Inclusive Competitive Game Play Through Balanced Sensory Feedback.

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Game Design
• Accessibility Research

Background:

• Despite advancements in game accessibility, multiplayer games still present barriers to equal participation.
• Balancing competitive player-versus-player games for diverse abilities, such as visual or hearing impairments, remains a significant design challenge.
• Existing solutions often involve game rule adaptations that can compromise the core gameplay experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore a novel design methodology for achieving inclusive competitive gameplay.
• To develop a method for game balancing that accommodates players with varying sensory capabilities without altering fundamental game rules.
• To assess the effectiveness of this inclusive design approach through user testing.

Main Methods:

• A unified design method was employed to create an initially unbalanced game.
• Visual feedback was modified to create a hypothetical balanced design.
• The game was tested in three workshops with 52 participants, including individuals with and without visual or hearing disabilities.
• Game balance was evaluated using quantitative score differences and qualitative feedback.

Main Results:

• The study identified a tentative method for balancing multiplayer competitive games.
• The proposed method allows for game balancing without altering established game rules.
• User testing provided insights into the effectiveness of the design modifications.

Conclusions:

• A tentative design method for inclusive multiplayer game balancing has been established.
• The method facilitates fair competitive play across different sensory abilities without rule changes.
• The research outlines practical applications for implementing this inclusive balancing technique.