Memo

Date:
To:
From:
Subject:

November 22, 2014

Dr. Kristi Havens
Josh Beck
Recommendation Report for the Study of Alternative Gaming Controllers

Attached to this memo is my report on the study on alternative gaming controllers I

conducted over the period of time from October 10, 2014 to November 20, 2014. The
tasks detailed in my proposal, Proposal for One-handed Game Controller, and in the
subsequent memo, Progress Report Final, were completed by November 20, 2014.
These tasks were to research current offerings, research consumer need, interview gamer,
and prepare the report.
Most tasks were performed using secondary research such as research reports, scientific
articles, and websites of organizations dedicated to helping gamers with disabilities. The
exception to this method was interviewing a gamer, which used my own primary
research, an interview with a gamer with a mobility disability, and combined it with
secondary research from the Internet.
I found that while there are options for those who game with mobility disabilities, these
options are limited in scope, therefore making them inadequate. Many of the alternative
controllers being offered currently are simply too difficult to find online to buy, and
many of them are out of production. The ones that I did find that were available for
purchase only worked with consoles long out of production themselves. Next, I found
that the user base of gamers with mobility disabilities is small, but has potential to grow
if a good alternative controller was to be produced. Finally, I found that many gamers
with disabilities feel left out, and that no one is doing anything to help them on both the
hardware level and the software level.
Based upon these findings I recommend that the design of an alternative controller that is
affordable, widely available, and created by console manufacturers be created. I also
recommend that developers make the decision to allow users to change their control
scheme in the settings of a game to whatever works best for them.
If you have any comments or questions feel free to contact me at jbeck6@vols.utk.edu or
at (865) 684-6515.

The Current and Future Offerings of Alternative Controllers:

A Recommendation Report

Prepared by:

Josh Beck

Prepared for:

Dr. Kristi Havens

English 360

Date:

November 22, 2014

Abstract
The Current and Future Offerings of Alternative Controllers:
A Recommendation Report

Prepared by: Josh Beck

On October 23, 2014 I submitted a proposal for the creation of a one-handed controller to
Dr. Kristi Havens. On November 4, 2014 I submitted a progress report modifying my
proposal to research the current alternative controller offerings and offer a
recommendation of what should be done in the future. To make a recommendation I
researched current offerings, researched consumer need, interviewed a gamer with a
mobility disability, and prepared the report. To accomplish these tasks, I did both primary
and secondary research which included studying research reports and other scientific
documents, researching websites dedicated to helping gamers with disabilities, studying
first-hand accounts from gamers with mobility disabilities, and conducting an interview
with a gamer. I found that while there are options for those who game with mobility
disabilities, these options are limited in scope, therefore making them inadequate. Based
upon these findings I recommend that the design of an alternative controller that is
affordable, widely available, and, if possible, created and sold by console manufacturers.
I also recommend that all game developers place settings in their games to allow users to
change the control scheme to suit their individual needs.

Table of Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ 1
Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 2
Research Methods ................................................................................................................................... 3
Task 1: Research Current Offerings ............................................................................................................... 3
Task 2: Research Consumer Need ................................................................................................................... 3
Task 3: Interview Gamer.................................................................................................................................... 3
Task 4: Prepare Report ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Research Results...................................................................................................................................... 4
Task 1: Research Current Offerings ............................................................................................................... 4
Task 2: Research Consumer Need ................................................................................................................... 4
Task 3: Interview Gamer.................................................................................................................................... 5
Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................ 6
The current offerings are inadequate ........................................................................................................... 6
The number of people who need alternative controllers currently is small, but can
potentially grow with better options for those with mobility disabilities ...................................... 6
The current offerings are inadequate ........................................................................................................... 6
Consumers need a device that is affordable, and readily available ................................................... 6
Gamers with mobility disabilities need to be able to change their control schemes to
accommodate their playing style ................................................................................................................... 7
Recommendation .................................................................................................................................... 7
References.................................................................................................................................................. 8

