Balancing game universes for playing without sight or hearing.

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Game Design
• Accessibility Research

Background:

• Computer gaming is a prevalent digital culture activity, yet many individuals with impairments face exclusion.
• Ensuring equal access to cultural activities is crucial for social inclusion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the design of balanced, real-time collaborative games using parallel game universes (PGUs) for players without sight or hearing.
• To address the challenge of maintaining game balance despite sensory impairments.

Main Methods:

• A design science approach was employed, involving two iterations of a game prototype development.
• Evaluation utilized interviews and observations with ten experienced gamers simulating temporary impairments (blind or deaf).

Main Results:

• Parallel game universes (PGUs) facilitate a balanced gaming experience for players with simulated visual or hearing impairments.
• While the multiplayer feel was not optimal, it was deemed a reasonable trade-off for universal access.
• A robust help system and ensuring equal game understanding between players are vital for game balance.

Conclusions:

• Parallel game universes (PGUs) offer a viable solution for creating inclusive, balanced real-time collaborative games for blind and deaf players.
• Further research should include actual blind and deaf gamers and explore impairments beyond sight and hearing.