“There are no universal interfaces: how asymmetrical roles and asymmetrical controllers can increase access diversity.

Abstract

Many people with a disability play games despite difficulties in relation to access or quality \nof experience. Better access is needed, but there has been limited industry interest. For \nplayers with motor impairments the focus has been on the controller. Numerous solutions \nhave been developed by third parties, but all are likely unsuitable for at least some users and \nthere remains space for radically alternative angles. Informed by my experiences as a \ndisabled gamer, concepts of affordance and control dimensionality are used to discuss the \naccessibility implications of controller design from the Magnavox Odyssey to the present. \nNotions of incidental body-controller fit and precarious accessibility are outlined. I \nsubsequently draw on Lévy’s theory of collective intelligence and example games Keep \nTalking and Nobody Explodes and Artemis Spaceship Bridge Commander to develop a model \nthat uses asymmetrical roles and diverse input to fit individual abilities and thereby expand \nparticipation.

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