When I’m Old, I Will (Still) Be a Gamer Mixing players with various capacities The aim of our work is to prove that designing for and with elderly people is beneficial. Indeed, the game will have to be very adaptable, due to the huge variety of gamers abilities profiles. This will lead to create new design processes and to find new solutions. This game flexibility will serve all the players, alowing them to tune the game according to their skills/abilities. Accessibility and Fun How do we ensure that older gamers have or keep access to video games ? Even though some researchers recently studied the relationship between video games and elderly people, it was (and still is) mostly in the context of serious or applied games (‘games with a pur-pose’). Only a few of them have addressed the issues of fun and player engagement for older players. However, both are needed to ensure a good user experience. Context Originally designed for entertainment purposes and dedicated to a young population of gamers, video games have grown up during the last decades. As a consequence, the variety of the population concerned with video games has changed as well. Until now, the target group of elderly people had never been privileged by the industry, whereas the first generations related to the video game (currently between 40 and 50 y.o.) are growing older and will become the next challenge of the video game industry. Références [1] Astell A, Alm N, Dye R, Gowans G, Vaughan P, Ellis M. LNCS, Springer-Verlag 2014;8547(1);264-271 doi:10.1007/978-3- 319-08596-8_42 [2] Salmon JP, Dolan, SM, Drake RS, Wilson GC, Klein RM, Eskes GA. Entertain Comput 2017;21:45-64 ISSN 1875-9521 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2017.04. 006. [3] De Schutter B, Nap H-H, Brown JA, Roberts AR. Gerontechnology 2014;13 (2):277 doi:10.4017/gt.2014.13.02.131.00 [4] https://www.includification.com [5] http://gameaccessibilityguidelines.com [6] Silver Geek Tournament 2018 Gamers Assembly, Poitiers, France Contacts [email protected] [email protected] Jérôme DUPIRE Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers Paris, France Anne-Mie Sponselee Fontys Hogeschool Mens en Gezondheid Eindhoven, The Netherlands Call of Duty 2 Current Situation When talking about video games for the elderly, the current trend will quickly move towards games with simple gameplay and simple interactions. The WII has become the most popular platform in this context with its "party game" style and its simple controllers (especially the WIImote), which allow gesture based interaction. The offer available for older players is therefore far from complete. Since the huge majority of mainstream video games offer very few accessibility options, older players are de facto excluded from most video game experiences. Esport The esport scene is growing rapidely and the competitions involving aged players are rare but already exist and develop from year to year. This track is another opportunity to get developers to improve the accessibility of their video games and consider innovative game configurations (from an hardware, software or regulatory point of view). Inspiration Research on game design for elderly people has to be emphasized (at least for an obvious demographic reason), especially in order to become a source of inspiration to design or identify best practices that could be generalized for the improvement of inclusion (meaning everybody, not only the inclusion of elderly people) in the mainstream video game production. Indeed, if a game design fits for older gamers, it means that the content and gameplay is relevant, engaging, and/or fun for this population and is accessible to it (from a cognitive, motor and/or sensory point of view). It might lead us to propose new directions to the existing game accessibility guidelines.

WhenI’mOld, I Will (Still) Be a Gamer · [email protected] Jérôme DUPIRE Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers Paris, France Anne-Mie Sponselee FontysHogeschool Mens

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When I’m Old,

I Will (Still) Be a Gamer

Mixing players withvarious capacitiesThe aim of our work is to prove thatdesigning for and with elderly peopleis beneficial. Indeed, the game willhave to be very adaptable, due to thehuge variety of gamers abilitiesprofiles. This will lead to create newdesign processes and to find newsolutions. This game flexibility willserve all the players, alowing them totune the game according to theirskills/abilities.

Accessibility and FunHow do we ensure that older gamershave or keep access to video games ?Even though some researchersrecently studied the relationshipbetween video games and elderlypeople, it was (and still is) mostly inthe context of serious or appliedgames (‘games with a pur-pose’).Only a few of them have addressedthe issues of fun and playerengagement for older players.However, both are needed to ensurea good user experience.

ContextOriginally designed for entertainmentpurposes and dedicated to a youngpopulation of gamers, video gameshave grown up during the lastdecades.As a consequence, the variety of thepopulation concerned with videogames has changed as well. Untilnow, the target group of elderlypeople had never been privileged bythe industry, whereas the firstgenerations related to the video game(currently between 40 and 50 y.o.) aregrowing older and will become thenext challenge of the video gameindustry.

Références[1] Astell A, Alm N, Dye R, Gowans G,Vaughan P, Ellis M. LNCS, Springer-Verlag2014;8547(1);264-271 doi:10.1007/978-3-319-08596-8_42[2] Salmon JP, Dolan, SM, Drake RS, WilsonGC, Klein RM, Eskes GA. Entertain Comput2017;21:45-64 ISSN 1875-9521https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2017.04.006.[3] De Schutter B, Nap H-H, Brown JA,Roberts AR. Gerontechnology 2014;13(2):277 doi:10.4017/gt.2014.13.02.131.00[4] https://www.includification.com[5] http://gameaccessibilityguidelines.com[6] Silver Geek Tournament 2018Gamers Assembly, Poitiers, France

[email protected]@fontys.nl

Jérôme DUPIREConservatoire National des Arts et Métiers

Paris, France

Anne-Mie SponseleeFontys Hogeschool Mens en Gezondheid

Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Call of Duty 2

Current SituationWhen talking about video games forthe elderly, the current trend willquickly move towards games withsimple gameplay and simpleinteractions.The WII has become the mostpopular platform in this context withits "party game" style and its simplecontrollers (especially the WIImote),which allow gesture basedinteraction.The offer available for older players istherefore far from complete. Sincethe huge majority of mainstreamvideo games offer very fewaccessibility options, older playersare de facto excluded from mostvideo game experiences.

EsportThe esport scene is growing rapidely and the competitionsinvolving aged players are rare but already exist and develop fromyear to year. This track is another opportunity to get developers toimprove the accessibility of their video games and considerinnovative game configurations (from an hardware, software orregulatory point of view).

InspirationResearch on game design for elderlypeople has to be emphasized (at leastfor an obvious demographic reason),especially in order to become a sourceof inspiration to design or identify bestpractices that could be generalized forthe improvement of inclusion(meaning everybody, not only theinclusion of elderly people) in themainstream video game production.Indeed, if a game design fits for oldergamers, it means that the contentand gameplay is relevant, engaging,and/or fun for this population and isaccessible to it (from a cognitive,motor and/or sensory point of view). Itmight lead us to propose newdirections to the existing gameaccessibility guidelines.