Discover this podcast and so much more

Podcasts are free to enjoy without a subscription. We also offer ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more for just $11.99/month.

S1E10: Accidental Accessibility of #ACNH w/ SuperBlindMan Brandon Cole

S1E10: Accidental Accessibility of #ACNH w/ SuperBlindMan Brandon Cole

FromTiny Island Diary


S1E10: Accidental Accessibility of #ACNH w/ SuperBlindMan Brandon Cole

FromTiny Island Diary

ratings:
Length:
42 minutes
Released:
Oct 7, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

I was inspired to think more about how accessible Animal Crossing: New Horizons is -- and isn't -- after a blind friend downloaded Pocket Camp and found it virtually unplayable. ACNH is not Pocket Camp, and I couldn't begin to estimate how much better ACNH is for low-vision and blind gamers. I wanted to hear about playing ACNH from someone who is blind. 
Enter Brandon Cole, a multi-hyphenate content creator (Twitch streamer, YouTuber, and podcaster), and accessibility consultant to gaming companies. Brandon says ACNH falls into a category of "accidentally accessible," due to its rich library of audio cues that give low-vision and blind players a sense of directionality and proximity. Some audio cues I recognized as a sighted player, like the whoosh of an incoming balloon and the sound of footfall on different floors and pavements. And some I didn't recognize, such as different size fish making differently-pitched sounds when they bite the lure! Ultimately, those attributes make more of the game playable for Brandon than most mainstream titles.
And yet... my take-away from this episode is how much better ACNH would be if Nintendo and all gaming companies considered the needs of all their players, not just those like me. Maybe it would help for Nintendo to hear from those of us with full vision and hearing and mobility, to encourage them to make their games fully and intentionally accessible to and playable by all.
You can find Brandon's content on Twitch, YouTube, Anchor, and Twitter.
Released:
Oct 7, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (16)

A celebration of all the tiny islands in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Each week, we'll hear from an ACNH player about their virtual island life and celebrate the goodness of ACNH. Maybe we'll pick up tips and tricks and an occasional in real life lesson inspired by the game. Think of this podcast as a weekly bottle that washes up on your shore, from ours.