Re: [Audyssey] When a blind man rocks
Man I'd completely forgotten about that article! lol. and Clement, I think we should actually advertise the fact we're out there a lot more than we currently are. perhaps it'll make some difference in the longrun. Take the You don't Know Jack devs as an example. they replied to Orin and another blind person asking us how accessible the game was for us. reason this happened is cause blind people kept mentioning the you don't know jack twitter feed, so they eventually noticed. Perhaps, if YDKJ sequel is released, we'll have the jack attack accessible, and perhaps not. but at least they know we exist, and I think that's a great thing. this doesn't only apply to games, but to any other program. Whenever I download something and it doesn't work with screen readers, I always leave feedback to try and make it work. and you'd be surprised how often I get a reply back offering help. truth is, developers don't really take accessibility into consideration when they develop programs. if we don't make them aware of this, then who will? From: "Clement Chou" To: "Gamers Discussion list" Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2011 10:36 AM Subject: Re: [Audyssey] When a blind man rocks Nice... well, just goes to show one of us has been doing some work! I've never done something like that yet... my gaming ability isn't something I try and advertise. lol. Nice job, Yohandi... way to spread the message! I wouldn't mind doing an interview like that, just haven't gotten the chance yet. lol. At 07:30 AM 10/02/2011, you wrote: Hi Folks, I searched for the article where the blind man beat the sighted on a video game but couldn't fine it. I did find this article from last year: When a blind man rocks: Interview with Yohandy Rodriguez April 20th, 2010 11:07 am ET When you play Guitar Hero and Rock Band, you rely heavily on the rhythm of the song and the overall flow, but if you turn on performance mode, where the charts are hidden, you more times than not, will fail within seconds. Now imagine having to play performance mode every single time you fired up the game. For Yohandy Rodriguez, that is no hypothetical; that is his reality. As someone who has been blind from birth, Rodriguez never learned to rely on his vision as a way to navigate through life or games. "I was actually born prematurely," said Rodriguez. "Due to the fact my lungs hadn't developed properly, it was necessary to put me in an incubator and pump oxygen into it to keep me alive. This was obviously successful, but due to too much oxygen intake at such an early age, I became blind. I was born in 1985, and I actually remember gaming at a very early age. I don't really know how I got started. All I know is everyone around me was playing video games, and there was no reason why I shouldn't be as well. So that's exactly what I did. I never considered my blindness as a barrier for a second. I remember playing games like Super Mario 2 and Donkey Kong Country quite clearly, and it was definitely a blast." Rodriguez may have been able to play games like Mario and Donkey Kong Country, but there are certain games that he is unable to play due to his blindness. According to a recent Rodriguez Tweet, Guitar Hero's menus can prove problematic for blind gamers to navigate"Well, I was never able to beat Super Mario or Donkey Kong [laughs], even though I did complete a few levels through trial and error," said Rodriguez. "However, I did come across fighting games, and suddenly things changed. I recall playing Mortal Kombat 1 and 2 with my sighted cousin on a SNES and man was it fun. All the attacks had distinctive sounds, kicks and punches all sounded different and unique. It was such an awesome experience I begged my parents to buy me a super Nintendo immediately. So they did, and the first game I bought was a copy of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. I played that game all day long and I eventually beat it on medium. then I beat it on the hardest difficulty. Then after that I had to buy more fighting games so I purchased Killer Instinct. I know I'm digressing a bit here so I'll get back on track. I find games with 3D environments and shoot 'em ups the hardest to play. It's quite easy to get lost in such large playing fields, and often enough there's not enough audio to convey everything happening on screen." While it's not instantaneously known by Rodriguez whether or not he'll be able to play a game when it first comes out, there are various indicators that point him and other blind gamers in the right direction. "There's actually a few blind gamers out there, not just me," said Rodriguez. "We already know that games like Mortal Kombat VS. DC Universe and Super Street Fighter IV are access
Re: [Audyssey] When a blind man rocks
