Orbiter Brandon Lee Cole / superblindman - Will never see the errors of Phil's ways

AlexiTheTrucker said:
A thing that has been in the back of my mind is the nature of Brandon and Misty's relationship. I am old fashioned in a number of ways that are considered old hat but I hold marriage and symbols of marriage sacred. It never dawned on me before that she doesn't wear any kinds of wedding ring (from time to time she will remark on wearing other jewelry) and she never took his name. I have seen that kind of behavior before in people that are stepping out or about to step out on their significant other. Again, it's an old fashioned way of looking at things. Maybe in her mind she thinks, "I settled for this blind man child but I don't want to limit any future opportunities." Maybe in his mind he thinks, "I don't see anything wrong with this."
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Well, we know he didn't SEE anything wrong with it, amirite? Hypothetically:

SBM: "I don't feel a ring on your hand, are you still wearing it?"
Misty: "Of course!"
SBM: "Okay good."
 
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Like DSP's classic quote that wings and ltg don't have threads on kiwifarms, I am not aware of a more general videogame accessibility warrior thread, but would happily migrate there.

Here's some more videogame accessibility tweets, including sbm retweets.
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Disability victim segment
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Getting butthurt over twitch not making a disabled directory. Do they not want to be put in the same directory as non-disabled people playing the same game?
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More coping.
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Watch sbm's friends get tokenized by twitch to increase twitch's brand image. (archive)

This is so fake I can't believe any people with disabilities actually liked this and didn't feel belittled by this advertising. It has all the hallmarks of those classic anti-trump ads where multiple people say the same word over and over to try to condition you. It's also funny that they try to act like people with tourette's who act normal but will sometimes speak funny, with people who can't see but still think they should make video games apply to them. (It was also a little sad/embarrasing for these disabled people who are blind and look horrible to have this total baddie speaking along with them)

One more thing I found while doing more digging on the subject, here is a Wired article about disabled gamers. (archive)
Meet the Disabled Streamers Who Are Transforming the Industry
Gamers with disabilities aren't waiting for big companies to catch up: They're forming their own communities and making gameplay more accessible than ever.

Grant Stoner05.20.2021 08:00 AM
xbox adaptive controller and person in wheelchair
Photograph: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg/Getty Images
May 20 marks Global Accessibility Awareness Day, a celebratory event where businesses and individuals raise awareness and praise the ever-growing acceptance of digital accessibility and the disabled community. For 10 years, GAAD has utilized its platform to provide a voice for disabled individuals and highlight the shortcomings that continue to plague varying sites and companies.

While corporations like Microsoft, Sony, and Logitech have created and prioritized accessible tech and inclusion, work remains. Certain platforms in the gaming industry, namely streaming sites like Twitch and Facebook Gaming, house incredible communities that foster growth, yet fail to fully commit to providing an accessible and welcoming home, namely for disabled streamers.

DeafGamersTV

Chris Robinson originally began streaming in 2011 to host fighting game tournaments for a collegiate club. After an approximate three-year hiatus, Robinson returned to streaming, this time adopting both a new moniker in “DeafGamersTV” as well as a new mission to teach developers and the able-bodied alike about the struggles that often accompany deaf and hard-of-hearing players when gaming.

“This was the start of my journey as a gaming accessibility advocate for deaf and hard-of-hearing gamers because I felt that I needed to share my struggles as a deaf gamer and that I needed to speak up about the lack of accessibility in games that should’ve been a normal thing by now,” Robinson says. “Like for subtitles, we deaf gamers don’t just want simple subtitles, we want to be able to adjust the size, position, font, color, and so many more to our liking so that we can feel comfortable while playing.”

As his audience grew, Robinson’s advocacy transitioned beyond his scheduled streams. Studios like Ubisoft and Microsoft have invited him to give insight on game accessibility, and he has even sat on panels at conventions like TwitchCon and the Gaming Accessibility Conference to raise awareness for disabled gamers. Each presentation is indicative of an industry that is willing to listen and document the concerns of the disabled community.

Despite the increasing adoption of accessible features and practices, Twitch still lacks crucial options that would not only enhance the experience but increase the overall ease of access for disabled streamers. For example, Robinson notes that more robust captions with adjustable size, position, and even color would make watching streams much easier for deaf and hard of hearing viewers. He also has hopes for a feature that would translate his signing into speech or text, allowing him to easily chat with his audience.

