MLB 11: The Show Includes Single-Button Play for Disabled Gamers

[Andy Chalk]

MLB 11: The Show Includes Single-Button Play for Disabled Gamers

Sony has added a new "Association for Disabled Virtual Athletes" mode to the upcoming MLB 11: The Show [http://www.amazon.com/MLB-11-Show-Playstation-3/dp/B004DI5H26/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295989610&sr=8-1] that will bring disabled gamers into the action with single-button gameplay.

A few years ago, a die-hard baseball fan and cerebral palsy sufferer by the name of Hans Smith wrote Sony about the MLB: The Show series of baseball games. The producers of the game were so impressed by Smith's passion for baseball, the MLB: The Show series and his team, the MLB 10: The Show [http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=stl].

For 2011, Sony decided to take things a step further by adding a special gameplay mode named after Smith's recently founded Association for Disabled Virtual Athletes. The new mode makes it easier for disabled gamers to take part by adding one-button play to the game. The AI controls fielders as they approach the ball, so players need only press a single button to swing the bat or make a throw.

"I'm never going to throw a baseball. I'm never going to run around the bases. So all of the adrenaline you feel by stepping out on the field and coming up to bat with two outs in the ninth inning, that's what I feel when I play the videogame," Smith told EPSN [http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/videogames/blog/_/name/thegamer/id/6054027/association-disabled-virtual-athletes-debuts-show?readmore=fullstory]. "You can feel the highs of getting the big hit, and you can feel the lows of being out of position and making an error that costs your team the game."

Smith launched the Association for Disabled Virtual Gamers to try to bring the excitement of sports to as many disabled people as possible. "Some organizations for disabled people aren't available to everyone - you have to live in a big city. Plus, you still run the risk of getting hurt," he explained. "But with a virtual organization, you can adjust the settings to whatever you want. If you can't do anything but push one button, then you can control everything else via the artificial intelligence. This levels the playing field for people who are otherwise outside the sports arena."

MLB 11: The Show comes out on March 8 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PSP.

via: Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/25/mlb-11-includes-one-button-association-for-disabled-virtual-ath/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+weblogsinc%2Fjoystiq+%28Joystiq%29]


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[Marter]

And this is why The Show is awesome. Well, one of the reasons, anyway.

 

[TheTejs]

awesome initiative.

 

[binvjoh]

Now this is good innovation.

 

[GeneticallyModifiedDucks]

That's certainly considerate. I think congratulations are in order.

 

[FoolKiller]

I like this. A step in the right direction by including a demographic that previously wasn't able to participate in a wonderful hobby.

 

[Spoon E11]

Good someone is caring for people who can't usually play video games. But a flash game could, and have done this.

(once again there goes my internet speak, See this weeks The Big Picture)

 

[Daggedawg]

Nice, although I wonder if it could potentially unbalance the online play...

 

[McBurks]

I want to launch the Association for Lazy Virtual Gamers.

 

[Tim Latshaw]

Nice, although I wonder if it could potentially unbalance the online play...

probably only allow for people with the option enabled to play with each other, might be called out for being discriminatory, but so would not allowing people with the option enabled from playing online at all.

And as an association, it shouldn't be too much of a stretch for them to set up their own games and tournaments. If The Show is going to separate things online, though, it would still be cool to give everyone the choice of playing opponents with this control scheme or not instead of either fully including or segregating them. I'm sure there would be a lot of situations where family or friends of someone using the one-button scheme would want to play each other.

 

[Unrulyhandbag]

Umm... how thrilling would one button gaming be? I can do that for ff13 (and most of the time in most JRPG's) and, as nice as the story was, it wasn't exactly a thrilling combat system that made me feel involved.

This seems a bit of a cop out, "hey, not able to do anything? Okay, we'll make the game play itself, you just feel free to poke that button to get past the pauses"

It had better be damn impressive or it's just patronizing; much like those pathetic "for early-school children" games that my daughter refuses to play (which often include one button play, ack!)

 

[subject_87]

Umm... how thrilling would one button gaming be? I can do that for ff13 (and most of the time in most JRPG's) and, as nice as the story was, it wasn't exactly a thrilling combat system that made me feel involved.

This seems a bit of a cop out, "hey, not able to do anything? Okay, we'll make the game play itself, you just feel free to poke that button to get past the pauses"

It had better be damn impressive or it's just patronizing; much like those pathetic "for early-school children" games that my daughter refuses to play (which often include one button play, ack!)

...You do know that it's for people who physically can't use a normal controller, right?

Anyway, this seems like a definite step in the right direction for catering to those with disablilties, and I applaud the developers for it.

 

[tigermilk]

Excellent, taking the initiative and ensuring MLB 11 is accesible to less fortunate gamers... People whose primary console is the PS2!

On a serious note though hats off to all involved for making there game more accessible to more people. I think there is also potential there (in a simlar vein to the Wii) for making there game playable for people who haven't played a computer game before.

