actually i think it could be quite exciting to design a tetris-like puzzle game entirley in audio... imagine having a limited time to fit a small melodic element into a larger musical structure; a structure itself built from previous elements (as with tetris). the rules of "fitting in" could be like the rules of counterpoint. could one turn the puzzle of fitting together a complex fugue into the fast paced addiction of tetris?

Blind kids could play old school Text based games like Zork using screen readers. Or in real life they could play dungeons and Dragons.

I think that music and rythem games are going towards the right direction for audio only gaming. I love Frequency because it's not about cutting edge grafics or anything visualy flashy. I think a game like that could somehow be engineered into a game that could be played with only your auditory senses, and could be enjoyable for the blind and the sighted alike.

It's already being done, folks. In fact, it has been for a number of years now. I started Audyssey Magazine in 1996 when it actually was mostly limited to text-based games. By the way, I play Nethack all the time using Jaws for Windows. The new autopilot feature was what was needed to keep us from staying lost on the same level unable to find the stairs.

Of course, things are moving fast in other directions. Take a look at the latest issue I just published. It may not be quite posted yet on the site, but anybody on the E-mail lists have had it for a couple days now. People are working on Mario-style games as well as another racing game due out soon. Alien Outback kicks Space Invaders to smitherines. Go to www.espsoftworks.com and try the demos of that as well as Pinball and Monky Business. You may also want to look at www.gmagames.com where a Doom-like game has been available for over two years. Visit www.pcsgames.net and you can try out Pacman made accessible. Have fun, everyone.

Michael Feir
Editor of Audyssey

This has to be one of the coolest things I've ever found on the web. I've been blind since birth and have played all sorts of video games since I was 7. I played lots games like jungle hunt and Rockin Rope and Space Armada. Then I discovered Nintendo and the potential for games to be hiaghly playable increased exponentially. There were more buttons, better sound capabilities, and best of all some of the games talked. Since then every time I've played a game I'm always thinking of ways the game could be improved based on how people explain the game should be played and won. Well to make a long story short: each time a new system came out I was completely blown away by how many new sounds existed. Everything from clear voices shouting instructions to live music. Then there's lots of gun fire and shell ejection sounds. It's a small sound but it's helpful. Now I have a play Station Two and lots of games including Teken, Silpheed, The Bouncer, Parapa rapa 2, Max Pain, Bloody Roar Three and the Grand Theft Auto games plus many others. Some of these games are far too difficult to play but I buy them because I know there'll never be a shortage of people who might play the game and allow me to make a tape. Then I study the tapes of other peoples' progress for hours and learn things about how the sounds are placed and what certain sequences mean. Like if someone has a shotgun, there are likely to be people with those big 357s around the corner. Also in Grand Theft Auto I pay attention to all the messages that come over the radio when the player gets a warrent. Then I figured out that each number corresponded to a specific crime. After that I could let people know if the cops called in the most recent car theft or if they were still responding to a hit and run. It has always been my highest hope to be able to help design video games which could be accessible for blind users while being enjoyable to sighted people. If anybody would like more information, just drop me a line at blindmanjake@hotmail.com. Thank you for being cool.

This has to be one of the coolest things I've ever found on the web. I've been blind since birth and have played all sorts of video games since I was 7. I played lots games like jungle hunt and Rockin Rope and Space Armada. Then I discovered Nintendo and the potential for games to be hiaghly playable increased exponentially. There were more buttons, better sound capabilities, and best of all some of the games talked. Since then every time I've played a game I'm always thinking of ways the game could be improved based on how people explain the game should be played and won. Well to make a long story short: each time a new system came out I was completely blown away by how many new sounds existed. Everything from clear voices shouting instructions to live music. Then there's lots of gun fire and shell ejection sounds. It's a small sound but it's helpful. Now I have a play Station Two and lots of games including Teken, Silpheed, The Bouncer, Parapa rapa 2, Max Pain, Bloody Roar Three and the Grand Theft Auto games plus many others. Some of these games are far too difficult to play but I buy them because I know there'll never be a shortage of people who might play the game and allow me to make a tape. Then I study the tapes of other peoples' progress for hours and learn things about how the sounds are placed and what certain sequences mean. Like if someone has a shotgun, there are likely to be people with those big 357s around the corner. Also in Grand Theft Auto I pay attention to all the messages that come over the radio when the player gets a warrent. Then I figured out that each number corresponded to a specific crime. After that I could let people know if the cops called in the most recent car theft or if they were still responding to a hit and run. It has always been my highest hope to be able to help design video games which could be accessible for blind users while being enjoyable to sighted people. If anybody would like more information, just drop me a line at blindmanjake@hotmail.com. Thank you for being cool.

Hi,

Just wanted leave our website address: http://www.AudioGames.net

This is the biggest online archive of audiogames.

Have fun!

Richard

http://www.audiogames.net
http://www.soundsupport.net