“This way I would be able to sign at my camera and chat without making everyone wait until I get to a safe point in the game where I won’t be attacked or whatever,” he says.

Further, Robinson laments the lack of a Disability tag on Twitch. This is especially perplexing as Twitch regularly includes tags for other marginalized groups, allowing individuals to find wholesome, like-minded communities where they can gather and watch their favorite streamers. Yet disabled viewers and content creators must rely on other social media platforms to advertise and find groups of their own. However, Robinson practices patience, and understands that changes take time.

“Sure, they may not tackle something right away, but they are listening.”

Obsrattlehead

Carlos Vasquez’s streaming journey started with the intent of demonstrating his skills as a fighting game player. Even though Vasquez is totally blind, he prides himself on being able to provide high-level gameplay. Eventually, his streams, under the handle Obsrattlehead, transitioned to include a community where both able-bodied and disabled fighting game fans alike could interact, learn from one another, and even compete in friendly and competitive exhibitions.

“Today, the goal of my streams is to provide a welcoming space to help non-disabled gamers engage and become more comfortable with learning alongside the disabled community,” Vasquez says. “Our small but tight-knit crowd works as a team to make sure everyone who stops by a live stream leaves with a better understanding of accessibility and the ways in which it brings people together. I am proud we can work collaboratively to spread my message: enjoy gaming, no matter the circumstances.”

Vasquez’s advocacy within the fighting game community led to numerous opportunities to represent disabled players on a global stage. His presence at Evo, the Evolution Championship Series, in 2013 and Combo Breaker in 2019 afforded him the chance to connect with several developers from NetherRealm Studios, the company behind popular games such as Mortal Kombat and Injustice. As a result of these interactions, Vasquez was responsible for NetherRealm Studios adding key audio accessibility features, particularly through the form of environmental sound cues when characters approach interactive objects. This option, originally introduced in the first Injustice, can now be found in every title produced by the studio.

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When streaming, Vasquez continues to keep accessibility in mind. Not only does he utilize a screen reader to read messages from his chat, he is also exploring new ways to incorporate closed captioning for deaf viewers. He even implements accessible solutions when designing and creating The Sento Showdown, a competitive tournament for blind and low-vision players hosted on Xbox.

“Our entire audience had a front row seat to witness blind gameplay and production in action, and we are confident that many viewers walked away with a renewed appreciation for the power of inclusive practices,” he says.

From third-party software to able-bodied assistance, Vasquez manages to find workarounds, especially when Twitch’s inaccessibility creates problematic effects.

“Typically, common screen readers like JAWS, Voice Over, and NVDA will all follow the Twitch site scripts, which make a screen reader announce the long list of viewer badges before getting to the name of the sender and, finally, their message,” he says. “For cases where messages load in mass quantities, this will overload a screen reader and sometimes cause it to shut down entirely. It makes it difficult to respond to chat messages in real time.”

Vasquez hopes to see third-party developers work with Twitch to create accessible add-ons for better streaming experiences. Overlays, alert animations, and chat notifications should be designed with accessibility in mind, he notes. He also echoes Robinson’s statement regarding a Disability tag to allow disabled viewers and streamers to connect. But while Twitch certainly needs to improve its accessibility, Vasquez’s streams create an environment where exceptional gameplay is celebrated regardless.

“My sighted audience understands the importance of my accessibility tools, engages with fellow blind and low-vision players in the chat, and everyone is encouraged to exchange gaming experiences with each other.”

MikeTheQuad

In 2011, Michael Luckett suffered a C6 spinal cord injury after a motorcycle accident. Without the use of his hands, Luckett discovered and began utilizing adaptive equipment to play video games, streaming as MikeTheQuad. Eventually, adaptive gaming became the central focus for his streaming endeavors.

“My channel has always focused on educating the world on disabilities and gaming,” Luckett says. “When I started my channel, the first thing I wanted to ensure was that my brand aligned with my mission. That began with my name, MikeTheQuad. I wanted to create an identity that is easily deciphered. While misinterpreted by those without disabilities, I’ve found my name to be a great icebreaker to talk about disabilities.”

The primary tool within his streaming arsenal is the Xbox Adaptive Controller, a completely customizable device capable of utilizing varying switches, buttons, sticks, and even other controllers to create an entirely inclusive experience for those with physical disabilities. Like some streamers, Luckett displays several camera angles to showcase live reactions and how he plays, with particular emphasis on highlighting the Adaptive Controller.