well i have got promises over the years that havn't happened. firstly a vidgame hybred was to be in the works I was successfull on applying for it and then for sending my picture for credits. There was nothing else heard on the subject. ANother one. I was put up for an interview on some musical stuff I was interested in but it never happened. I never payed for either of these but I hate half offers. If you arn't serious then don't bother I am technically hanging in mid aire. At 04:36 a.m. 11/02/2011, you wrote: Nice... well, just goes to show one of us has been doing some work! I've never done something like that yet... my gaming ability isn't something I try and advertise. lol. Nice job, Yohandi... way to spread the message! I wouldn't mind doing an interview like that, just haven't gotten the chance yet. lol. At 07:30 AM 10/02/2011, you wrote: Hi Folks, I searched for the article where the blind man beat the sighted on a video game but couldn't fine it. I did find this article from last year: When a blind man rocks: Interview with Yohandy Rodriguez April 20th, 2010 11:07 am ET When you play Guitar Hero and Rock Band, you rely heavily on the rhythm of the song and the overall flow, but if you turn on performance mode, where the charts are hidden, you more times than not, will fail within seconds. Now imagine having to play performance mode every single time you fired up the game. For Yohandy Rodriguez, that is no hypothetical; that is his reality. As someone who has been blind from birth, Rodriguez never learned to rely on his vision as a way to navigate through life or games. "I was actually born prematurely," said Rodriguez. "Due to the fact my lungs hadn't developed properly, it was necessary to put me in an incubator and pump oxygen into it to keep me alive. This was obviously successful, but due to too much oxygen intake at such an early age, I became blind. I was born in 1985, and I actually remember gaming at a very early age. I don't really know how I got started. All I know is everyone around me was playing video games, and there was no reason why I shouldn't be as well. So that's exactly what I did. I never considered my blindness as a barrier for a second. I remember playing games like Super Mario 2 and Donkey Kong Country quite clearly, and it was definitely a blast." Rodriguez may have been able to play games like Mario and Donkey Kong Country, but there are certain games that he is unable to play due to his blindness. According to a recent Rodriguez Tweet, Guitar Hero's menus can prove problematic for blind gamers to navigate"Well, I was never able to beat Super Mario or Donkey Kong [laughs], even though I did complete a few levels through trial and error," said Rodriguez. "However, I did come across fighting games, and suddenly things changed. I recall playing Mortal Kombat 1 and 2 with my sighted cousin on a SNES and man was it fun. All the attacks had distinctive sounds, kicks and punches all sounded different and unique. It was such an awesome experience I begged my parents to buy me a super Nintendo immediately. So they did, and the first game I bought was a copy of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. I played that game all day long and I eventually beat it on medium. then I beat it on the hardest difficulty. Then after that I had to buy more fighting games so I purchased Killer Instinct. I know I'm digressing a bit here so I'll get back on track. I find games with 3D environments and shoot 'em ups the hardest to play. It's quite easy to get lost in such large playing fields, and often enough there's not enough audio to convey everything happening on screen." While it's not instantaneously known by Rodriguez whether or not he'll be able to play a game when it first comes out, there are various indicators that point him and other blind gamers in the right direction. "There's actually a few blind gamers out there, not just me," said Rodriguez. "We already know that games like Mortal Kombat VS. DC Universe and Super Street Fighter IV are accessible since we've been buying fighting games for years, and of course games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but we actually love to experiment with different genres. One of my blind friends bought Final Fantasy XIII when it came out and told everyone how playable it ended up being for the blind, so another friend went and got the game and can't shut up about it [laughs]. I'm eventually going to purchase it as well and see what all the hype's about." One of Yohandy Rodriguez's favorite types of games to play is the music video game genre. Guitar Hero and Rock Band provide blind gamers such as Rodriguez with a unique opportunity to actually learn to master a game through listening to the subtle changes in the music itself. Rock Band 2's simplified menu system has proven very accessible to blind gamers"First and foremost, for rhythm games, I think it's more about the music, and l
Re: [Audyssey] When a blind man rocks
