Hi michael.
firstly some stats and corrections.
for your information while Usa games, gma, bsc, draconis, blind adrenalin
and 7-128 are located in the usa, blastbay is based in sweedan, as was the
old terraformers project, Vip gameszone is based in israil, audiogames.net
is run from the netherlands, pontes games is run from romania, X site is run
online but damien himself is in the Uk, Zero site is based in Italy, the old
light tech interactive was a collaboration betwene one hungarian, one
Iranian and one I believe czech developer, Nielsbauer who make smugglers are
based in Germany, the recent Bari bari baseball and football games are bmade
by a company in Japan, as is the developer of laser breakout, world of war,
bockerano debuken etc.
So while it is true there are many game developers in the Us, it's not true
that most are based there, ---- indeed neither are most of the audio games
community (I'm english myself)l.
As to percentages of population, at last count 2.6 percent of the total
world population had low vision, and 0.6 percent are blind.
However, of that 0.6 percent, only perhaps a fifth, ---- so 0.13 percent
will be under the age of 50, with most being 75 or older.
this isn't to say older eople don't use electronics, but certainly most
don't, in fact at a rough guess, I'd say that even in a modern country
perhaps only 0.01 percent of the population will use computers or electronic
devices, ---- and of those not all will be gamers.
When your dealing with big corporations who wreckon selling to at least ten
percent of the total population if not more, then 0.01 percent doesn't cut
the mustard unfortunately.
Voices on bank machines, busses etc are also there to serve the percentage
of the blind population who don't! use electronics, In fact would I'd say
bennifit nearly all of that 0.06 percent, plus of course sighted members of
the population who don't pay attention.
As to why pcs and not games consoles etc, the answer is simple.
Most blind people of working age or close to it (which actually means very
few as I've said above), in modern countries are bought pcs by governmental
institutions or charatieis for work. This is how companies like Freedom
scientific, Dolphin and the people who make other screen readers make their
money, by selling to institutions, ---- also why the price of access tech is
high, sinse while individuals can't usually afford it, institutions might be
able to, and thus compensate for the comparatively few sales they'll get.
Unfortunately, these are stats that can't be argued with, and being as most
things in the world currently, ---- especially to do with technology, are
dictated by the almighty prophet margin there's not a lot that can be done.
indeed, blind gamers are in a far worse position than other disabled groups,
simply because most blind people are not of an age to play computer
games, ---- where as say motion impared gamers are of all ages.
unfortunately, these are the facts and the numbers, and we're not in a world
currenty where small numbers make a difference.
Beware the Grue!
dArk.
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