Disabled gamers want more than 'fluffy' choices

Video gamer Robert Florio huffs and puffs as he climbs ledges, leaps ravines and scales a rope in "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend."

But that's not emotion of the moment captured in video at www.robertflorio.com; it's Florio moving his character with a sip/puff straw connected to a tricked-out video game controller -- technology that lets him, a quadriplegic who champions accessible gaming, enjoy the popular action adventure title.

About 10 to 20 percent of the gaming population is disabled, but they get little attention from the Nintendos, Sonys and Microsofts of the world. Now, academia is trying to show gamemakers that with a little thought and ingenuity, their titles can be played -- and purchased by -- gamers they have never courted before. ...

Game controllers and other hardware represent a different challenge, and individual companies such as KY Enterprises have emerged to make custom adaptations for gamers with special physical requirements. The small Montana firm rewires controllers for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, then adds sip/puff straws and other controls. Called the KYE Quad Controller, the clunky metal device may not win design awards, but it lets gamers use their mouths to move characters on screen. The Quad Controller sells for $260 at www.quadcontrol.com.

Perhaps the ultimate game controller operates on brain waves. A teenager being studied for epilepsy last fall at Washington University in St. Louis was able to play "Space Invaders" using his thoughts. Researchers had placed a grid atop his brain to study his disorder, then with the consent of the teen and his parents, connected the grid to a computer attached to the video game. The teen was able to use brain waves to move the on-screen cannon, fire at descending rows of aliens and destroy the first wave of attackers.

Those findings could lead one day to artificial limbs that respond to human thought. It's another example of how video games do more than entertain, says Ben Sawyer, chairman of the Serious Games Summit. That organization is exploring how games can be used to do everything from training surgeons, teaching history to students and educating a sales force. ...

•	Disabled gamers want more than 'fluffy' choices THE DIGITAL PAGE: WEEKLY GUIDE TO ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY Chicago Tribune, Tuesday, April 10, 2007 Byline: Eric Gwinn, Tribune staff reporter