Hi Phil. try serching for Ben Underwood and vidio games and that might help. he died though a few years ago but i hope this helps. from Mich. - Original Message - From: "Phil Vlasak" To: "Gamers Discussion list" Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2011 10:30 AM Subject: [Audyssey] When a blind man rocks Hi Folks, I searched for the article where the blind man beat the sighted on a video game but couldn't fine it. I did find this article from last year: When a blind man rocks: Interview with Yohandy Rodriguez April 20th, 2010 11:07 am ET When you play Guitar Hero and Rock Band, you rely heavily on the rhythm of the song and the overall flow, but if you turn on performance mode, where the charts are hidden, you more times than not, will fail within seconds. Now imagine having to play performance mode every single time you fired up the game. For Yohandy Rodriguez, that is no hypothetical; that is his reality. As someone who has been blind from birth, Rodriguez never learned to rely on his vision as a way to navigate through life or games. "I was actually born prematurely," said Rodriguez. "Due to the fact my lungs hadn't developed properly, it was necessary to put me in an incubator and pump oxygen into it to keep me alive. This was obviously successful, but due to too much oxygen intake at such an early age, I became blind. I was born in 1985, and I actually remember gaming at a very early age. I don't really know how I got started. All I know is everyone around me was playing video games, and there was no reason why I shouldn't be as well. So that's exactly what I did. I never considered my blindness as a barrier for a second. I remember playing games like Super Mario 2 and Donkey Kong Country quite clearly, and it was definitely a blast." Rodriguez may have been able to play games like Mario and Donkey Kong Country, but there are certain games that he is unable to play due to his blindness. According to a recent Rodriguez Tweet, Guitar Hero's menus can prove problematic for blind gamers to navigate"Well, I was never able to beat Super Mario or Donkey Kong [laughs], even though I did complete a few levels through trial and error," said Rodriguez. "However, I did come across fighting games, and suddenly things changed. I recall playing Mortal Kombat 1 and 2 with my sighted cousin on a SNES and man was it fun. All the attacks had distinctive sounds, kicks and punches all sounded different and unique. It was such an awesome experience I begged my parents to buy me a super Nintendo immediately. So they did, and the first game I bought was a copy of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. I played that game all day long and I eventually beat it on medium. then I beat it on the hardest difficulty. Then after that I had to buy more fighting games so I purchased Killer Instinct. I know I'm digressing a bit here so I'll get back on track. I find games with 3D environments and shoot 'em ups the hardest to play. It's quite easy to get lost in such large playing fields, and often enough there's not enough audio to convey everything happening on screen." While it's not instantaneously known by Rodriguez whether or not he'll be able to play a game when it first comes out, there are various indicators that point him and other blind gamers in the right direction. "There's actually a few blind gamers out there, not just me," said Rodriguez. "We already know that games like Mortal Kombat VS. DC Universe and Super Street Fighter IV are accessible since we've been buying fighting games for years, and of course games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but we actually love to experiment with different genres. One of my blind friends bought Final Fantasy XIII when it came out and told everyone how playable it ended up being for the blind, so another friend went and got the game and can't shut up about it [laughs]. I'm eventually going to purchase it as well and see what all the hype's about." One of Yohandy Rodriguez's favorite types of games to play is the music video game genre. Guitar Hero and Rock Band provide blind gamers such as Rodriguez with a unique opportunity to actually learn to master a game through listening to the subtle changes in the music itself. Rock Band 2's simplified menu system has proven very accessible to blind gamers"First and foremost, for rhythm games, I think it's more about the music, and less about the visual aspect," said Rodriguez. "I don't have much experience with Guitar Hero since I've only rented some of their games, but I have purchased Rock Band games so I'll concentrate my efforts on that particular title. First thing I like to do is listen to the song I'm attempting to learn. An easy way of doing this is to go in practice mode and highlight the full song for listening purposes. I do a lot of guitar so I listen to all the various notes and chords to get an idea of how it all sounds. What I usually do is if I play and the ins
Re: [Audyssey] When a blind man rocks
