Hi all.
I got to be a beta tester for this game. I like it a lot. For the first
time I can play a game while talking to someone on Skype. Just mute the
sounds and the only problem is the people asking what all that clicking
noise is I'm making as I use the buttons on my first generation
Humanware Brailliant32 to manipulate the shapes. I can't hear very well.
I use two hearing aids at around the range of 90db level. I can talk on
skype to people with good microphones and the right kind of voice and
surrounding environment, but I totally can't talk and do anything else
with sounds at the same time. No audio games, no email, no text
chatting. Not gonna happen. I have the Brailliant around to help me with
that, but I find it a little too clunky to use for reading emails and
various other activities, so generally the expensive display sits
forgotten. That was until Dotris came along. I found that Dotris after I
got some practice in became awfully relaxing to play. It's just enough
challenge to keep me alert but it's one of those games you can just sit
back and enjoy, no need to be on the edge of your seat.
I know the big issue with this game is that you need a Braille Display
to play it. I'm happy that I have one. I'm hopeful that soon the price
of them will drop dramatically, I'd like to see more people having the
ability to play games like this.
I had a good experience testing it. There didn't seem to be hardly any
bugs. If you do have access to a braille display, I surely recommend
this one. It's an all new kind of fun. There is a tutorial in the game
that walks through the basics of playing Dotris, and the braille display
goes through the motions being described. Very neat in my opinion. I
would say hopefully some day we can figure out a way to make an audio
capability for those who don't have the display, but right yet I can't
think of how to do it.
I played so much when I first got my hands on it I was actually thinking
about playing and picturing shapes in my sleep literally. My highest
score is 275, but that was done at a time that the game was a little
easier to play than it is now so don't consider failure to kick my butt
in the case that is so a bad thing.
Sent with Thunderbird 14 Portable
On 10/13/2012 5:00 PM, Nick Adamson wrote:
N A Soft is proud to release our First title, Dotris, in support of
the Clear Vision Library
Hi All.
I'm Nick from N A Soft and today I'm pleased to announce the release
of our first Game for the blind, Dotris.
Dotris is a computer game specifically designed for the blind which is
unique in the Blind Gaming arena as it is the only game currently on
the market that is played using a Braille Display.
Dotris is a puzzle type of game where the object is to build a wall of
dots on the left of the display using shapes which fly in from the
right. Described as strangely addictive by one of the test team users
position and rotate the shapes to build the wall and score points.
Dotris doesn't depend on any particular screen reader and is supported
on Windows XP, Windows vista and windows 7. It supports over 20
different types of display from the vast majority of Braille display
manufacturers as it uses the same Technology used in the Dolphin
Computer Access line of products to control the Braille display.
I started to develop Dotris as a programming challenge. As a Braille
user I've wondered for a long time weather a game like this would be
possible using a Braille display. Well it can be done and it's a lot
of fun to play.
Rather than release the game for users to purchase or release it as
freeware it is my intention to encourage the use of Braille through
the game. With this in mind Dotris has been released as Donationware.
This means that there is know charge to download the game however
users are expected to make a donation to a charity chosen. Users are
asked to value the game and donate what they believe its worth to the
Clear Vision children's library. A charity which modify printed
children's books by inserting Braille text enabling blind children or
parents to read the books.
Clear vision is a fantastic service which has enabled me to be able to
read to my kids. I worry about the decline in Braille skills and
trying to raise the profile and money for the clear vision library is
my attempt to help slow this decline. As I used to hate reading
Braille it's a complete turn around in my attitude to Braille in the
last 10 years.
Huge thanks to my volunteer test team and to the guys at Dolphin who
have allowed me to use there SAM software to control the displays.
To find out more about my love hate relationship with Braille and
information and links to download Dotris visit the N A Soft section of
the www.ndadamson.com website.
N A Soft can be contacted through our twitter account @N_A_Soft or via
the www.ndadamson.com website.
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