Ars Technica talks to Papa Sangre creator about developing games for the blind

Over at Ars Technica, Gamezebo’s own Andrew Webster has posted up a terrific interview with one of the creators of the recent audio-only experience Papa Sangre. If you’re at all interested in the challenges faced by a developer working entirely in audio, the interview sheds a great deal of light on this unique experience.

Somethin’ Else’s Paul Bennun talks with Ars about the experience of developing a video game that’s totally accessible to the blind, the game’s critical reception, and what’s next for Papa Sangre. Here are a few choice tidbits from the interview;

“They say ‘the pictures are better on radio,’ and the team’s suspicion was that we could create a world as detailed and carefully created as any console game with great art direction and game design—using sound alone.”
“During play-testing some blind players managed to breeze through the game, while other players found even the opening areas very difficult.”
“The illusion provided from successful binaural audio is closer to immersive reality than anything a screen can provide. That is, when it truly works, you’re actually there, getting a closer approximation to the information you’d get from a real space. So some people really find the game incredibly, unplayably, scary.”

Check out the full interview at Ars Technica.

News
November 13, 2013
The Blind Sights and Sounds of Papa Sangre II
By Joe Jasko
We're big fans of innovation in mobile games here at Gamezebo, and Somethin' Else's Papa Sangre II not only made us use our smartphones and tablets in exciting new ways this past Halloween, but the game itself was unlike anything we've ever experienced before. A horror game that's told completely through the use of sound, Papa Sangre II has players putting on headphones, closing their eyes, and spinning around to face whatever sounds are lurking out there in the darkness. It is a truly fascinating thing to behold, and even more so when you try to imagine just how Somethin' Else went about creating this modern masterpiece in mobile gaming.I recently had a chance to interview Nicky Birch, the Head of Products at Somethin' Else, who served as the Executive Producer on Papa Sangre II, and also managed the internal marketing and promotion of the audio-only horror game. We discussed everything from the challenges of making a strictly audio video game, to working with actor Sean Bean, who provides the voice of the game's eerily haunting narrator. But as you might expect from a team whose game is shrouded in all kinds of darkness and mystery, not everything about Papa Sangre himself could be brought into the light over the course of this interview. After all, what fun would that be?"You can read the full interview with Birch just below this paragraph, and be sure to check out my 5-star review of the incredibly innovative Papa Sangre II right over here. And of course, I encourage everyone reading to give the game a spin for yourselves: that is, if you're not afraid of the unnerving scratches of the mindlice growing closer in the distance, or fleeing for your life (err, death) through the black recesses of your very own mind.
News
September 26, 2013
Papa Sangre II is bringing the scares this Halloween
By Joe Jasko
Just in time for Halloween this year, Somethin Else has officially announced the release of Papa Sangre II, a follow-up to their incredibly unique audio horror game Papa Sangre that gave new meaning to the haunting bumps and thumps that we hear in the night.Told entirely through the use of sound, Papa Sangre II begins once you, yourself, are already dead. That's right, as the game's description tells us: "There is no App Store, there is no iPhone and there is no game called Papa Sangre." However, death for you is only the start of your harrowing journey, as you'll need to hunt for memories from the other deceased in order to propel yourself back to the side of the living."All in all, Papa Sangre II is set to feature 18 levels of pure "audio only" horror survival, all centered around the chilling Museum of Memories. You will flee from monsters, avoid traps, and even shoot some ducks - all by only using your ears!But now it's time to tell you about the greatest new feature of Papa Sangre II: the fact that you'll be guided throughout your entire adventure by a narrator played by Sean Bean of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones fame. I guess it's kind of a comforting thought to have Ned Stark himself keep you company through your blind descent into this dark and maddening world.

Jim Squires

Jim Squires is the Editor-in-Chief of Gamezebo. Everything you see passes his eyes first, so we like to think of him as "the gatekeeper of cool stuff." He likes good games, great writing, and just can't say no to a hamburger. Also, he is not a bear.