Publicação
Exploring Asymmetric Competitive Gaming for Mixed Visual Ability
| Resumo: | Limited opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in gaming stem from the demanding nature of computer games in terms of motor, sensor, and cognitive skills, despite their potential for immersive and challenging interactions. This results in limited opportunities for people with disabilities to take part in gaming. Visually impaired people often face challenges to enjoy most games, despite the amount of research on game accessibility, since most games rely heavily on visual information and game mechanics that are at their core made for visual interaction [70, 51, 43]. This leads to a lack of intersection in both opportunities and gaming habits of people with different visual abilities, which gives rise to social exclusion and community segregation [21]. Previous work has explored the approach of using asymmetry in the context of cooperative mixed-ability games [22], however, the application of asymmetry in mixed-ability competitive games, raises concerns surrounding the principles of fairness and balance. To address these concerns and gain insights into the players’ perceptions of fairness and balance, we developed several asymmetric components and integrated them into a single game, conceived from the ground up to provide an inclusive experience for players with different visual abilities. We conducted an in-person study with 6 sighted and 4 blind participants where we evaluated the effectiveness of different levels of asymmetry in regard to the player’s perception of fairness, competence, and engagement. Our findings demonstrate how asymmetric design and ability-based roles can facilitate fair and engaging competitive gaming experiences, bridging the gaps between mixed-ability groups. |
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| Autores principais: | Trindade, Pedro Gonçalo Oliveira Hipólito Moura |
| Assunto: | Jogos Competitivos Acessibilidade Assimetria Mixed-ability Deficiência Visual Teses de mestrado - 2023 |
| Ano: | 2023 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa |
| Resumo: | Limited opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in gaming stem from the demanding nature of computer games in terms of motor, sensor, and cognitive skills, despite their potential for immersive and challenging interactions. This results in limited opportunities for people with disabilities to take part in gaming. Visually impaired people often face challenges to enjoy most games, despite the amount of research on game accessibility, since most games rely heavily on visual information and game mechanics that are at their core made for visual interaction [70, 51, 43]. This leads to a lack of intersection in both opportunities and gaming habits of people with different visual abilities, which gives rise to social exclusion and community segregation [21]. Previous work has explored the approach of using asymmetry in the context of cooperative mixed-ability games [22], however, the application of asymmetry in mixed-ability competitive games, raises concerns surrounding the principles of fairness and balance. To address these concerns and gain insights into the players’ perceptions of fairness and balance, we developed several asymmetric components and integrated them into a single game, conceived from the ground up to provide an inclusive experience for players with different visual abilities. We conducted an in-person study with 6 sighted and 4 blind participants where we evaluated the effectiveness of different levels of asymmetry in regard to the player’s perception of fairness, competence, and engagement. Our findings demonstrate how asymmetric design and ability-based roles can facilitate fair and engaging competitive gaming experiences, bridging the gaps between mixed-ability groups. |
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