“Nobody makes games for us” – results and impact of Audio Game Hub, a set of games for visually impaired

Thematic Area of product / prototype / service: 
Accessible gaming
Company (if applicable): 
Sonnar Interactive
Description of the product/Prototype/service: 
Audio Game Hub is a set of 13 arcade games that use audio as their primary interface, making them accessible for both sighted and non-sighted users. The result is the Audio Game Hub, which currently comprises 13 different audio games. Audio Game Hub was publicly released on both iOS and Android platforms. Over a period of two years, it was downloaded more than 130,000 times, gathered favourable user reviews, won multiple nominations and awards, was presented at several conferences and featured on television and the Internet. There are elements of novelty in the interface and game mechanics design in Audio Game Hub. During the research and development phase it was discovered that there is a demand for games for visually impaired people and that audio games appeal to sighted people too, as they enhance imagination and allow them to play together with non-sighted users. This session will provide an overview of the actual costs, as the information may be helpful for future Indie Designers/Developers, investors and research institutions. It may also provide users with insight into the production costs of games. Additionally, it will summarize two years of data collection, including downloads, user behaviours, user demographic and user engagement. This session will conclude with a discussion of the results and propose potential future research and development opportunities.
Level of innovation: 
Games are available on iOS, Android and PC Windows platforms. Download links are at www.audiogamehub.com
Speaker(s): 
Dr. Jarek Beksa