----- Original Message ----- From: "Gerry Leary" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Gamers Discussion list" <gamers@audyssey.org> Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2007 6:23 AM Subject: [Audyssey] Fw: [Blindad] New Accessible games
> > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Amy Ruell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 3:13 PM > Subject: [Blindad] New Accessible games > > >> Hello all, >> Just wanted you to know about this company, with which I am familiar. >> Here >> is an article about them. If you want to learn about their accessible >> games, >> go to: www.7128.com. They're really nice people and have worked to ensure >> that as many of their games are accessible as possible. They consulted >> with >> the computer group over which I preside to make their games accessible. >> >> Partners in life, business >> 'Intentional family' forms video game company >> By Steven Rosenberg, Globe Staff | February 15, 2007 >> Shortly after 7 each morning, Eleanor Robinson puts on a pot of coffee in >> her kitchen and sits down and reads the newspaper with her husband, >> Earle. >> Within minutes, they're usually joined by John Bannick or David Brown or >> Cynthia Geller or Marcia Morrison. There is no one single surname on the >> doorbell of the 30-room Victorian house that overlooks the North River in >> Salem. No matter, say the six people who have lived together for much of >> the >> last 20 years. "What we are is an intentional family," explained Geller, >> a >> Detroit -born actress and political fund-raiser. More than 20 years ago, >> before the Internet and the widespread use of personal computers and >> video >> games, the six met while playing the tabletop, fantasy role-playing game, >> Dungeons & Dragons. By 1989, they were in the middle of what would become >> a >> 12-year Dungeons & Dragons game, and the core players of the group >> decided >> that it made sense to buy a house together. Since then, they have moved >> from >> their original house in Somerville to Salem, endured the death of a >> founding >> member of their group, grown gray together, and, last month, launched >> 7-128 >> Software, at 7128.com. The company's name refers to seven people living >> together inside of Route 128 and counts John Bannick's wife, Barbara, a >> librarian and house member who died six years ago. The company sells >> puzzles >> and downloadable video games that contain no sexual or violent content >> and >> can also be played by those who are deaf and blind. The games, aimed at >> baby >> boomers and the senior gaming market, range from $5 to $10. "They don't >> want >> violence or sex," Eleanor Robinson said of the gamers 7128.com hopes to >> attract. "They want family-friendly games that they are perfectly content >> to >> play with their kids." To date, the group has produced about 60 games and >> is >> issuing a new release every Thursday. Most of the games are set among >> mansions in Newport, R.I., in the 1890s. When players need help in >> solving >> the games' mysteries, they click on an image of Inspector Cyndi (Geller), >> a >> Viennese police detective. Like Geller, all of the housemates have a role >> in >> creating the games. Bannick and Eleanor Robinson helped create the >> computer >> programs; Earle Robinson, a former Army officer, did the photography; >> Brown, >> a retired social worker, did the writing and research; and Morrison, a >> former rock 'n' roll singer, helped with the audio. After five years of >> planning and about 18 months of programming, filming, and >> storyboarding -- >> many of the stories were conceived over dinner or a couple of glasses of >> wine -- the business launched on Jan. 1. The group has relied on >> word-of-mouth advertising, sending e-mails about the website to their >> large >> coterie of fellow gamers, and so far, the six are satisfied with the >> response. "We're already making money," said Eleanor Robinson, 72, a >> former >> teacher and Marine officer who lives on the second floor of the Salem >> house >> with her husband. The Robinson s, like the rest of their partners and >> housemates, say their business goal dovetails with the co-op's collective >> goals: "We want to make enough money to pay our mortgage," said Eleanor >> Robinson. While they have separate apartments inside the house, the >> residents nearly always leave their doors open, attend group meals >> frequently, and pool their expenses, with some paying more according to >> net >> worth. While group members often travel together -- including a sojourn >> to >> London for a month -- they say one of the biggest benefits of living >> together is knowing that they won't die alone. As they age, caring for >> one >> another has become paramount for all of the house members. "We don't want >> to >> be alone, basically," said Earle Robinson, who has been married to >> Eleanor >> for 49 years and has three children and eight grandchildren. "It's a big, >> cold world out there if you're alone. It's easier to do things for other >> people than have things done for you." Several years ago, the group came >> together to support Bannick's wife when she was diagnosed with brain >> cancer. >> "They'd feed her, dress her, and just be there and sit with her," Bannick >> said. "Before she died, Barbara said, 'I feel like my family is taking >> care >> of me.' " After Bannick's wife died, his 89-year-old mother, Marjorie, >> moved >> in and lived another three years with the support of the group. This type >> of >> support is comforting to the Robinsons and their children. "Our children >> are >> quite happy with it," said Eleanor Robinson. "They don't have to worry >> that >> Mom and Dad are getting older and are alone. They know that there's >> somebody >> that will get a hold of them if they need them." Besides the third floor, >> where the business office is set up, the most likely place for the >> housemates to meet is the Robinsons' second-floor apartment. Their >> apartment >> is the fastest way for Bannick to get to his top-floor office, and for >> Geller to get to the laundry room. It's also where long impromptu >> conversations take place and where house meetings are held. At the >> meetings, >> they discuss house finances and maintenance, and clear up disputes. "If >> there is an argument, we are able to back off, sit down, and settle it," >> Geller said. "You can't live in that kind of proximity with a lot of >> people >> without there being disagreements, and sometimes big disagreements. It's >> like a marriage: You have to be sufficiently committed to the >> relationship >> that you want to solve the problems." House members also say that, >> besides >> trust, their ability to communicate effectively has allowed them to stay >> together and start a business. "I'd say the biggest challenge is >> maintaining >> the schmooze," Eleanor Robinson said. "Communication is the number one >> thing. You have to make sure that everybody's in the loop, everybody's >> consulted, everybody has air time. We do that with our house, and with >> our >> business. The lifestyle and the work style are absolutely identical." >> Steven >> Rosenberg can be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> C Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company. >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Blindad mailing list >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> http://babel-fish.us/mailman/listinfo/blindad_babel-fish.us >> >> >> __________ NOD32 2067 (20070217) Information __________ >> >> This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. >> http://www.eset.com >> >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Gamers mailing list .. Gamers@audyssey.org > To unsubscribe send E-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can > visit > http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org to make > any subscription changes via the web. _______________________________________________ Gamers mailing list .. 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