Executive Summary
According to the Entertainment Software Association, 59% of Americans play video
games and 51% of U.S. households own a dedicated gaming console (Essential Facts
About the Computer and Video Game Industry 2). Yaun, Folmer, and Harris estimate
that approximately 11% of the U.S. population is in some way affected by a disability
that impairs their ability to play games, and that approximately 2% of the population is
unable to play at all (Game Accessibility: a Survey 6). They estimate that nearly 4
million players have a non-severe motor disability and that these consumers are limited
in their ability to provide input physically (Game Accessibility: a Survey 5, 7) when it
comes to the controllers used in gaming.
My goal was to determine what makes a good controller for someone who has mobility
disabilities and assess the current situation with respect to alternative input devices for
the physically impaired. I would then decide what to do to make the future better for
those with physical disabilities.
In order to reach my goals I researched what was necessary for making a good alternative
controller by interviewing Crue Smith, a gamer affected by a mobility disability, and by
finding first-hand accounts from gamers with similar disabilities online. I then did
extensive research on the controllers that are currently on the market to determine
whether or not they were sufficient in meeting the goal of helping gamers with mobility
disabilities play games normally. Finally, I researched the number of gamers affected by
mobility disabilities to determine the market share they held and the possible sales
numbers for an alternative controller.
I found that there is currently not sufficient support for those with mobility disabilities.
Controllers presently on the market are incredibly hard to find and many are even out of
production. The controllers that are not out of production are typically created on a madeto-order basis and are usually over $100. Many of them work only with outdated consoles
from several years ago, and none of the offerings I found work on the current console
line-up (Nintendo Wii U, PS4, and Xbox One). Further, I found that although the market
is small for such a device, creating a new device could create further growth of said
market.
I also found control schemes make gaming with mobility disabilities very challenging.
Control schemes are how you control the game with the controller. Every button on the
controller corresponds to a movement or action in the game. For instance the A button
might be used to jump whereas the directional pad may be used to move your character. I
found that in most console games there is a list of options for pre-made control schemes.
These control schemes were created by the developers so that players can play the game
how they believe is the best way to play. Many times the options are not created with
gamers with mobility disabilities in mind. This creates an issue when someone with
mobility disabilities cant find a control scheme that suits them well.

On the basis of these conclusions, I recommend that an alternative controller be made for
those with mobility disabilities, and that developers of games allow users to completely
customize control schemes.
Introduction
Across the United States there is an estimated 4 million gamers who have some nonsevere motor disability that makes them limited in their ability to provide input
physically when using a game controller on a console or PC (Game Accessibility: a
Survey 5, 7). Furthermore, Yaun, Folmer, and Harris estimate that approximately 11%
of the U.S. population is in some way affected by a disability that impairs their ability to
play games, and that approximately 2% of the population is unable to play at all (Game
Accessibility: a Survey 6).
Currently, there are a small number of alternative controllers on the market that attempt
to help gamers with mobility disabilities play games normally. Unfortunately, these
controllers are typically hard to find and many of them are even out of production.
Because gaming has such a large impact on American culture, with 59% of Americans
playing video games on a regular basis, gaming controllers for those with limited
physical input ability should be more widely available.
Additionally, game developers often dont allow for fully customizable controls in
console games. Instead of allowing a user to map any button to any action in the game,
they limit the options by allowing five or six different control schemes. Those with
mobility disabilities may find these control schemes to be difficult to use, especially since
they were not created with these gamers in mind.
My goal was to do 3 things:
Research what was necessary for making a good alternative controller, and good
alternative control schemes.
Research the controllers that are currently on the market to determine whether or
not they were sufficient in meeting the goal of helping gamers with mobility
disabilities play games normally.
Research the number of gamers affected by mobility disabilities to determine the
market share they held and the possible sales numbers for an alternative
controller.
By researching these three things I could reach the ultimate goal of finding the best
solution for helping those with mobility disabilities play games with normal functionality.
To obtain the first goal of researching what is necessary for making a good alternative
controller and good alternative control schemes, I conducted an interview with Crue
Smith, a gamer with a mobility disability, and read first-hand accounts from gamers
affected by similar disabilities. The second goal was obtained by looking at websites
specifically made for helping individuals find alternative controllers, such as
oneswitch.org.uk. Finally, to obtain the third goal, I went to game-accessibility.com,

which has an extensive collection of research papers dedicated to gaming with

disabilities, and read numerous papers regarding gaming with physical limitations.
Research Methods
The research was broken down into 3 tasks:
Task 1: Research Current Offerings
Task 2: Research Consumer Need
Task 3: Interview Gamer
Task 4: Prepare Report
I will now describe each task and how these tasks were carried out.
Task 1: Research Current Offerings
To research the current offerings available in terms of alternative controllers I went to the
websites oneswitch.org.uk and broadenedhorizons.com. One Switch and Broadened
Horizons are websites dedicated to providing alternative controllers to gamers with
disabilities. Their sites list all the current controllers available, from one-button
controllers to eye, head, and mouth controllers. These sites gave valuable information on
what systems the controllers worked with, how much they cost, and where they could be
purchased. This material gave me all the relevant information I needed to determine
whether the current offerings were sufficient enough to meet the needs of consumers
(One Handed Game Controllers, Accessible Game Controllers).
Task 2: Research Consumer Need
This task was to research the amount of gamers affected by mobility disabilities and to
determine whether or not this number was high enough to warrant creating a new device.
To do this I read several research papers on game-accessibility.com, a website dedicated
to improving the accessibility of internet and other digital media for all people. Gameaccessibility.com has a large list of research papers on accessibility in gaming, and many
of them relate to mobility disabilities.
Task 3: Interview Gamer
For this task I interviewed Crue Smith, a gamer who experienced a stroke at birth and
now has a lack of function in the right side of his body. Crue has very little fine motor
ability in his right hand making gaming difficult with a typical controller. I wanted to
interview him to get a first-hand account of what its like to be a gamer with a mobility
disability. This would allow me to have a better understanding of what kind of solution
would be best for gamers in similar situations. Since I dont have a mobility disability I
needed to talk to someone who did to try to understand what it was like to play games
with limited motor ability in one hand. His insight would be important to form a valid
solution to this problem.
I then did secondary research using first-hand accounts online from people with similar
disabilities. Using both Crues and others accounts I gained a thorough understanding of
what kind of device would be beneficial to those with lack of mobility.

