Audio Screen: Unsighted Game Mechanics for Mobile Devices

Abstract

Historically, most video games lean primarily on visual communication, making them inaccessible to the blind. Non-sighted gaming is beginning to gain some momentum, particularly with the proliferation of mobile devices, whose multiple sensor inputs allow for the exploration of inventive control schemes. The arrival of built-in 3D audio support on iOS also represents a significant opportunity to easily explore audio-only gaming on the mobile platform. This study tests two variations on a paradigm for aurally representing a 2D screen in a virtual 3D audio world, as well as the effects of three input control schemes and a game mechanic called “auto- lock.” Users take on the simple task of finding and selecting stationary targets on the screen. The resulting data support the hypothesis that the “Flat” environment permits higher accuracy than the “Curved” environment, and also shows improvements in speed as well as subjective metrics of usability, enjoyableness, and immersion.