Evolution of Game Controllers: Toward the Support of Gamers with Physical Disabilities

Video games, as an entertaining media, dates back to the \u201850s and their hardware device underwent a long evolution starting from hand-made devices such as the \u201ccathode-ray tube amusement device\u201d up to the modern mass-produced consoles. This evolution has, of course, been accompanied by increasingly specialized interaction mechanisms. As of today, interaction with games is usually performed through industry-standard devices. These devices can be either general purpose (e.g., mouse and keyboard) or specific for gaming (e.g., a gamepad). Unfortunately, for marketing reasons, gaming interaction devices are not usually designed taking into consideration the requirements of gamers with physical disabilities. In this paper, we will offer a review of the evolution of gaming control devices with a specific attention to their use by players with physical disabilities in the upper limbs. After discussing the functionalities introduced by controllers designed for disabled players we will also propose an innovative game controller device. The proposed game controller is built around a touch screen interface which can be configured based on the user needs and will be accessible by gamers which are missing fingers or are lacking control in hands movement

FUN PLEdGE 2.0: a FUNny Platformers LEvels GEnerator (Rhythm Based)

Procedural Content Generation is quite diffused in the field of video games design and development, since it can help in relieving designers from the burden of repetitive work, optimizing the development process, increasing re-playability, adapting games to specific audiences, and enabling new games mechanics. Anyway, when applying generative techniques, it is important not to forget that the main target is not optimization, but providing fun and compelling experiences to the player. In the present work, we tackle the issue of creating and testing an automated level editor for platform video games, starting from the work of [22,31]. The tool is aimed at producing levels that are both playable and fun, using as a starting point for the structure of the levels Afro-American musical rhythms. At the same time, it should guarantee maximum freedom to the level designer, and interactively suggest corrections functional to the quality of the player experience