These real-world tools for conversation could be very useful in the world of games.
Communication is an important part of everyone’s day-to-day life. This is especially important during the fun times that come with games, which people love. Communication is important for current gamers, and they need to be able to see, read, talk, and listen.
For different reasons, many people don’t always have access to the usual ways of communicating that are needed to fully enjoy games. People have trouble getting the most out of games, whether it’s because they have health problems, have trouble learning, or can’t see or hear well. Even though these aren’t “fix-all” ideas, developers could use a number of contact tools and methods to make the experience more open to everyone. A lot more people will be able to play games because of these gadgets, and the technology and ideas behind them might be used to make new things.
Table of Contents
Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)
AAC is an umbrella term that was first used to describe any kind of different way to talk. The term is now often used to describe AAC devices, which are electronic tools that help people who can’t talk or have a learning problem communicate. A Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) will often give a person a specific name of one of these devices based on their needs.
Since these devices come in so many different shapes, sizes, and brands, game makers might try to come up with a universal adapter that would let different models work as an interface for game systems.
Tablets
Tablets and people who like to play games on them are not new to gaming. Since the beginning of computers, people have used them to play games. Classic games like Mario are now available as apps. Also, since the first tablets came out, smart people have been coming up with ways to use them for unusual kinds of communication, like for people who have trouble talking.
In the same way as other AACs, technology could be made so that the ways to communicate on screens could be used as a controller for video games. Non-verbal people would feel more included in computer games if they could use communication tools like Grid Player that work with tablets.
Braille
Braille is one of the oldest ways to communicate on this list. It has been around since the middle of the 1800s. It is a way to help people who are blind by using a form of dots that are pressed into paper. Reading leads to learning, schooling, and, two hundred years later, games.
Some game system controllers can be bought with braille overlays, but for the sake of inclusion, it might be time to do this all the time. Braille could be added to controllers, game boxes, and even the machines themselves.
Symbols
Some people might say that the whole visual show of a game is just one big symbol that tells the player what to do. And they would be right, but there are some people who, for different reasons, need a few more visual clues to help them understand what is being said.
For people with mild to serious learning problems, pictures, images, and symbols that show something or an action have been used for a long time to help them communicate. The use of symbols could be a way for developers to help people who have trouble communicating solve problems and follow stories better.
Signing
As graphics keep getting better and on-screen hands look much clearer, game creators might want to add better hand gestures. And what could be a better way to communicate with a hand motion than signing? Since different parts of the world use sign language in different ways, it might not be best for everyone to use the same one. So, it might be a good idea for the people making Eggy Car game to start using simple signs to help people understand what the characters are saying.
If you can add words to games, it might defeat the purpose of adding signs. But since writing isn’t always an option in games or the real world, adding signs can make the experience more inclusive and immersive for people who are hard of hearing and teach others something new.
Eyegaze
The Eyegaze is a great way to communicate that uses eye-tracking technology. It has helped a lot of people get out into the world. With assistive technology, you can talk with just your eyes. This is a step forward in both the worlds of speech and human needs, as well as the world of games.
Even though using eye recognition to improve games for the average player is still in its early stages, it is already being used to help people who can’t talk or move around well or who use wheelchairs. If the Eyegaze could be used as a controller for game systems, many more people would be able to enjoy it.
Switches
Switches, also called “Big Macks,” are one of the easiest ways for people who don’t speak to talk to each other. People with severe and multiple learning disabilities often use them to help them decide what to do. They come in different shapes and sizes, but most of the time they are just one or two buttons.
Switches may not be a feature that makes game makers want to move on to newer and more exciting technologies, but they are still a feature. No matter how disabled someone is, the choice to play computer games seems like a basic human right at this point.
