UK Prime Minster, David Cameron, has backed the idea that video games can be a force for good by supporting a drop-in hub that provides computers and consoles controlled by eye movements to the disabled. The Accessible Video Games Centre, in Witney, Oxfordshire, was created by games charity SpecialEffect, whose mission is to enable the severely disabled to access video games and leisure software.
As readers of our blog know, video games are increasingly being used for purposes beyond entertainment. David Thomas, our Quality Assurance Expert, explains how video games levelled the playing field for him while growing up with a disability. “I believe that my online achievements in Pac Man and Asteroids made me seem “normal” to the other kids. So it also helped my self-esteem. Now, they could finally see me as real competition and not just someone in a wheelchair.”
David Cameron’s support is a step in the right direction. There are many of us in the video games industry who are currently working hard to make games for good, games that will improve people’s lives, and promote health and wellness.