Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Requesting feedback on an audio game personal project (self.Blind)
submitted by HelpfulOption
Hello. I am a programmer by day, dreamer and tinkerer at night. I have started creating the core concept for a new, hopefully-unique experience in audio games.
My primary hope is to create a fully-controllable, experiential game with realistic audio and a blind protagonist. The world is being designed from the beginning to make orientation, interactions, and navigation intuitive. And there will be zero visual components required: menu, character customization, and gameplay cues will be entirely audio and haptic feedback enabled. Game controller, keyboard mouse, and keyboard-only input schemes are being designed and I plan to support the widest range of control inputs I can.
Although I have high hopes for this concept, I am currently a team of one. Some of the long term goals I have:
* Stories and experiences written by blind and visually-impaired individuals
* Voice-acting by blind and visually-impaired individuals
* Original music tracks, collectible throughout the game
* Fully customizable keybindings (if done intuitively)
* iOS and Android compatibility (if possible with my tech)
* VR integration for head-tracking-enabled audio (if possible with my tech)
* Microphone support with simplistic but realistic environment modeling, possibly as a way to hear environment effects on vocalized sounds. Currently in concept phase, may not be possible due to latency.
I also hope that sighted people will be able to enjoy the experience, but this is a game primarily for an audience of blind and visually-impaired people. That is where I hope to get your input. I am open to feedback and criticism and would appreciate the discussion very much.
Here are questions I have thought about, but feel free to ask anything else you want or just leave your opinions instead.
* Is this a game or experience that anyone wants?
* If you want this game, what platforms?
* Are there features in a first-person game or experience that you want to have?
* I've looked into some modern and older audio games, but are there particularly good or bad examples that I should know?
* Are there missteps I've already made or that I may not be aware of as I move forward?
Thank you for your time and consideration!
My primary hope is to create a fully-controllable, experiential game with realistic audio and a blind protagonist. The world is being designed from the beginning to make orientation, interactions, and navigation intuitive. And there will be zero visual components required: menu, character customization, and gameplay cues will be entirely audio and haptic feedback enabled. Game controller, keyboard mouse, and keyboard-only input schemes are being designed and I plan to support the widest range of control inputs I can.
Although I have high hopes for this concept, I am currently a team of one. Some of the long term goals I have:
* Stories and experiences written by blind and visually-impaired individuals
* Voice-acting by blind and visually-impaired individuals
* Original music tracks, collectible throughout the game
* Fully customizable keybindings (if done intuitively)
* iOS and Android compatibility (if possible with my tech)
* VR integration for head-tracking-enabled audio (if possible with my tech)
* Microphone support with simplistic but realistic environment modeling, possibly as a way to hear environment effects on vocalized sounds. Currently in concept phase, may not be possible due to latency.
I also hope that sighted people will be able to enjoy the experience, but this is a game primarily for an audience of blind and visually-impaired people. That is where I hope to get your input. I am open to feedback and criticism and would appreciate the discussion very much.
Here are questions I have thought about, but feel free to ask anything else you want or just leave your opinions instead.
* Is this a game or experience that anyone wants?
* If you want this game, what platforms?
* Are there features in a first-person game or experience that you want to have?
* I've looked into some modern and older audio games, but are there particularly good or bad examples that I should know?
* Are there missteps I've already made or that I may not be aware of as I move forward?
Thank you for your time and consideration!
gnl221 2 points 2y ago
You might want to see if iOS spacial audio is available to other formats. You also need to realize there is a spectrum of blindness. I have one blind eye and one limited eye. I have been getting through life without letting most people know. My girlfriend has been blind since birth. We obviously have completely different needs in a game. Blind people aren’t going to spend the money on a VR setup. I would also drop the idea of a mouse. Keyboard input is preferred since the input should always be consistent. I would only rely on keyboard input since it will be the same on all devices. A controller with haptic would be good but you need to think about compatibility. Now you need to see what platform most blind users are on. Then check what input devices they prefer. Focusing on gamers of course since not everyone will enjoy games. Games with web based IOS input seem to be the most compatible. The game needs to have lots of audio description.
HelpfulOption [OP] 2 points 2y ago
I also didn't specifically address the spectrum of blindness. I'm not including visual components to set a baseline experience for everyone and ensure the game is accessible for the totally blind. But my hope is to create an engaging experience no matter the level of vision.
Each individual might take a different amount of time to adapt to the game based on their own experience. I expect some sighted players will adapt quickly, some will struggle more. Primarily, I hope anyone on the spectrum of visual impairment will find it intuitive to adapt. I want to make something unique beyond current audio games in exploration, interaction, and a player-driven immersive experience.
Edit: after thinking on this more, I may include large text visualizing the selection as players navigate the launch menu. I want customization and entering the game to be accessible as possible.
Each individual might take a different amount of time to adapt to the game based on their own experience. I expect some sighted players will adapt quickly, some will struggle more. Primarily, I hope anyone on the spectrum of visual impairment will find it intuitive to adapt. I want to make something unique beyond current audio games in exploration, interaction, and a player-driven immersive experience.
Edit: after thinking on this more, I may include large text visualizing the selection as players navigate the launch menu. I want customization and entering the game to be accessible as possible.
HelpfulOption [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Absolutely. Thank you for the feedback.
