had invented concepts and in some cases instruments for use with today’s popular music titles.

One reader got in touch and linked us to this site and for those that doubt that blind people can play games and enjoy them like the rest of us I suggest you go and take a look at Blind Hero. Using a glove which vibrates when a note should be played it allows the gamer to keep up with the music and enjoy the game. Whilst the game has been modified to allow use of the glove it clearly shows that this is possible and all from a research University. Maybe if this sort of gaming device got some support from the huge gaming companies that make so much money from the likes of Guitar Hero, Rock Band and similar games then this could be developed further and give gaming enjoyment to everyone. Even a peripheral manufacturer could take some of the ideas on board and try to develop or integrate them into existing designs.

Several groups got in touch with us but one website stood out Ablegamers.com is run by a group of disabled gamers and brings all the days news, reviews and previews but also keeps them in touch with all the disabled gaming newsgroups too.

If nothing else Stevie Wonders comment made us all think about the issue that is facing many disabled people around the world today and bring the issue back into the public eye and his comment was perfectly placed to reach out to everyone in the industry. If only one company would listen to his words and actually do something to help then gaming for everyone could one day be a reality.