Comments for Visually Impaired Gamer Sues SOE for Game Accommodations - AbleGamers Statement at http://www.ablegamers.com , comment 1 to 10 out of 10 comments http://www.ablegamers.com Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:55:03 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.ablegamers.com/general-game-news/visually-impaired-gamer-sues-soe-for-game-accommodations-ablegamers-statement.html#comment-1057 I recently touched on this whole issue in my blog. To echo what I said there, I think most people are attributing the wrong factor to why this case is pretty obviously doomed. Most people say it's because games developers don't have any legal obligation to make their products accessible, but I think it really has more to do with the fact that this guy is looking for some quick and easy cash. If his motivation didn't come off as so selfish, and instead he was simply seeking to have Sony et al. forced to make improvements to their products' accessibility, I think this suit would have a fighting chance. My argument for why is slightly rambly, so I won't flood this thread with it, but if you're interested you can see it here: [url]http://blog.the-three.net/?p=395[/url] Of course, I'm simply saying that attempting to force compliance would be legally viable. By no means do I think that it's a good idea or the right way to forward the accessibility movement. To the contrary, I have a feeling the negative fallout of this case could be huge. - John Porter Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:16:14 +0100 http://www.ablegamers.com/general-game-news/visually-impaired-gamer-sues-soe-for-game-accommodations-ablegamers-statement.html#comment-1043 First off Everquest 2 is a very bad target for this kind of lawsuit, because there is NOTHING in the interface that can't be modded to fit your needs, and they actively support the interface modding community. Even including the same tool the developers use for creating interfaces with the game. They have even changed aspects of their default interface as a result of what is popular among modders. Also even with the default set-up you can increase the size of Icons and Text to very large sizes. - Kela Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:13:30 +0100 http://www.ablegamers.com/general-game-news/visually-impaired-gamer-sues-soe-for-game-accommodations-ablegamers-statement.html#comment-1036 Because of security issues and copywrite issues games are becomeing much harder to mod. Even if someone had a system of modding a game to make it acsessable for the blind they often cant use it leagaly. I think if this is done right it might be the kick up the backside alot of these companies need to make them put in the basic things other games have had in them for acsessability for years. It also can go bad if the guys just after the money because it shows the desabled in a bad light. Ether way it shows games companies about rules which they litealy arnt aware of. Many of these guys dont think about the desabled at all so this might actualy be a very good thing. - Kyrsta Griffiths Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:48:51 +0100 http://www.ablegamers.com/general-game-news/visually-impaired-gamer-sues-soe-for-game-accommodations-ablegamers-statement.html#comment-1034 I have to ask, is he already a current player of Everquest 2? If not then the entire thing starts to sound like a cash grab aimed at sueing SOE because he's missing out on an opportunity to sell in game items which I don't know but would doubt is profitable enough to support your monthly subscription let alone supplement your income. Certainly the emphasis on the financial side of the suit can be seen as terribly damagaing to your cause which is an incredibly pity. - Jonathan Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:02:35 +0100 http://www.ablegamers.com/general-game-news/visually-impaired-gamer-sues-soe-for-game-accommodations-ablegamers-statement.html#comment-1021 I am surprised to read the view that things are improving. From my selfish point of view things have gotten worse. Fonts keep getting smaller and harder to read. Companies are locking their games down further so editing an xml file a la Neverwinter Nights 2 is no longer an option. Complaints, questiosn and requests to offer a large font option even by non disabled gamers are ignored. (Heck, ncsoft removed the large font option under 800x600 from Guild Wars, and no amount of asking and trying to work with them could get it back.) In the end companies are about the money, so perhaps when they realize not being reasonable will cost them cash can force some change. - RenderB Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:12:30 +0100 http://www.ablegamers.com/general-game-news/visually-impaired-gamer-sues-soe-for-game-accommodations-ablegamers-statement.html#comment-1019 As a gamer who plays some of Sonys games have noticed the most of the options for the games are allready in place, you can make icon bigger and there is a waypoint arrow you can change the colour of the screen and make graphical changes. I have a feeling this will fail, some of the game moders out there can create theses options for him if he wants all he had to was ask. Why waste time and more money!!! - Gamer from NZ Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:35:10 +0100 http://www.ablegamers.com/general-game-news/visually-impaired-gamer-sues-soe-for-game-accommodations-ablegamers-statement.html#comment-1018 a lawsuit is not the right way to handle this, companies have to willingly put in accessibility and when they refuse, it is a dick move, but it's something people have to deal with. especially if it's something like making a game accessible to people afflicted with blindness, which would be no small task. something like this is going to start polarizing opinions and putting the decision making into the hands of people who have no context on any of it. which we'll all just regret in the end. also @AbleMainstream doing anything in games costs a good amount, and when it comes down to it they're concerned about the money. out of the people who play Sony games, how many do you think are blind or would be? and then with that number of possible customers would it offset the cost of making all their games accessible? to them it's always going to come down to a business call. - BlueMan Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:02:42 +0100 http://www.ablegamers.com/general-game-news/visually-impaired-gamer-sues-soe-for-game-accommodations-ablegamers-statement.html#comment-1016 This isn't about having sympathy for a multibillion dollar company. This is about abusing the system set in place to help the disabled, namely the ADA. Let's look at it from a different standpoint, most likely the lawsuit is going to be shut down. Even if it's not right away, Sony will tie it up for years in court, and the fact that he adds in financial restraints says that he is not in it for greater accessibility, he wants a pay day. Sony entertainment was one of the first ones to recognize AbleGamers as a legitimate nonprofit cause, long before we actually had the nonprofit title. Having said that, I despise what Sony does the most of their games, you can look up my personal opinion of what they did to Star Wars. I have no sympathy for them because they ruined several of the games I liked, nonetheless they are willing to work with us and have already added things we have asked for. If Sony starts believing dealing with AbleGamers or any of the other organizations representing the accessible gaming movement will result in negative legal action - they will stop dealing with us. I know it may not seem like it but honestly pointing a gun at someone doesn't make them want to be with you anymore, it just guarantees that they won't want to be with you in the future. So let's be absolutely clear, we are not saying that the reasonable accommodations should not be made, they should, and the ones that already could be made easily have been done. We just don't think the government should get involved. Any time the government gets involved in anything, it goes downhill fast. - Steve Spohn Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:01:16 +0100 http://www.ablegamers.com/general-game-news/visually-impaired-gamer-sues-soe-for-game-accommodations-ablegamers-statement.html#comment-1015 I disagree with your "a few accommodations that are not unreasonable" comments. I would agree with that if it were any other disability besides being blind. Video gamers are a visual media, they are by their very nature not friendly to the blind. I am not saying that I disagree with the desire to play the game, but as a disabled person myself I understand that disabilities do mean there are things I can not do. There are other visual things that I do not want my blind friends doing, like drive, fly airplanes, and preform open heart surgery. This is not a slight on any disabled people, it is a true understanding of reasonable accommodations. - Mark C. Barlet Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:43:23 +0100 http://www.ablegamers.com/general-game-news/visually-impaired-gamer-sues-soe-for-game-accommodations-ablegamers-statement.html#comment-1014 I'm very surprised by AbleGamers' position on this. If he wins, all he'll get is a few accommodations that are not unreasonable or an undue financial burden on Sony. Why should the megacorp get the sympathy here? If it cost them $100 to make a few minor changes when they are making hundreds of millions, isn't it worthwhile? Don't forget, this is the same lovely company that sues for $150,000 per "stolen" 99 CENT song. It seems like they are getting what they deserve in more ways than one. - AbleMainstreamGamers Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:32:11 +0100