After witnessing the unveiling of Kinect at E3, AbleGamer’s Steve Spohn initially said that the technology would be “largely useless” to the disabled gamers reading his website, as the “entire point of Kinect is to get you and your friends off of the couch and more active while playing video games.” After having some time to re-think the abilities of Kinect though, Spohn labeled Kinect’s voice command ability “more mentionable than the motion detection itself,” adding, “voice commands are a form of accessible technology enabling me to play more complex games and to use remote controls.”
A Microsoft spokesperson told AbleGamers that new technology, such as Kinect, would not “always immediately work for some people because of the inherent physical nature of the gameplay.” The company pledged to keep working on the technology though, stating that it wished to “learn from the Accessibility community about the scenarios and features that will allow Kinect to appeal to more users."
Kinect’s author on current limitations for certain disabled people had this to say:
We already know that Kinect does not work in most situations from a seated position, which is bad for those in wheelchairs or who can't stand for any length of time. The system also requires precise and smooth movements to control the controller-less hand, which is incredibly bad for those with Cerebral Palsy or Multiple Sclerosis.
Spohn advised disabled gamers to “Take an inventory on your own abilities and figure out if the Kinect can add anything to your quality of life. If it can, don't be afraid to try it out in November, but it doesn't look like it is right for you, don't be upset.”
Looks like Microsoft may be able to help the disabled gamer community with their latest invention, but it may take some time to get everyone involved.
Comments
When engineering a product like this, they would have thought about it then, not 4 months before release. Now it just seems like a PR move after many people have voiced their disgust over the earlier comments.
To all of the disabled gamers out there i have just one thing to say. Look at the kinect game dance central and ask yourself "If i suddenly had the ability to stand and walk would i waste it playing that pile of worthless s@#$ ?."
I'm in a wheelchair and I must say, I am glad. I will laugh at everyone who pulls their groin muscle or gets a cramp as I use my controller. cripple ftw
Im disabled myself I can walk but with difficulty but hopefully the kinect will help me use my body by moving more. Hopefully they will get more disabled access games in the future
I've heard that the Kinect won't recognize people in wheelchairs. I know there isn't that big a market for wheelchair users but I'd love the chance to play video games again. Rehab hospitals have really taken to the Wii. They call it "Wii-hab", because it helps patients regain their coordination. Please consider my suggestion and thank you for your time.
I thought video games were a great way for disabled and very old people to add more enjoyment to their life. Now I'm sad that it seems video games are moving away from that. I'm healthy and in my 20s, I don't even play video games. I was hoping to play video games when I'm too old and disabled to enjoy the things I enjoy now. How ironic that it seems I need to play video games now while I'm young and healthy. Why would I want to when I have better things to do in life?
but i sit in a wheelchair and have only 1 arm and 1 leg............. help us out Microsoft the disabled community....
johnsteube is my gamertag on xbox live is any wants to chat or find solutions
thanks
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