Nice one Yohandy! Good to read about some of the specifics so that it doesn't just seem like magic. It came across really well. Scott On 2/10/11, Clement Chou wrote: > Nice... well, just goes to show one of us has been doing some work! > I've never done something like that yet... my gaming ability isn't > something I try and advertise. lol. Nice job, Yohandi... way to > spread the message! I wouldn't mind doing an interview like that, > just haven't gotten the chance yet. lol. > > At 07:30 AM 10/02/2011, you wrote: >>Hi Folks, >>I searched for the article where the blind man beat the sighted on a >>video game but couldn't fine it. >>I did find this article from last year: >>When a blind man rocks: Interview with Yohandy Rodriguez >>April 20th, 2010 >>11:07 am ET >>When you play Guitar Hero and Rock Band, you rely heavily on the >>rhythm of the song and the overall flow, but if you turn on >>performance mode, where the charts are hidden, you more times than >>not, will fail within seconds. >> >>Now imagine having to play performance mode every single time you >>fired up the game. For Yohandy Rodriguez, that is no hypothetical; >>that is his reality. >> >>As someone who has been blind from birth, Rodriguez never learned to >>rely on his vision as a way to navigate through life or games. >> >>"I was actually born prematurely," said Rodriguez. "Due to the fact >>my lungs hadn't developed properly, it was necessary to put me in an >>incubator and pump oxygen into it to keep me alive. This was >>obviously successful, but due to too much oxygen intake at such an >>early age, I became blind. I was born in 1985, and I actually >>remember gaming at a very early age. I don't really know how I got >>started. All I know is everyone around me was playing video games, >>and there was no reason why I shouldn't be as well. So that's >>exactly what I did. I never considered my blindness as a barrier for >>a second. I remember playing games like Super Mario 2 and Donkey >>Kong Country quite clearly, and it was definitely a blast." >> >>Rodriguez may have been able to play games like Mario and Donkey >>Kong Country, but there are certain games that he is unable to play >>due to his blindness. >> >> >>According to a recent Rodriguez Tweet, Guitar Hero's menus can prove >>problematic for blind gamers to navigate"Well, I was never able to >>beat Super Mario or Donkey Kong [laughs], even though I did complete >>a few levels through trial and error," said Rodriguez. "However, I >>did come across fighting games, and suddenly things changed. I >>recall playing Mortal Kombat 1 and 2 with my sighted cousin on a >>SNES and man was it fun. All the attacks had distinctive sounds, >>kicks and punches all sounded different and unique. It was such an >>awesome experience I begged my parents to buy me a super Nintendo >>immediately. So they did, and the first game I bought was a copy of >>Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. I played that game all day long and I >>eventually beat it on medium. then I beat it on the hardest >>difficulty. Then after that I had to buy more fighting games so I >>purchased Killer Instinct. I know I'm digressing a bit here so I'll >>get back on track. I find games with 3D environments and shoot 'em >>ups the hardest to play. It's quite easy to get lost in such large >>playing fields, and often enough there's not enough audio to convey >>everything happening on screen." >> >>While it's not instantaneously known by Rodriguez whether or not >>he'll be able to play a game when it first comes out, there are >>various indicators that point him and other blind gamers in the >>right direction. >> >>"There's actually a few blind gamers out there, not just me," said >>Rodriguez. "We already know that games like Mortal Kombat VS. DC >>Universe and Super Street Fighter IV are accessible since we've been >>buying fighting games for years, and of course games like Guitar >>Hero and Rock Band, but we actually love to experiment with >>different genres. One of my blind friends bought Final Fantasy XIII >>when it came out and told everyone how playable it ended up being >>for the blind, so another friend went and got the game and can't >>shut up about it [laughs]. I'm eventually going to purchase it as >>well and see what all the hype's about." >> >>One of Yohandy Rodriguez's favorite types of games to play is the >>music video game genre. Guitar Hero and Rock Band provide blind >>gamers such as Rodriguez with a unique opportunity to actually learn >>to master a game through listening to the subtle changes in the music >> itself. >> >> >>Rock Band 2's simplified menu system has proven very accessible to >>blind gamers"First and foremost, for rhythm games, I think it's more >>about the music, and less about the visual aspect," said Rodriguez. >>"I don't have much experience with Guitar Hero since I've only >>rented some of their games, but I have purchased Rock Band games so >>I'll concentrate my efforts on that particular title. First thi
Re: [Audyssey] When a blind man rocks