“When the Xbox Adaptive Controller released, I knew I could use this tool to oversee visibility in disability awareness. The focus of my channel might look like it’s all about me, but I always become the shadow of the real star of my content—adaptive gaming,” he says.

While his disability does not affect how he operates his channel or interacts with his chat, Luckett notes that listening to the disabled community is crucial when designing features and services. Inclusivity is key, especially for marginalized groups, and actively acknowledging and recognizing disabled viewers and streamers should be a priority.

“Feedback from streamers with disabilities needs to be an ongoing conversation. I would like to have an actively seen resource group for employees with disabilities. If there’s already a team, this team needs to be active in releasing their innovations to the public,” he says.

Regardless of an individual’s disability, connecting through a public service like Twitch is crucial for socializing, networking, and feeling welcomed in an industry that, until several years ago, failed to support disabled players. While Twitch is an excellent avenue for understanding how disabled players game, the inaccessible features that continue to create barriers is proof that more work needs to be done. And as Luckett notes, more access is necessary.

“The biggest idea I try to push is ‘inclusive design,’ or a universal design. Inclusive design does not take away from anyone. It allows access to everyone.”

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I swear these people are destined to surpass feminists and black lives matter supporters in terms of insufferability and entitlement.
 
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actually said:
I'mma be honest--I'm not sure this thread needs to exist, but I'm open to reasons why it should stay up.
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SBM is a notable public figure in game development as an accessibility advocate and is an open and unapologetic DSP orbiter and supporter. He may not produce enough milk to be a cow on his own but I'm of the opinion that a thread on this cunt was overdue. Semper fi to @Full Race Replay for doing the legwork.
 
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So I was trying to make a post with a few clips of Phil talking about videogame acessability but I found this one and I think it is quite indicative of the entire relationship between DSP and SBM.
Ask the King Ep. 76 - May 31, 2019 pt1 - Another Job, Truly Great Games, "Default" Settings - 31 May, 2019

  • SBM's question: "Greetings. You'll have to bear with me because this one requires a lot of context. You have expressed in the past that you don't like to change any controller related settings in games because you like to play the game the way the developers had intended. ... I'll explain. As accessibility becomes more mainstream, more options in games have started to appear. Not just subtitle options or colourblind options, but all sorts of options up to and including the ability to drastically change the way that controls work in some games. As this happens, as the amount of options available for gamers increases, and as the way in which you can play games becomes more fluid, one thing becomes clear to me. Game developers intend for you to have a good time playing their game, wether that means that you adjust a few things to make it a better experience for you personally doesn't matter as long so long as you can get a better enjoyment out of it. The options are there because the developers intend for them to be there. My outside the box attempts at games alone should be enough to demonstrate that there really is no right or wrong way to play. I ask you to consider this: considering how games have changed and options like this really didn't exist in the past, and speak your thoughts on developer intent. Or if you want it in the form of a question, what do you think of my line of thinking on the matter, have I at least provided perspective?
  • DSP says, as SBM is blind he is relying on developers on new ways to play the game.
  • Phil says he is for making games more accessible for wider audiences. No one with a handicap should be unable to enjoy the things that people who don't have said handicaps enjoy.
    • What's the difference between someone who can't see/hear and someone who can besides they have that one thing? They should still be able to enjoy the game at face value.
  • Give massive props to game developers who take the time and effort to add disability accessibility to games.
  • That being said, Phil goes on about how he talks about playing the default difficulty (due to his classic "developer intended" excuse).
  • "If you're a common gamer, and you paid for the game, you have the right to change the difficulty as much as you want."
  • If you want to change difficulty on the fly in the middle of the game, that is also a good idea.
  • In general, video games are not competitive. Not everyone gets entertainment value out of the same things.
    • Some players like games with great stories and don't care about the level of challenge, or if the gameplay is existent in the game, they just want to be along for the ride.
  • Phil says he 100% agrees with SBM's point.
  • "It's ok to experience the game however you want to get fun out of it"
  • "No one should talk down to you and say you didn't experience the real game and it wasn't valid because you had modifiers". Phil says that is a "git gud" mentality, which he dislikes.
  • Phil brings up examples from the FromSoftware franchises like Sekiro. Lots of people couldn't beat it because they couldn't parry. If you couldn't master it, it was impossible to beat the game.
  • Phil says he understands the sekiro developers perspective and can see both sides of the situation.
  • Phil's perspective: If you're playing a game in your own home and is not broadcasting or competitive, and paid for the game, you should have no problem adding modifiers, different control scheme, difficulty level.
  • "I found value in playing the game myself, and I don't need to have this mentality where you have to do it that way to be valid."
  • Phil explains the difference between this and why Phil sticks to the default difficulty.
  • Phil does portray himself as someone who will broadcast the games to the public.
  • When phil puts himself out as a public figure, he broadcasts himself to you and there are some expectations of this product.
    • Playing the game on modifiers will alienate Phil from his viewers who tuned in to watch phil challenge himself.
  • Playing something that is "piss easy" is not the most entertaining thing for people who tuned in to watch Phil challenge himself.
  • Phil says he locked himself into the default game experience because he gives his review style opinion, very open honest commentary and criticism during the game and in the credits.
  • Phil says if he modified the game he couldn't give an honest opinion because he "already took the default gaming experience that those developers intended would be the default experience"
    • When someone buys a game and it's on default settings, "that's what it's supposed to be"
  • "When Dark Souls 1 was released, you could play in default experience and it is very challenging and crippling and very tough to get through. But on easy mode you don't lose souls when you die, your weapons don't degrade etc. So I turbo through the game, "wow this is the best game ever" and I rate it 10/10 perfect game, and I don't talk about any of those experiences the default gamer would have. If anything I think when people see me play Dark Souls 1 they were like "this shows that the gamer with no skill can't beat these games and is gonna get frustrated, and if you tough it through and master these games that is something to be applauded because the average person isn't going to do it"
  • Phil says when he beat Dark Souls 1 by using summons he "didn't beat the game. I summoned to win. . .it wasn't a legitimate win."
  • Phil intentionally doesn't mess with the controls so he gets the intended default experience for mainstream common persons the game developers were intending for. However, it is good to have modifiers especially for disabled people.
  • But, if Phil made every game easy how could he accurately judge the game.
  • "This is my opinion...asterisk, with all these variables"
  • Phil wants to appeal to the common viewer.
  • "Who gives a fuck how anyone else plays or enjoys a game".
  • There are exceptions though:
    • Playing street fighter online against a cheater who uses macros, that is unfair but that is a competitive environment.

