Understanding How Visually Impaired Players Socialize in Mobile Games

TL;DR

This study explores how visually impaired players in China socialize through mobile games, highlighting their experiences, challenges, and the need for more inclusive and accessible game design to foster better social integration.

Contribution

It provides empirical insights into the social experiences of visually impaired mobile gamers in China and identifies key barriers to their full participation.

Findings

Mobile games fulfill social needs of visually impaired players.

Technological barriers hinder full participation.

Community divisions pose social challenges.

Abstract

Mobile games are becoming a vital medium for social interaction, offering a platform that transcends geographical boundaries. An increasing number of visually impaired individuals are engaging in mobile gaming to connect, collaborate, compete, and build friendships. In China, visually impaired communities face significant social challenges in offline settings, making mobile games a crucial avenue for socialization. However, the design of mobile games and their mapping to real-world environments significantly shape their social gaming experiences. This study explores how visually impaired players in China navigate socialization and integrate into gaming communities. Through interviews with 30 visually impaired players, we found that while mobile games fulfill many of their social needs, technological barriers and insufficient accessibility features, and internal community divisions present significant challenges to their participation. This research sheds light on their social experiences and offers insights for designing more inclusive and accessible mobile games.