 

[Unrulyhandbag]

Umm... how thrilling would one button gaming be? I can do that for ff13 (and most of the time in most JRPG's) and, as nice as the story was, it wasn't exactly a thrilling combat system that made me feel involved.

This seems a bit of a cop out, "hey, not able to do anything? Okay, we'll make the game play itself, you just feel free to poke that button to get past the pauses"

It had better be damn impressive or it's just patronizing; much like those pathetic "for early-school children" games that my daughter refuses to play (which often include one button play, ack!)

...You do know that it's for people who physically can't use a normal controller, right?

Anyway, this seems like a definite step in the right direction for catering to those with disablilties, and I applaud the developers for it.

I wasn't on about weather on button was a necessary for them to play but if this even constitutes 'playing'. Mashing one button isn't playing a game, even the most basic games made involve moving and timing pressing your single button for a very good reason; games are about involvement if all you can do is a single action when your told to it ceases to to be interesting at all. As I said it had better be a pretty awesome implementation.

If you have't tried 'child friendly' games that use only a single button you should.

The average small child is capable of almost fully using a computer but many of these games are made assuming they are somehow incapable of doing so. My daughter found them very discouraging and wasn't interested in the computer at all until she saw me playing something interesting and asked me to teach her the controls.

The average disabled person is capable of doing more than just sticking their tongue onto a single button when the game cues them to. To assume they are will present most with the image that they 'can' play games but only if they want really shit games and subsequently it'll put them off.

You want disabled players to play a game design specialised controllers and add support for those to your games. Yes the Stephen Hawkins out there are going to have issues but maybe a specialised version of kinect could allow whatever parts they can move to be tracked and used as input; until we can find a better brain controlled device that doesn't need a CAT scanner around the player of course.

Just don't patronise them with special games or ordinary games with the fun ripped out on their behalf.

 

[Buccura]

Major props to the ones who decided to institute this into the game.

 

[HentMas]

If you have't tried 'child friendly' games that use only a single button you should.

The average small child is capable of almost fully using a computer but many of these games are made assuming they are somehow incapable of doing so. My daughter found them very discouraging and wasn't interested in the computer at all until she saw me playing something interesting and asked me to teach her the controls.

yeah, i have played those games, they are boring as hell, and my son is the only one that actually "plays" them, because he doesnt really care about the "game" he cares about the characters doing goofy stuff or things that happen in the screen (he is 3 years old)

the only one where he actually "tryes" to play is... Death storm pirates... yeah, but i have to "aim" for him and i tell him when to shoot, its the only game he actually "Plays" that i think he understands the skulls are bad and shouldnt get close.

also, the overly exagerated shouts of the characters and the big boss monsters seem to catch his attention really quick

he doesnt know how to use a computer, but i asume its normal for a kid that just turned 3 in december to be like that...

also, hehe, i kind of dont want him to learn because the PC is MINE!!! who knows what he might find in there

 

[DEAD34345]

It's a nice idea, but unless there is more depth than pushing a button when you want to throw, and pushing a button when you want to hit as it sounds from the OP, it's not really anything more than a really bad movie that pauses itself every so often. Of course if there is some actual depth to it and it works then great, and even if not it's great to see someone trying.

 

[Unrulyhandbag]

If you have't tried 'child friendly' games that use only a single button you should.

The average small child is capable of almost fully using a computer but many of these games are made assuming they are somehow incapable of doing so. My daughter found them very discouraging and wasn't interested in the computer at all until she saw me playing something interesting and asked me to teach her the controls.

yeah, i have played those games, they are boring as hell, and my son is the only one that actually "plays" them, because he doesnt really care about the "game" he cares about the characters doing goofy stuff or things that happen in the screen (he is 3 years old)

the only one where he actually "tryes" to play is... Death storm pirates... yeah, but i have to "aim" for him and i tell him when to shoot, its the only game he actually "Plays" that i think he understands the skulls are bad and shouldnt get close.

also, the overly exagerated shouts of the characters and the big boss monsters seem to catch his attention really quick

he doesnt know how to use a computer, but i asume its normal for a kid that just turned 3 in december to be like that...

also, hehe, i kind of dont want him to learn because the PC is MINE!!! who knows what he might find in there

That's not bad, threes a good age to learn basic computer skills ( apparently gaming is bad but I doubt that's really true after all it's interactive and so long as they do plently of other things where's the harm). They learn pretty quickly and it can get them ahead on the alphabet and numbers - having to find the keys makes them easier to remember.

Before you know it you have to lock the PC down because they can use everything and understand the key functions without being able to tell which things are interesting to them and they end up getting everywhere. After that you end up kicking them off their game of (whatever the days equivalents of spore and minecraft are) when you get up late at weekend.

anyway this of OT so...

 

[Dooly95]

I.. er, don't really get this.

Isn't this basically having the AI do everything for you? Don't we usually call that the manager mode?

Granted, I guess having to watch the AI do everything instead of it having to simulate everything is nice to see...