We examine the role of sound design in designing pervasive mobile games. As a case study, we examine the sound design process and solutions of a working prototype game called The Songs of North. The goal has been a design that allows sounds to be used as a primary information channel facilitating the use of physical movement as a main game mechanics. We discuss insights from the sound design process and also generally consider the role of sound in producing immersive gaming experiences.

Web-based distance education (often identified as e-learning) is being reinvented to include richer content, with multimedia and interactive experiences that engage the students, thus increasing their motivation. However, the richer the content, the more difficult it becomes to maintain accessibility for people with special needs. Multimedia contents in general and educational games in particular present accessibility challenges that must be addressed to maintain e-learning inclusivity. Usually the accessibility of multimedia content in courses is addressed with the definition of simpler but more accessible content that diminishes the benefits of the richer content. Hence we need new, accessible multimedia technologies that guarantee that the learning experience is motivating and engaging to all students. We will focus our work on educational games, trying to leverage

To date, little has been written on digital game sound as Games Studies has almost exclusively treated and discussed digital games as a visual medium. This paper explores how sound possesses the ability to create perceptions of a variety of spaces within the game world, thus constituting a significant contributing factor to player immersion. Focusing on First-Person Shooters (FPS), we argue that player(s) and soundscape(s), and the relationships between them, may be usefully construed and conceptualized as an acoustic ecology. An argument is presented that, even though its sonic palette may be smaller, the FPS acoustic ecology emulates real world ecologies as players form a vital component in its construction and maintenance. The process of building a conceptual framework for

Talking about games refers in today’s world often to the play of audio-visual computer games. Since their first introduction in the 1960s, computer games have evolved in many ways and are today one of the fastest growing industries. Besides the classic visual games, another niche has emerged over the last decade: audio-only computer games. The main difference to conventional games is that these games can only be played and perceived through sound and acoustics. Although, initially developed by and for the visually impaired community, these games posses huge potentials for mobile (transportable) gaming and can be enjoyed by all hearing. In this work we present an overview of audio-only games, and discuss the methods and techniques to play and design such auditory worlds. We further explore the evolved genres and address the advantages, as well as the limitations of audio based gaming. Our work is motivated by our own research in this area and the development of a framework, which allows an easy design and setup of audio-only computer games.

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Abstract—Any new technology introduced in the classroom has a potential risk of increasing the divide for students with disabilities. This impact becomes greater as the new complexity of new technologies increases. In this sense, one of the most complex technologies currently being considered are educational videogames. And while the potential benefits of videogames are great also pose significant challenges from an accessibility perspective. In this paper we investigate interfaces that may facilitate access to educational games for blind students. The long-term goal is to integrate these interfaces into educational game engines or authoring tools, facilitating the adaptation of educational games to avoid a future problem of digital divide. Three eyes-free interfaces have been developed: 1) a navigation system that allows the user to browse and interact with elements using arrow and action keys; 2) a sonar that helps blind users find interactive elements in the game universe with the mouse; and 3) an interface that interprets commands typed in natural language. Keywords-Accessibility, audio 3D, eAdventure, point-and-click interaction, eyes-free games, e-learning, distance learning, game authoring tools, game-based learning, online learning, videogames. I.