not to be rood or anything, but by your description this console would only
be able to do simple bleeps n beeps and can't play sounds. even if itt could
the cartrige size is really small, so I don't exactly see how you could
adapt this for VI use.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Travis Siegel" <tsie...@lothlorien.nfbcal.org>
To: <gamers@audyssey.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 7:50 PM
Subject: Re: [Audyssey] Consoles
Let me answer some of the questions raised here about the console system
I'd proposed earlier.
First off, the games that would be available (initially) are the demo
games that come with the system, modified of course to be compatible and
playable by the blind user.
There's a list of them, and I've not looked recently, so don't remember
what they all are, but based on their sources, it doesn't look too
terribly difficult to add audio cueues to the games to make them at least
mostly accessible.
As to the question about programming, the console's cartridges are
programmed in either a form of assembly, or a basic-like language, both of
which are used liberally in the demos that come with the system, as well
as an entire programming book, in ascii form on the cd that ships with the
development system, so it's all accessible. The games themselves will
need to be written to the cartridges before distribution, and the
cartridges can be given the ability to allow writing by the console (for
saved games and the like) Understand, these games are not going to be up
to the quality and standards everyone is used to on the pc, it's an 8-bit
(or 16-bit) processor, and can multitask, but these capabilities aren't
state-of-the-art (it uses a tv for output for god's sake).
The basic consoles as sold to end users will have all the capabilities of
the developer ones, only they won't have blank cartridges, or the
programming languages, or the manuals describing the hardware and/or
software used for programming. The cartridges are rather small by today's
standards (128K is the default one, though I think there's a larger one
available which has 512K of memory on it) This would be truly a console
system, and all limitations thereof, this is not a pc, with gigibytes of
ram, and terrabytes of storage. On the other hand, it is cheaper than a
pc ($200 for the entire system) and it would allow a lot of visually
impaired folks to experience the thrill of having their own console system
that needs no visual assistance, though the games would be playable by
sighted folks as well, since that's where it's being targeted for now
anyway.
I've personally not (yet) seen one of these systems, but I'm told they're
aproximately the size of a playstation 2 (the early models, not the
compact versions that came out later)
After having gone over the source code that comes with the demos, and read
the manuals for the programming languages (both assembly and basic-like
languages) it looks to me like it is perfectly adaptable to our usage. I
just wasn't sure there would be a call for such a console device in the
current blindness community.
I honestly have no problem with anyone who decides this is too limiting,
and says no deal, that's fine, that's why I asked first.
I was probably going to get one anyhow, because my 9-year-old son would
absolutely love to have uch a gaming console, one that we can program
ourselves. I have no doubt he'll get his 200 bucks worth of enjoyment out
of it.
If folks on list think this is worth persuing, then I'll definitely look
into what it would take to do the job. If it isn't, then I'll just leave
it alone until my son and I get around to working on it for our own use.
Me personally, I'd love to have a console game system of my own that I
know I can play, even if it doesn't have the latest and greatest
hardware/software/sound built-in to it, just because I had fun with our
atari 2600 system, and I think allowing others to experience similar joy
would be well worth the time and energy to implement it, but that could be
just me.
Anyway, thee it is, nothing special, just something to have a lot of fun
with, so again, if anyone thinks it's worth persuing, let me know, and
I'll consider it as a whole when sufficient replies have come in. :)
Hope this sparks some discussion, I'd be interested in the plus/minus
debates that arrise from it.
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