Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Game console for the blind - A product concept (self.Blind)
submitted by lysanderoth69
Hi everyone! I actually have a product concept which I wanted to propose to you. This is actually for a project in my university. It is a tech product geared towards the visually impaired and blind and I would love your thoughts on it. I am genuinely curious though because if people actually want it, I am thinking of working on it.
So, most mainstream entertainment nowadays is visual, be it television, web series or games. So many people who are visually impaired or blind cannot utilise these forms of entertainment well.
So my product is basically a game console that has no display, and plays games only with audio. This provides visually impaired and blind people with an interactive entertainment option that they have lacked for a while.
Now that I have described my product, I have some questions to ask:
1. Is this product something you would be interested in?
2. If no, why?
3. If no, how would you create the product such that you might be interested in it?
4. What are the current options you have for entertainment?
5. Any particular things you want the product to do or have?
6. How should I make this product unique, like being able to play games that you can't play on your smartphone and stuff?
Also, even if you aren't interested in any of this, what would be your dream tech product?
Sorry if I offended anyone
PS : Does this count as personal advertisement?
So, most mainstream entertainment nowadays is visual, be it television, web series or games. So many people who are visually impaired or blind cannot utilise these forms of entertainment well.
So my product is basically a game console that has no display, and plays games only with audio. This provides visually impaired and blind people with an interactive entertainment option that they have lacked for a while.
Now that I have described my product, I have some questions to ask:
1. Is this product something you would be interested in?
2. If no, why?
3. If no, how would you create the product such that you might be interested in it?
4. What are the current options you have for entertainment?
5. Any particular things you want the product to do or have?
6. How should I make this product unique, like being able to play games that you can't play on your smartphone and stuff?
Also, even if you aren't interested in any of this, what would be your dream tech product?
Sorry if I offended anyone
PS : Does this count as personal advertisement?
oldfogey12345 6 points 2y ago
The reason why regular consoles sell well is the fact that they can provide a high quality gaming experience at a lower cost and/or technical difficulty of building a gaming PC. Most of what you are getting in either of those cases is the ability to display and process high end graphics, animations, and other game engine mechanics.
The big thing on games specifically designed for blind people is that most of the processing power you would need would just be for sound design, which takes talent to make, but you don't need any high end hardware to run it.
A lot of blind people in the US and other developed countries already get free or low cost, entry level computers that still can run audio-only games you can find online.
I am sure you would find some blind people that would buy it because it would be cool tech to have, but I don't think it would be all that commercially successful on a grand scale.
Maybe if the product got to a point where you could make really high quality audio games and release them exclusively for that console you might get some traction though.
The big thing on games specifically designed for blind people is that most of the processing power you would need would just be for sound design, which takes talent to make, but you don't need any high end hardware to run it.
A lot of blind people in the US and other developed countries already get free or low cost, entry level computers that still can run audio-only games you can find online.
I am sure you would find some blind people that would buy it because it would be cool tech to have, but I don't think it would be all that commercially successful on a grand scale.
Maybe if the product got to a point where you could make really high quality audio games and release them exclusively for that console you might get some traction though.
lysanderoth69 [OP] 3 points 2y ago
Understood. So basically the games for the console should be extremely good, much better than the average for it to be considered. Thanks so much!
oldfogey12345 3 points 2y ago
I suppose it depends on the goals of the university. They would need exclusive games for market success, but they could just as easily just put windows on the box and have a whole bunch of games preloaded then give it away very cheaply if they want good PR out of the deal.
Either way, I believe if I were designing it, I would include a really good set of gaming headphones in the package. I am hearing good things about 3D sound in the mainstream gaming community although I have yet to see it for myself.
Either way, I believe if I were designing it, I would include a really good set of gaming headphones in the package. I am hearing good things about 3D sound in the mainstream gaming community although I have yet to see it for myself.
lysanderoth69 [OP] 2 points 2y ago
This is actually a marketing course, so I don't need to make anything, just market it. But I am planning to make something like this in the future, perhaps for my final project.
oldfogey12345 3 points 2y ago
The fact that you thought of this is admirable, but man, I don't envy you a bit.
Marketing anything to a group of people who are 75% jobless is a really tricky thing. It's either going to hit or flop given that people are deciding whether to use their extremely limited resources to buy your product.
Your grade would also depend on your professor's understanding of our demographic too I suppose.
Good luck, friend.
Marketing anything to a group of people who are 75% jobless is a really tricky thing. It's either going to hit or flop given that people are deciding whether to use their extremely limited resources to buy your product.
Your grade would also depend on your professor's understanding of our demographic too I suppose.
Good luck, friend.
epic_null 5 points 2y ago
The games available to players is often what makes or breaks a game console.
An audio-only console could be a win by offering visibility to audio-games makers, however this may require an active audio-games market.
It's a gamble.
I'd take a look at the market of audio games and audio games makers. If there are plenty of audio games creators that just need a place to show off, a console can work.
If not, you may need to work on building up a market of games via a known console before attempting a new console.
An audio-only console could be a win by offering visibility to audio-games makers, however this may require an active audio-games market.
It's a gamble.
I'd take a look at the market of audio games and audio games makers. If there are plenty of audio games creators that just need a place to show off, a console can work.
If not, you may need to work on building up a market of games via a known console before attempting a new console.
lysanderoth69 [OP] 2 points 2y ago
The thing is I want the console to be more accessible to the visually impaired than other consoles. Like having minimum buttons, relying heavily on a joystick for example. But yeah. Either way, the games are the make or break parts here. Thanks for the input!
Nighthawk321 2 points 2y ago
How would minimal buttons and relying heavily on a joystick be beneficial towards blind people?
lysanderoth69 [OP] 0 points 2y ago
Because too many buttons can confuse them. Am I wrong?
Nighthawk321 2 points 2y ago
Yes you are 100% incorrect. Blind people use keyboards, what would a few buttons on a controller be compared to that? Have you researched actual needs of blind and VI gamers?
epic_null 2 points 2y ago
It sounds like most of your design work is in the controller. May I suggest looking into USB controller options? These could attach to computers people already have and be produced/sold at a lower price point.
lysanderoth69 [OP] 2 points 2y ago
That sounds good. But I don't want it to rely a lot on existing computers. I want it to be more of a standalone product. Is that something that puts you off?
Tarnagona 3 points 2y ago
Personally, as someone with low vision, I love video games, including the visuals, but would love more accessibility features. For example, larger text sizes, or text-to-speech for writing that doesn’t have voiceover. I don’t find I get as much out of having the very best high-end graphics, like my sighted peers, but I like some visuals, and I’m not sure if I’d get the same out of audio games, especially if none of my friends played them.
lysanderoth69 [OP] 2 points 2y ago
So we need more people playing it. Thanks man!
CoaBro 1 points 1y ago
A little late, but this could be interesting for your research: https://audiogames.net/
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