Disabled Drummer

[Hakatashi]

Assuming there is no option currently to allow the drumming part of Rock Band to be played without using the footpedal as it might be seen as cheating ;) I wondered if the developers would consider including it as an option to allow wheelchair users like myself to be able to play the drums.

[Xzyliac]

That's pretty logical. That should be a handicap in the game.

[AeroTrain]

Assuming there is no option currently to allow the drumming part of Rock Band to be played without using the footpedal as it might be seen as cheating ;) I wondered if the developers would consider including it as an option to allow wheelchair users like myself to be able to play the drums.

Try contacting Harmonix directly and let them know your situation. Once you've bought the game at the very least I'd think they might be willing to send out the demo disk with the pedal turned off. If they have the time and want some good PR and press, it might behoove them to make a special version available for the disabled.

Short of that, once the game is released talk to a Best Buy or other store manager, they may be able to procure a demo disk for you.

Good Luck.

[HeXcoda]

That's pretty logical. That should be a handicap in the game.

Hey, now. Disabled gamers like to play vidiyuh games, too. For instance, only way I can play guitar is with it flat on a table -- hence why I'm glad HMX is going back to having a huge, round SELECT button for Overdrive compared to the Xplorer's tiny black chicklet... can't tilt the thing.

Anyway, in this case, I recommend an adapation to move the pedal to a new location. Perhaps putting it behind your head or against your hip, some part of your body you can repeatedly nudge against the pedal. I'll probably be putting it at my elbow if I find I can't use my foot very well with it.

[Xzyliac]

Hey, now. Disabled gamers like to play vidiyuh games, too. I didn't mean any disrespect.

[Apples]

When I took a music class in college, my professor mentioned a Vietnam vet drummer he knew that had lost both legs. He somehow created hand and arm controls to emulate all the pedal controls on a drum set.

So if a software solution is not possible, perhaps a hardware one might be via modification of the controller. I'm not precisely sure how one would do that, but I thought I'd throw it out there as an idea.

[masterx1918]

I believe it's almost a mandatory law that Harmonix has to make the game able to be played by people with certain disabilities. So if there's no option to turn the bass drum off contact Harmonix and i'm 100% sure that they'll help you out, because if not you'd probably have the right to take them to court since the game is restricting your ability to fulfill your want for recreation.

[JesterOC]

Anyone know how the pedal is connected...? is it a USB connector, or perhaps CAT5? If it is something non-propietary, you should be unlimited on where you want to put it.

[nicko68]

I believe it's almost a mandatory law that Harmonix has to make the game able to be played by people with certain disabilities. So if there's no option to turn the bass drum off contact Harmonix and i'm 100% sure that they'll help you out, because if not you'd probably have the right to take them to court since the game is restricting your ability to fulfill your want for recreation.

I seriously think that companies should be as accomodating to people with disabilities as possible.

That being said, I hope that HMX couldn't be *sued* over it.

[McDeezy]

Anyone know how the pedal is connected...? is it a USB connector, or perhaps CAT5? If it is something non-propietary, you should be unlimited on where you want to put it.

I believe its a 2.5mm Headphone jack.

[pntbllrspdr]

Yeah, they really should have an option to turn it off for disabled people.

[SinistarX]

The pedal is a very simple switch (ie, not analog) and uses a standard jack to connect to the drums. This means that it should be very easy to create an accessible switch that suits a particular disability.

I switch adapt toys for my son all the time. It's a breeze.

So, Hakatashi, I guess the question is... what movement limitations do you have? Are your legs completely immobile? Are there any locations on your chair where you could use other body parts to trip a switch in rhythm with the game?

I'm not trying to pry, so don't answer if you feel it's none of my business. But it should be a simple matter to come up with a custom solution that will just replace the pedal.

[SinistarX]

I seriously think that companies should be as accomodating to people with disabilities as possible.

That being said, I hope that HMX couldn't be *sued* over it.

No, they can't. The Americans with Disabilities Act doesn't govern things like game peripherals. It deals with accessibility to public benefits, commercial properties, and telecommunications services, not toys.

[mxmarks]

Its a very interesting question and Im glad we have some posters here who are open for debate and discussion, and open to informing others about thier handicaps. Once again, another example of why this is the only video game message board I've ever joined - great people and great discussion.

It's a tricky question from HMX perspective, because I imagine distributing discs to everyone who is in need of one could become a very costly, and almost risky prospective. What if I just didn't want to use the kick, could I call HMX and say that I am unable to, and get a free disc? I realize that would be a dishonest and terrible thing to do, but as we've all see by the treatment of the demo units in stores, not everyone is as moral and honest of a person as those we find on our boards.

What about some dishonest person who decides to ramp up thier score by using a copy without the required footpedal? Would the scores translate over to XBox Live?

I really, REALLY, hope there's a solution so that everyone who wants to enjoy the game can enjoy it - it's just a very interesting question because there's so many factors involved.

