Blind Teen Amazes With Video-Game Skills

[iwillfearnoevil]

sorry if this is a repost ... i did try to look first ...

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050727/ap_on_hi_te/games_blind_gamer_1

Blind since birth when his optic nerve didn't connect because of Leber's disease, Mellen honed his video game skills over the years through patient and not-so-patient playing, memorizing key joystick operations and moves in certain games, asking lots of questions and paying particular attention to audio cues. He worked his way up from games such as "Space Invaders" and "Asteroid," onto the modern combat games.

When the question of broken controllers comes up, Mellen flashes a smile and just shrugs.

"I used to have quite a temper," he said. "Me and controllers didn't get along very well."

[danny_galaga]

TOMMY! i wonder if he can play pinball? i'm guessing (without reading the article) that he relies on stereo sound...

[JB]

TOMMY! i wonder if he can play pinball? i'm guessing (without reading the article) that he relies on stereo sound...

Probably for more modern games.

But They mentioned he started with Space Invaders, which was mono.
...
They also said Asteroids, though. I've got NO clue how you can play that one without seeing.

[paigeoliver]

You can't play Asteroids or Space Invaders by sound. He might have tried it, but you can't do it, the audio in them is too separated from the action in the game, and there aren't enough cues.

Basically what that article is REALLY saying is that if you learn all the special moves in fighting games then you don't even have to see the screen. Just about the only type of game a blind man could play, well that, and I am sure a blind man could play "Derby Owner's Club" (albeit badly), because it has really simple controls and tons of audio cues.

[paigeoliver]

Asteroids would need quadraphonic audio that was really loud and detailed with audio reflecting off the various things in the game (with player considered to be sitting where the ship is), to even be mildly playable by the blind.

While Space Invaders would need an audio cue for hitting the edge, but that still isn't enough because Invaders isn't a pattern game, and you have no way to know which invaders you have or haven't killed, and as soon as YOU get hit then you will lose track of their locations.

[iwillfearnoevil]

You can't play Asteroids or Space Invaders by sound. He might have tried it, but you can't do it, the audio in them is too separated from the action in the game, and there aren't enough cues.

maybe this is why he went through so many controllers early on.

[paigeoliver]

And I wouldn't classify the whole thing as amazing so much as I would "kind of sad".

[missioncontrol]

I thought it was pretty cool........

[Havok]

Well, he could play any fighting game - you learn the special moves and keep doing them, no real skill after that. I'd like to see him matched up against a good player and see how he does...

[Stingray]

I'm gonna fire up Space Invaders when I get home and see how well I do with my eyes closed.

I'm with MissionC on this one, pretty cool.

-S

[danny_galaga]

And I wouldn't classify the whole thing as amazing so much as I would "kind of sad".

lighten up! as long as hes happy. and in fact how many of us havent drunk too much and played a game blind 

[lcddream]

give the poor guy some credit....

[SirPeale]

While Space Invaders would need an audio cue for hitting the edge, but that still isn't enough because Invaders isn't a pattern game, and you have no way to know which invaders you have or haven't killed, and as soon as YOU get hit then you will lose track of their locations.

Actually you get get a fairly accurate position by listening to when you shoot the shields.

Hitting the final invader when it's streaking across the screen, however...

[RayB]

Have any of you PLAYED Soul Calibur (II)? It's the kind of game where if you just mash the various attack buttons like crazy you end up pulling off all these amazing combos. Takes almost zero skill (at default skill settings).

[Sephroth57]

pssh, i would destroy him in SC2 (note im talking trash to a blind kid, lol)   no but seriously u cant just press buttons in SC2 especially, yeah youll do a combo which i will easily evade and when you have that 1 sec delay while ur hitting air youre destroyed.. but yeah =p

[Thenasty]

I dunno how blind people do things that a normal person can't do. For example, I can't finish this Rubix Cube and its been over 18 years and yet I read an article that a BLIND kid did it in less than 2 minutes.
Go figure.....Seems like being blind gives you some kind of power (ie:DareDevil). 
Don't you wish you are blind too ?