
What’s required to play the average video game? Not in terms of tech, television resolution, or optimal viewing angle; but how about the functions of your body? Well, to start, the common controller needs your index and middle fingers for those shoulder buttons. Your thumbs need to be pretty dextrous, manning the joysticks, buttons, and directional-pad in harmony. Then either your ring or pinky need keep that controller hoisted while your other fingers whip about. And that’s all assuming you can draw two hands close enough together to fit into gaming’s mould.
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This contraption was put together using the Adroit Controller, a box that lets you completely customize the configuration of an Xbox 360 controller as needed. Oddly enough, the generous device was created by a company called Evil Controllers.“I always thought it was pretty funny since they’ve partnered with us,” says Barlet. “One of their slogans is ‘Evil Controllers, when evil goes good.’”“See, there’s the game, there’s the system it plays on, there’s an interface, and there’s you. The interface most of us use is a keyboard or mouse, controller, and then there’s the game. We’re just interrupting that middleware, taking the interface, blowing it apart and making different modes of operation for it than the lockbox controller.”They weren’t in use, but around the room were mammoth game pads, similar looking to the type Street Fighter pros use, but built to withstand any damage that may come to them. They can also be mounted on most surfaces. Barlet said he once sent one to Malaysia in nothing more than a manila envelope. “It was probably holding up cargo on the airplane,” says Barlet.
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Barlet hopes that one day his foundation won’t be needed, his exit strategy being a general awareness that the standard concept of a controller isn’t universally inclusive, and that the alternatives will be easily accessible for those who need them. He also isn’t fazed by Kinect or motion control, since we’re over half a decade in and Dance Central and Wii Sports have remained the few highlights for those platforms.While the kid-friendly Peggle and Hexic were in play most of the time, a stack to the side built of Fallout 3, Bioshock Infinite, and friends shows this isn’t some precious operation, investing in experimental programs or the dreaded edutainment. This is about concretely creating alternatives so that if someone can only use some of their fingers, or no fingers, or fingers in unique configurations, they won’t have to sit out while everyone dismembers organs with the next Mortal Kombat. It’s just about including everyone in a recreation most schlubs take for granted.The Toronto lab is permanent, and the public can visit, but for those interested an appointment must be made ahead of time. Contact information is available on Semaphore's site. @KingFranknstein