When he is paying attention, Phil tries to say the "right" thing, and say how he is always in favor of more accessibility. However, when he gets into the deeper parts of his answer the mask starts to slip and he starts referring to the default difficulty for "normal people". Phil doesn't care about it, clearly because he still defends his default difficulty argument, but he goes along with what SBM is saying because he's phil's paypiggy.
 
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Pargon said:
SBM is a notable public figure in game development as an accessibility advocate and is an open and unapologetic DSP orbiter and supporter. He may not produce enough milk to be a cow on his own but I'm of the opinion that a thread on this cunt was overdue. Semper fi to @Full Race Replay for doing the legwork.
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If Derich’s debauchery is worthy of its own thread, SuperBlindCow’s unique form of debauchery is worthy as well.
 
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Ah yes, everyone knows the reason trans and disabled streamers aren't getting noticed is because there aren't enough tags

Twitch officially launches more than 350 new stream tags related to gender, sexual orientation, race, and more (archive)
Twitch officially launches more than 350 new stream tags related to gender, sexual orientation, race, and more
Twitch has officially launched its new set of stream tags for all creators on its platform. This includes more than 350 tags related to gender, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ability, mental health, and other important descriptors.

Twitch decided to launch these new stream tags as a way to give streamers more descriptive choices in terms of how they label their streams for additional discoverability.

For reference, stream tags are used to describe a broadcast, while category tags are specifically applied to certain streams to describe things like game genres. Only stream tags can be directly edited by a streamer or their moderators.

None of this will change how tagging works and is being done due to the “passion and persistence” of the Twitch community in requesting these changes. But there’s already a call for Twitch to expand the current tag/label limit of five per stream so users can add more descriptors to their broadcast.

In the process of making these new tabs, Twitch partnered with independent, third-party organizations like GLAAD, The Trevor Project, AbleGamers, SpecialEffect, and other experts focused on the progress of underrepresented and marginalized communities. The platform also received additional feedback from select members of the Twitch community.

You can view a full list of every tag that’s active on Twitch. The platform promises to continue monitoring the feature to ensure no one is using specific labels for “malicious purposes” under Twitch’s Hateful Conduct and Harassment Policy.
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