Nice... well, just goes to show one of us has been doing some work! I've never done something like that yet... my gaming ability isn't something I try and advertise. lol. Nice job, Yohandi... way to spread the message! I wouldn't mind doing an interview like that, just haven't gotten the chance yet. lol. At 07:30 AM 10/02/2011, you wrote: Hi Folks, I searched for the article where the blind man beat the sighted on a video game but couldn't fine it. I did find this article from last year: When a blind man rocks: Interview with Yohandy Rodriguez April 20th, 2010 11:07 am ET When you play Guitar Hero and Rock Band, you rely heavily on the rhythm of the song and the overall flow, but if you turn on performance mode, where the charts are hidden, you more times than not, will fail within seconds. Now imagine having to play performance mode every single time you fired up the game. For Yohandy Rodriguez, that is no hypothetical; that is his reality. As someone who has been blind from birth, Rodriguez never learned to rely on his vision as a way to navigate through life or games. "I was actually born prematurely," said Rodriguez. "Due to the fact my lungs hadn't developed properly, it was necessary to put me in an incubator and pump oxygen into it to keep me alive. This was obviously successful, but due to too much oxygen intake at such an early age, I became blind. I was born in 1985, and I actually remember gaming at a very early age. I don't really know how I got started. All I know is everyone around me was playing video games, and there was no reason why I shouldn't be as well. So that's exactly what I did. I never considered my blindness as a barrier for a second. I remember playing games like Super Mario 2 and Donkey Kong Country quite clearly, and it was definitely a blast." Rodriguez may have been able to play games like Mario and Donkey Kong Country, but there are certain games that he is unable to play due to his blindness. According to a recent Rodriguez Tweet, Guitar Hero's menus can prove problematic for blind gamers to navigate"Well, I was never able to beat Super Mario or Donkey Kong [laughs], even though I did complete a few levels through trial and error," said Rodriguez. "However, I did come across fighting games, and suddenly things changed. I recall playing Mortal Kombat 1 and 2 with my sighted cousin on a SNES and man was it fun. All the attacks had distinctive sounds, kicks and punches all sounded different and unique. It was such an awesome experience I begged my parents to buy me a super Nintendo immediately. So they did, and the first game I bought was a copy of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. I played that game all day long and I eventually beat it on medium. then I beat it on the hardest difficulty. Then after that I had to buy more fighting games so I purchased Killer Instinct. I know I'm digressing a bit here so I'll get back on track. I find games with 3D environments and shoot 'em ups the hardest to play. It's quite easy to get lost in such large playing fields, and often enough there's not enough audio to convey everything happening on screen." While it's not instantaneously known by Rodriguez whether or not he'll be able to play a game when it first comes out, there are various indicators that point him and other blind gamers in the right direction. "There's actually a few blind gamers out there, not just me," said Rodriguez. "We already know that games like Mortal Kombat VS. DC Universe and Super Street Fighter IV are accessible since we've been buying fighting games for years, and of course games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but we actually love to experiment with different genres. One of my blind friends bought Final Fantasy XIII when it came out and told everyone how playable it ended up being for the blind, so another friend went and got the game and can't shut up about it [laughs]. I'm eventually going to purchase it as well and see what all the hype's about." One of Yohandy Rodriguez's favorite types of games to play is the music video game genre. Guitar Hero and Rock Band provide blind gamers such as Rodriguez with a unique opportunity to actually learn to master a game through listening to the subtle changes in the music itself. Rock Band 2's simplified menu system has proven very accessible to blind gamers"First and foremost, for rhythm games, I think it's more about the music, and less about the visual aspect," said Rodriguez. "I don't have much experience with Guitar Hero since I've only rented some of their games, but I have purchased Rock Band games so I'll concentrate my efforts on that particular title. First thing I like to do is listen to the song I'm attempting to learn. An easy way of doing this is to go in practice mode and highlight the full song for listening purposes. I do a lot of guitar so I listen to all the various notes and chords to get an idea of how it all sounds. Wh