Definitely looking for the widest-possible control scheme. Full keyboard control with WASD movement and Arrow Key rotations and tilt is my assumed baseline control layout. Gamepads are better when they can support vibration, so I'm keeping the control scheme simple enough to work on at least XBox, Playstation, and some generic controllers.
Mouse and keyboard, and the controller to some extent, might be the entry scheme for users already familiar with first-person controls. VR is "bucket list" future content, and I agree very few players for this game will have it at all.
The audio spatialization plugin I am testing currently supports mobile platforms. Creating, publishing, and supporting the game on those is a larger unknown.
Definitely looking for the widest-possible control scheme. Full keyboard control with WASD movement and Arrow Key rotations and tilt is my assumed baseline control layout. Gamepads are better when they can support vibration, so I'm keeping the control scheme simple enough to work on at least XBox, Playstation, and some generic controllers.
Mouse and keyboard, and the controller to some extent, might be the entry scheme for users already familiar with first-person controls. VR is "bucket list" future content, and I agree very few players for this game will have it at all.
The audio spatialization plugin I am testing currently supports mobile platforms. Creating, publishing, and supporting the game on those is a larger unknown.
Orinks 2 points 2y ago
Do we really need yet another blind protag in audio games?
HelpfulOption [OP] 1 points 2y ago
I'm not sure. Maybe not. Thank you for your feedback.
Because of the game design, there isn't a good way to interact with items far away. The player needs to move close to the item and interact. The gameplay and available actions are limited to those that can be expressed in audio form.
I don't want the protagonist to be disconnected from the player, so I wasn't planning on the protagonist saying things like, "look, a tree over there." It's more about having the player walk to a tree, and the player says, "here's a tree" when near enough. Or using tools in the game to find things from afar.
Whether or not the protagonist is blind or sighted, I do not think non-player-characters will make note or reference. It only affects how and where interactions occur. So if it's more fun, or less predictable or less annoying, I'm completely open to making the protagonist sighted.
Because of the game design, there isn't a good way to interact with items far away. The player needs to move close to the item and interact. The gameplay and available actions are limited to those that can be expressed in audio form.
I don't want the protagonist to be disconnected from the player, so I wasn't planning on the protagonist saying things like, "look, a tree over there." It's more about having the player walk to a tree, and the player says, "here's a tree" when near enough. Or using tools in the game to find things from afar.
Whether or not the protagonist is blind or sighted, I do not think non-player-characters will make note or reference. It only affects how and where interactions occur. So if it's more fun, or less predictable or less annoying, I'm completely open to making the protagonist sighted.
CloudyBeep 2 points 2y ago
Go to forum.audiogames.net for more advice and feedback.
HelpfulOption [OP] 2 points 2y ago
Thanks, I have seen their resources but have not looked at the forums in depth.
bradley22 1 points 2y ago
I’d play it.
I’d really want things to smash, stuff to collect powerups and secrets to find.
I love the idea of the lego games with all of the smashing.
I’d really want things to smash, stuff to collect powerups and secrets to find.
I love the idea of the lego games with all of the smashing.
HelpfulOption [OP] 1 points 2y ago
I am writing a note "let stuff be smashable." Thank you for the feedback.
Much of the game will be simplistic right now, but the core experience is looking for cassettes with new music tracks and interaction with people/objects. There's at least one pickup inventory item that gives the player a new ability to explore with.
Some permanent things will have to exist but maybe there should be things that can be picked up and thrown, or just punched to shatter them.
Much of the game will be simplistic right now, but the core experience is looking for cassettes with new music tracks and interaction with people/objects. There's at least one pickup inventory item that gives the player a new ability to explore with.
Some permanent things will have to exist but maybe there should be things that can be picked up and thrown, or just punched to shatter them.
bradley22 1 points 2y ago
Sounds good.
RedditForBlind 1 points 2y ago
Please not another blind character, has been done many times, so cliché. Also, how is it going to be different than the other audio games?
HelpfulOption [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Thank you for the feedback. I'm open to the protagonist being blind or sighted, but I did not want the protagonist performing actions outside of the player's control.
This is a blind character in the functional sense and storytelling-perspective. I'm not sure any other non-player characters or the game will even need to acknowledge that fact.
It will hopefully be different because I have not found a 3D, first-person audio game focused on exploration and storytelling. And the goal is for the player to have agency, not to make an on-rails audio story.
And if it works, this game could be a foundation to explore other genres, like horror.
This is a blind character in the functional sense and storytelling-perspective. I'm not sure any other non-player characters or the game will even need to acknowledge that fact.
It will hopefully be different because I have not found a 3D, first-person audio game focused on exploration and storytelling. And the goal is for the player to have agency, not to make an on-rails audio story.
And if it works, this game could be a foundation to explore other genres, like horror.
RedditForBlind 1 points 2y ago
Did you try A Hero's Call from out of sight games?
HelpfulOption [OP] 1 points 2y ago
I just looked it up and checked out a side quest! Thanks for sending it my way.
I like what they're doing. Definitely going to have similar components in parts of mine.
Edit: I really enjoyed the voice acting. Great dynamic characters.
I like what they're doing. Definitely going to have similar components in parts of mine.
Edit: I really enjoyed the voice acting. Great dynamic characters.
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