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Sites to Watch
These are sites that don't fit in the above rankings, but that we think should be brought to your attention.| Site | Comments |
|---|---|
Ouch!www.bbc.co.uk/ouch |
This is the BBC’s Web site for the disabled including people who are deaf. It offers a constant stream of timely and entertaining articles, blogs, and a message board. Not specifically for gamers, though they do have related articles. The site is easy to navigate. Founded in 2002. Constant updates. Alexa rank 104 508 Compliance: Missing Alts, missing foreground color tags, missing form placeholders. Categories: Information In their own words: "Ouch explores the disability world in blog posts and a monthly internet radio talk show." Why should I go there? For a lot of current information on accessibility, sometimes including gaming. |
GameBasewww.gamebase.infoSpecialEffectwww.specialeffect.org.uk |
SpecialEffect is an organization dedicated to making computer games
accessible to people with disabilities.
Their focus is motion impairment.
However, their GameBase includes a collection of 100 game reviews
that specifically address deaf-accessibility.
They stopped adding reviews in May of 2013.
However, the game reviews still exist at that site. Some reviews include ratings for:
GameBase was Founded in 2009. It stopped being updated in 2013. Alexa rank 622,726. 508 Compliance: Missing Alts, missing Labels for Forms, missing NOSCRIPTs. Categories: Help, Information, archived reviews. In their own words: "...our website is giving information worldwide to many people who might need immediate specialist advice about accessible games and controllers." Why should I go there? For archived reviews of deaf accessible games. |
Gone Sites
These are sites that were previously on this list but have gone away.We keep them around awhile because sometimes you want to know what happened to a site.
| Site | Comments |
|---|---|
DeafGamerswww.deafgamers.com |
For all the years our list has existed, this Web site was the best source on the Internet
for game reviews of deaf-accessible games. Alas, it is gone. In the Web master's own words: "After well over a decade of running Deaf Gamers, it's finally time to bring it to an end. I no longer have the money to purchase new consoles and with the old consoles being flaky at best, and my PC hardware being rather long in the tooth, I think it's time to call it a day. I've taken the website down for now but in the future I hope to have fixed its various problems and intend to restore it. For now, all I can say is thanks for visiting over the last 13 years and I hope you're all still enjoying your gaming." |
Survey Methodology
Data comes from 7-128 Software market research of over 100 Web sites relevant to the accessible gaming community,
including: developers, gaming media, and organizations.
Because we rank only what we ourselves understand well:
We specifically address single-user, desktop games that run on Windows.
We specifically do not address games that run on the Macintosh.
We specifically do not address games that run on consoles, smartphones, or in your Web browser.
Ranking is based on, in general order of priority:
Because we rank only what we ourselves understand well:
We specifically address single-user, desktop games that run on Windows.
We specifically do not address games that run on the Macintosh.
We specifically do not address games that run on consoles, smartphones, or in your Web browser.
Ranking is based on, in general order of priority:
Games
Games you can get: FREE or Commercial, via download or on CD.
This means games developed at the surveyed Web site.
This also includes Web sites where you can directly download FREE games developed at another Web site.
This also includes annotated links to Web sites where you can download FREE games developed at another Web site.
We rank FREE games higher than Commercial games.
We specifically do not include resellers unless they also offer games they themselves have developed.
We may include games that are under development when the available version is playable and interest by the gaming community is evident.
This means games developed at the surveyed Web site.
This also includes Web sites where you can directly download FREE games developed at another Web site.
This also includes annotated links to Web sites where you can download FREE games developed at another Web site.
We rank FREE games higher than Commercial games.
We specifically do not include resellers unless they also offer games they themselves have developed.
We may include games that are under development when the available version is playable and interest by the gaming community is evident.
Help
Help from other gamers or technically knowledgable people.
This means not only forums or other interactive means of sharing, but also a group of people who will give technical advice.
This means not only forums or other interactive means of sharing, but also a group of people who will give technical advice.
Information
Gaming news, technical specifications, tips.
This means information about games, including industry and academic gaming news and announcements, game descriptions, tips, cheats, walkthroughs.
It includes links that are annotated with something that adds value to the link, for example personal suggestions.
This means information about games, including industry and academic gaming news and announcements, game descriptions, tips, cheats, walkthroughs.
It includes links that are annotated with something that adds value to the link, for example personal suggestions.
Reviews
Reviews of games.
This means game reviews that include deaf and hard of hearing accessibility issues.
This means game reviews that include deaf and hard of hearing accessibility issues.
Community
Interaction with other gamers and game developers.
This means forums, blogs, chat lines, and other interactive means of sharing.
This means forums, blogs, chat lines, and other interactive means of sharing.
Currentness
How frequently is the site updated.
This means how often does it get new games, game updates, new information, or posts by gamers or developers.
Sites that have not been updated for a long time are ranked down.
This means how often does it get new games, game updates, new information, or posts by gamers or developers.
Sites that have not been updated for a long time are ranked down.
Reach
How well known is the site in the deaf gaming community?
This means how often is the Web site mentioned in forum posts, in media articles. How many comments, and commenters, are there for the Web site’s forum or blog posts. What is its Alexa rating? What observed influence has it had on our industry.
Alexa rankings indicate how often a Web site's home page is hit by users. Lower values are better.
Sites that have very little traffic or are not mentioned by the gaming community in forums and such, are ranked down.
This means how often is the Web site mentioned in forum posts, in media articles. How many comments, and commenters, are there for the Web site’s forum or blog posts. What is its Alexa rating? What observed influence has it had on our industry.
Alexa rankings indicate how often a Web site's home page is hit by users. Lower values are better.
Sites that have very little traffic or are not mentioned by the gaming community in forums and such, are ranked down.
Accessibility
Web site's 508 compliance.
This means checked with accessibility Web checkers and passes with no failures that would deny reasonable accomodation to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
This means checked with accessibility Web checkers and passes with no failures that would deny reasonable accomodation to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Does it Work?
Do all of its parts work?
This means does it have broken links?
Does it have broken Javascript?
Is its storefront inoperative or do its free downloads not download?
Is the site itself down for a significant part of our year-end survey period?
Is the gaming community complaining about lousy service?
This means does it have broken links?
Does it have broken Javascript?
Is its storefront inoperative or do its free downloads not download?
Is the site itself down for a significant part of our year-end survey period?
Is the gaming community complaining about lousy service?
Longevity
How long has the site been around.
This means when the Web site was founded.
This means when the Web site was founded.
Breadth vs Depth
Preference is given to breadth.
This means that, all else being equal, Web sites that offer help or information as well as games tend to be ranked higher than Web sites offering just games or just information.
This means that, all else being equal, Web sites that offer help or information as well as games tend to be ranked higher than Web sites offering just games or just information.
Mainstream vs. Independent vs. Educational Game Developers
For the purpose of this survey, Mainstream developers tend to be larger companies,
producing Commercial games with more features.
Independent developers tend to be smaller companies or individuals, producing simpler Commercial or FREE games.
Educational developers tend to be Independent developers who produce games that emphasize learning rather than entertainment.
This rough labeling is our way to indicate what kind of games you'll likely find at a developer Web site. It has no bearing on rankings.
Independent developers tend to be smaller companies or individuals, producing simpler Commercial or FREE games.
Educational developers tend to be Independent developers who produce games that emphasize learning rather than entertainment.
This rough labeling is our way to indicate what kind of games you'll likely find at a developer Web site. It has no bearing on rankings.
Exceptions
Exceptions to the above are put in our unranked Web Sites to Watch section.
Data is current as of May, 2016
Data is current as of May, 2016