Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster was seen in demo form on-stage at the XBOX 360press conference which opened up E3 2011. For those not familiar with the game, SS: OUAM (gamer kids can never start learning the fine art of acronyms too early in life) is a Kinect title wherein all those valuable life lessoned learned through the long-running children’s show are learned and experienced in a new way thanks to the XBOX 360 and Kinect.

The demo saw a father and son pairing, which were “very life-like” (in the words of Tim Schafer) playing through parts of a chapter from the game which implies that SS: OUAM is intended to be played by parents with their children.

Post-demo, Schafer would go on to tell a short anecdote about an encounter he had with his daughter obviously not wanting her dad to go to work, but after being informed the game was for her (demographic) she was fine with him leaving. This further implies the family-centric nature of Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster, and really, why would any gamer parent not want to play with their child/children if at all possible?

“Possible” is the operative word in this article. Most of the AbleGamers audience is familiar with the Kinect peripheral not being the most accessible device currently available to gamers which is a shame, especially now that Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster is forthcoming.

It’s a shame because over the years, Sesame Street has been progressive in its acceptance of disabilities going as far as to have people and monsters appear on its shows over the course of its long-running history, and most importantly to this article, those in wheelchairs like a character such as a “TJ” or a “Tarah”.

As was seen in another demo, the Kinect can be used from a seated position which is fantastic news, but it appeared to me as though that segment of that particular game was designed to be played from a seated position. That may or may not be true – let’s hope for the former as opposed to the latter.

Whether is or isn’t a design aspect has yet to be seen, but from the standpoint of a person looking at a family-centric game like Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster. It’d seem heart-breaking from the perspective of a parent with a mobility issue to not be able to sit down/remain seated and play this game with their child.

Imagine that you’re a child in a wheelchair or walker who’s recently spent time learning acceptance from the residents of Sesame Street, and find yourself in a position where you’re playing Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster alongside Elmo, Cookie-monster, and a parent-figure. How would it make you feel if thanks to Kinect, your friends Elmo and Cookie-monster turned their backs on you?

How would it make you feel as a parent to see Elmo and Cookie-monster turn their backs on your child?

If I were a parent, I wouldn’t want that experience for my child. If I were the good people that run Sesame Street I wouldn’t want the experience for any child.

If there were a motion-controlled game out there to pave the way for accessibility, I’d like to think it’s a Sesame Street game.