[MaineDrummer]

I believe it's almost a mandatory law that Harmonix has to make the game able to be played by people with certain disabilities. So if there's no option to turn the bass drum off contact Harmonix and i'm 100% sure that they'll help you out, because if not you'd probably have the right to take them to court since the game is restricting your ability to fulfill your want for recreation.

Ahh.. That is the most ridiculous thing I have read in a long time. "restricting your ability to fulfill your want for recreation" in a video game?? Taking them to court?? Come on now.

Getting a hold of a demo disk or modifying the hardware seem like good ideas. Send them a letter, certainly wouldn't hurt to ask.

Almost mandatory? heh...

[masterx1918]

hey Mainedrummer look at this post below. I thought the Americans with Disabilites Act included game's. I wasn't sure.

No, they can't. The Americans with Disabilities Act doesn't govern things like game peripherals. It deals with accessibility to public benefits, commercial properties, and telecommunications services, not toys.

[Apples]

If someone wanted to implement this in the software, they could do something like the GH2 hyperspeed code... where the game is in the "normal" state and the kick pedal can be disabled after the code is entered.

But like a previous poster said, it certainly might unbalance the scoring and difficulty curve. Oh well, good discussion... it is something unique I'd never really heard mentioned here.

[MaineDrummer]

hey Mainedrummer look at this post below. I thought the Americans with Disabilites Act included game's. I wasn't sure.

Yeah, I saw that. I still wanted to express how silly that was. If your not sure don't say it. I want this guy, and anyone else that has a desire to play this game to be able to. But steering him to take HMX to court I felt was wrong.

[HeXcoda]

I can confirm that No, Harmonix is not obliged under the ADA to provide someone with accommodations. Not unless they WORK for Harmonix and their work environment isn't meeting their needs -- at that point it's job discrimination. The actual end product is, like with all consumer knickknacks, caveat emptor.

Usually an alternative can be either purchased or rigged up. For instance, I have a lot of trouble with triggers and shoulder buttons due to the way my hands work -- but I could swing eight FACE buttons just fine. I had an awesome six button controller, which was close enough, for my PS2... but I have yet to find something that good for my 360.

So, I made this:
http://pics.livejournal.com/twoflower/pic/000akr30
...plug a 360 controller in by lining the nails up with the screwholes on the base to lock it down, then use the levers to add some "reach" and give me something to pull on for triggers. It's not perfect, but it works, especially for driving games and others which require long, long periods of trigger holding. Not so hot for FPSes... so I play those with a mouse and keyboard on my PC instead. :)

The main problem is every disabled person has sliiiightly different needs. My hand issues may not be someone else's issues -- I may be able to do something another person has no hope of doing, and vice versa. So it's hard to get a controller to adjust to everyone's needs.

[AVC808]

id hope a person with disabilities would be able to enjoy every aspect of an awesome creation known as rock band, but i dont think they really considered the disabled consumer when designing this, nor do i feel they have a responsibility to cater to them. consider the strangely but widly popular dance dance revolution.

if enabled for the demo though, i would think they could have the bass drum notes auto hit, and maybe have a patch that would disable this mode if you are racking up a scored for leaderboards.

[HeXcoda]

id hope a person with disabilities would be able to enjoy every aspect of an awesome creation known as rock band, but i dont think they really considered the disabled consumer when designing this, nor do i feel they have a responsibility to cater to them. consider the strangely but widly popular dance dance revolution.

Hey, I can do seven footers on my ordinary game controller in DDR. :D It's fun! The fun kinda died down when I tried to do it online and everybody called me all manner of words I'm not gonna repeat here for not using a pad and called me a liar for saying I was disabled and so on, though... I stick to solo now. At least I won't get that flack for playing RB online!

[AVC808]

Hey, I can do seven footers on my ordinary game controller in DDR. :D It's fun! The fun kinda died down when I tried to do it online and everybody called me all manner of words I'm not gonna repeat here for not using a pad and called me a liar for saying I was disabled and so on, though... I stick to solo now. At least I won't get that flack for playing RB online!

my apologies, you rock sir :D
i actually forgot about the console versions of the games. when i pictured it in my head, i was thinking in the actual arcades (which also made me think about racing games). but yeah, the option to still do it with your hands is great. hope the rock band drums will find a way to be accomodating to folks without full use of their legs.

[HeXcoda]

my apologies, you rock sir :D
i actually forgot about the console versions of the games. when i pictured it in my head, i was thinking in the actual arcades (which also made me think about racing games). but yeah, the option to still do it with your hands is great. hope the rock band drums will find a way to be accomodating to folks without full use of their legs.

Ouch. I tried it in arcades once... pad too big, couldn't get my legs around the thing fast enough for even a one-footer. But that's alright, because the console ones work great. I wish they'd bring over ParaParaParadise... I played that at an anime con. You basically just wave your arms around (wiitastic!) and it was AMAZINGLY fun.

Rock Band, if anything, is an equalizer. Too long in America, music game = dancing game. But RB is something just about anyone can play, with a few tweaks and different approaches, because it's all ordinary dexterity. All hail!

[viciousknid]

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24650&highlight=wheelchair