Talk Description
Games are well known tools for mental health, engaging entertainment and notably have more reach and access usually than most functions of society. However for many communities access is fraught to games (as well as their community). Games designed with poorer ethics can put players more at risk and there is a substantial consideration needed in how our games affect the wellbeing of the players. As a disabled gamer and developer there is a lot to identify with the market but also a lot of pitfalls that affect players of all abilities and also of staff designing the games. How can we make this a better space that truly does benefit players and developers alike.
Talk Takeaways
This talk aims to give a digestible introduction into factors that affect players being able to have access to play games and what can affect the experiences of players and staff alike when it comes to the games industry.
Key takeaways are:
● Understanding social and rights based model of accessibility
● Accessibility gaps in NZ for education, employment and wellbeing
● Knowledge of key factors for accessibility in digital spaces
● What makes games more accessible to players of all abilities
● Ethical challenges with games development that affect player wellbeing
● Current major ethical issues in games development industry
● How can we improve things for players and employees