Task 4: Prepare Report

Using all of the research I have conducted I then drafted this report to be turned in to Dr.
Kristi Havens on November 22, 2014.
Research Results
Below I will detail the results of each research task above.
Task 1: Research Current Offerings
Currently the number of alternative controllers widely available to gamers is quite low.
While One Switch and broadenedhorizon.com list several on their websites, many of
these can no longer be purchased and the ones that can be bought are extremely
expensive. For instance, the One-Handed Ergonomic Palm Game Controller for PS3,
PS2, Xbox 360, & PC is listed for $390 on Broadened Horizons. Additionally, none of
the controllers listed on either Broadened Horizons or One Switch were compatible with
current consoles (Wii U, PS4, Xbox One).
All of these controllers were created by third-party manufacturers, simply meaning they
were not created by or with the support of Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony. One Switch lists
several on their website that have been created for use with several different consoles, up
to and including the PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii. One such controller is the Access
Controller created by Ben Heckendorm. (One Handed Game Controllers).
Heckendorms device is fully customizable, allowing users to reposition every button to
swappable modules (Access Controller Review). This controller is the best design at
the time for disabled gamers, as it is one of the only controllers usable with the Xbox 360
and PS3 and allows for swappable control positions. The problem with Heckendorms
controller is that it isnt actually available to buy anywhere, even on the publisher
eDimensionals website. This setback combined with the lack of support for new
consoles such as the Wii U, PS4, and Xbox One, make the Access Controller a poor
choice for players. Similar problems plague other alternative controllers, making a good
controller hard to come by.
Altogether I found that the choices gamers have are slim and purchasing a controller is
costly.
Task 2: Research Consumer Need
To find the possible number of people who could use a new, dedicated alternative control
input device, I looked at several research papers on game-accessibility.com. What I found
was that the number of people who play games with a mobility disability is small at
around 4 million, but this number has room for growth. Yaun, Folmer, and Harris
estimate that a staggering 11% of the U.S. population is in some way affected by a
disability that impairs their ability to play games. This means that out of the 316 million
people currently living in the U.S., 35 million individuals are impaired when it comes to
gaming capability (Game Accessibility: a Survey 6).

In addition to those with mobility disabilities, children who play games could also benefit
from an alternative controller, specifically one that is designed to be smaller and easier to
hold. To find the number of gamers who are children I looked at the Essential Facts
About the Computer and Video Game Industry paper created by the Entertainment
Software Association. According to the report, 29% of gamers are under the age 18
(Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry 3). Obviously, these
are not all children, but even teenagers can have smaller hands than adults. I believe this
demographic is ideal for a controller that is smaller, but functionally similar, compared to
the controllers we have today.
Task 3: Interview Gamer
On November 18, 2014 I conducted an interview with a gamer named Crue Smith. When
Crue was born he had a stroke, which caused him to lose fine motor control in the right
side of his body. Crue currently plays around 20 hours a week on his Playstation 4. He
told me that the most difficult thing for him to do is aiming in shooter-type video games,
specifically shooters with first-person viewpoints. His main problem with current
controllers is size. He said Size is really the issue for me. [The controller] cant be too
big for me I would purchase a smaller controller. Crue said that he thinks a smaller
controller that every one (not only people with mobility issues) can use would be the best
option.
Crue also talked a lot about control schemes in gaming. Control schemes are how you
control the game with the controller, where every button on the controller corresponds to
a movement or action in the game. In Crues opinion most games are lacking in control
options. He said that he wishes ever game would let him create his own control scheme,
remapping all the buttons to fit his needs.
I then looked at other first-hand accounts from gamers with similar experiences to Crues.
One individual in particular was Albert Groet who details his experiences with gaming on
his website titled Gaming with one hand! Albert explains that when he was born he
had a shortage of oxygen, thats why my right hand and leg do not function properly.
He talks about how when he was younger he was able to play his Sega console with just
one hand, but as consoles and controllers became more advanced it became increasingly
difficult to play games. He says, the controllers of todays consoles have triggers on the
back; this is a big disadvantage. After giving a detailed description of how he uses a
controller, Albert closes by pleading, so game developers, think about me, when making
a game (Gaming with one hand!) Here he is echoing Crues complaint above of games
not having very forgiving control schemes for gamers with mobility disabilities.
Gamers with similar disabilities to Crues and Alberts are faced with the difficulties of
playing games with little to no use of one hand and trying to play games on the same
level as those with full control in both hands.

