GAXID 2011 – CALL FOR PAPERS

1st Workshop on Game Accessibility: Xtreme Interaction Design (GAXID)

In conjunction with Foundations of Digital Interactive Games 2011

Bordeaux France  |  June 28, 2011

http://ga.fdg2011.org

Video games have evolved from an obscure pastime to a force of change that is transforming the way people perceive, learn about, and interact with the world around them. The emergence of more natural, immersive and healthier forms of interaction –through the use of whole-body gestures– has propelled video gaming to the cutting edge of human computer interaction design. Currently, an estimated 63% of the U.S. population plays video games. Beyond pure entertainment, video games are increasingly used for more serious applications such as education, rehabilitation and health. Unfortunately a significant number of people encounter barriers when playing video games, due to a disability, though the social, educational and health opportunities currently offered by games could potentially benefit them the most.

How can you control an avatar in a first person shooter using an eye tracker? How do you play an exercise game without visual feedback? How can you play guitar hero without music or audio? How do you play a real time strategy game using switch input? An ”extreme interaction design” approach is required to engineer access solutions for the most extreme players that can: (1) meet the stringent access requirements of games; (2) convey large amounts of feedback in compensatory modalities; and (3) reduce or automate large amounts of input options to their essence; all while keeping the game fun to play and balanced for able bodied players.

The objective of this workshop is to build an active research community that can generate ideas that have the potential to significantly advance this emerging field and turn disability into a driver of innovation for player-game-interaction.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Experiences/case studies with accessible games for players with visual, cognitive, motor and auditory impairments
• User studies with accessible games and studies that assess how different impairments affect the ability to play games
• Understanding requirements of players with disabilities
• Novel Game Interfaces and Player Game Interaction Techniques
• Sensory Substitution (Sonification/Haptification) Interfaces
• Switch Access Control schemes (Scanning)
• Adaptive Interfaces for games
• Social/Inclusive gaming
• Game Interfaces for Elderly / Children
• Metrics/Evaluation Methods for games accessibility
• Guidelines for developing accessible games
• Cost benefit analysis of accessible games
• Educators, Health Researchers working with players with disabilities.

For detailed and up-to-date information about GAXID 2011, please visit ga.fdg2011.org

Important Dates

Paper submission deadline:  March 24, 2011
Paper acceptance notifications:  April 20, 2011
Workshop held:  June  28, 2011

Submissions

Short, 4-page position papers are invited and will be selected based on their quality, innovation, and potential of fostering discussion. Contributors to this workshop will be invited to submit an extended paper for a special issue of the journal Universal Access in The Information Society. The workshop will be a full-day event and will consist of presentations of posters, demonstrations of accessible games, as well as group discussions. At least one author needs to register for the workshop and for at least one day of the conference.

Organizing Committee

Eelke Folmer, University of Nevada, Reno
Sri Kurniawan, University of California, Santa Cruz
Lennart Nacke, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon

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