Conclusions
I made the following conclusions based upon my research:
1.) The current offerings are inadequate both in terms of hardware and software
options.
2.) The number of people who need alternative controllers currently is small, but can
potentially grow with the production of better options for those with mobility
disabilities.
3.) Consumers need a device that is affordable and readily available.
4.) Gamers with mobility disabilities need to be able to change their control schemes
to accommodate their playing style.
The current offerings are inadequate.
What is currently being offered is not enough to meet the needs of gamers with mobility
disabilities. Alternative controllers are too expensive and too hard to obtain to make any
significant difference to those who need them.

The number of people who need alternative controllers currently is small, but can
potentially grow with better options for those with mobility disabilities.
Presently the number of gamers who are affected by low mobility is small, but the
number of people who are affected by greater mobility disabilities in the country is
significantly higher. If a device was to be made that could give these gamers every
control input they needed without negatively affecting gameplay, the number of people
with mobility disabilities who also play video games could possibly grow. Creating a
control device for these individuals would make video games more appealing and
accessible and could potentially result in first time use of video games by those who have
previously been unable to participate in gaming. If these new gamers then became regular
consumers, the market for the newly designed device would grow drastically.
An alternative controller doesnt have to be only used by those with mobility disabilities.
For example, making a smaller controller, based on Crues assessment above that size is
the main issue, can not only appeal to gamers with mobility disabilities, but also children
or gamers with smaller hands. Currently, 29% of gamers are under the age eighteen
(Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry 5). This significant
portion of gamers could benefit from a smaller controller that fits their hands better,
giving them more control over games. Adding these two markets together yields a large
potential consumer audience that can make an alternative controller successful.
Consumers need a device that is affordable, and readily available.
To truly be a success, any device aimed at attracting those with mobility disabilities must
be affordable and readily available. The devices on the market right now are hard to find
and up to five times more expensive than normal controllers. A device that was priced
equally with mainstream controllers and was purchasable at retail stores across the
country could reach a much larger audience than already in existence.

From the research above I concluded that if the console manufactures (Microsoft, Sony,
Nintendo) were to manufacture and sell an alternative controller themselves, this would
create an alternative controller much more appealing. This would also help make the
controller more readily available. Console manufactures already sell controllers for their
systems in physical stores all around the country, so they could easily sell a new
alternative controller, designed with those with mobility disabilities in mind, at stores
across the country.
Gamers with mobility disabilities need to be able to change their control schemes to
accommodate their playing style.
Gamers like Crue and Albert, who have mobility disabilities that require them to play
games with little to no use of one hand, need to be able to change the control inputs in
games. They need to be able to remap the control schemes to fulfill their needs. For
instance, Crue has trouble playing games where he has to press the right trigger often. If
he were able to change the control scheme to where he could press the down button on
the directional pad to do what the right trigger did before, he would have an easier time
playing games that require him to press the right trigger often.
Recommendation
My recommendation is that a new input device needs to be created in order to meet the
needs of those with mobility disabilities. This device should be affordable, widely
available, and created by the console manufacturers. A device that is smaller, but still
similar in shape and functionality would be an ideal option because of the larger audience
of children and gamers with mobility disabilities.
I also recommend that game developers add options to all of their games to allow users to
change the control scheme to suit their individual needs. I recommend adding these
options in the in-game options menu, where control options typically are already.

References
Accessible Game Controllers. Broadened Horizons, n.d. Web. 14 October 2014.
Albert Groet. Gaming with one hand! www.appie21.com, n.d. Web. 14 October 2014.
Bei Yaun, Eelke Folmer, and Frederick C. Harris, Jr. Game Accessibility: a Survey.
Department of Computer Science and Engineering. University of Nevada, Reno,
n.d. Web. 14 October 2014.
Brian J. Papineau. Access Controller Review GameFwd, 14 January 2009. Web.
14 October 2014.
Entertainment Software Association. Essential Facts About the Computer and Video
Game Industry. Entertainment Software Association, 2014. Web. 14 October
2014.
On Mobility Disabilities. International Game Developers Association, n.d. Web. 14
October 2014
One Handed Game Controllers. One Switch, n.d. Web. 14 October 2014.