Disney and Beyond News - Pop Culture Edition 18/10/17

Today in the news, we take a look at all the biggest Film,TV and gaming announcements to come out in the last couple of weeks including some more news from the Avatar sequel, some superhero film news and the Battlefield 1 Turning Tides announcement.

Disney and Beyond Friday Feature - Star Wars Battlefront 2 Controversy

In today's Friday Feature, I give my opinions on the #Battlefront2 Loot box controversy.

Disney and Beyond Gamescom 2017 Roundup

Hello and welcome back to Disney And Beyond, your one stop shop to all things Disney and Pop Culture.

Today it's time for some gaming announcements. This week I'm taking a look back at what news came from Gamescom 2017 over in Cologne, Germany. 

Disney And Beyond Friday Feature - Gotta Represent ‘Em All: Disabled Characters in Gaming

I’ve been a gamer for long as I can remember, going all the way back to my first console at the age of five.  Some of you may even remember my article from last where I regained the ability to play the games for myself with the fantastic support provided by the charity, Special Effect.  However, as I was sitting at home playing one of my many games on the PS4, something struck me that I’d never paid much attention to.  What is it?  I shall tell you.

In all my years playing computer games, I've never once played as a disabled character.  That got me to thinking, are there any disabled characters in computer games?  After thirty minutes of deliberation, I came up with two characters; one of those was Professor Xavier, the wheelchair-bound leader of the X-Men and Daredevil, the blind vigilante from Hell's Kitchen, both of which are characters from other medium.  I'm not even sure if Professor Xavier was even a playable character!  Since having those initials thoughts, I've discovered a couple more, the majority of which are non-playable characters, or bit parts.  I certainly haven't discovered any games where the central character has a form of disability.  But are side characters enough?  Would a game featuring a central character with a disability be worthwhile?

To answer those questions, I shall take on the latter first.  It’s clear why certain types of games don’t feature disabled characters; you couldn’t have a person in a wheelchair storming the beaches in Normandy for example.  Historical games require historical accuracy.  Realism is also a big thing in gaming right now, so any situation where it would be unrealistic to have a disabled character gets a pass.  But other genres have no excuse.  Take The Sims for example, a game that at its essence is supposed to simulate life.  Surely it would be more realistic to have disabled characters feature, or at the very least, an option to create one?  But there isn’t and it’s the same with Fantasy and Sci-fi.  Anything is possible in those genres and yet, you never see a character with enhanced mobility aides.  So to answer my first question, no it isn’t enough.

Disability is a very broad spectrum, so I understand that it would be hard to please everyone.  But in the 21^st Century, to ignore us entirely, is just plain wrong.  Billions are invested every year in the gaming industry, so why can’t they invest a little of that in to improving diversity in games.  Not only could it be educational, but it would also do wonders for disability awareness.  So, come on developers, show me what you've got.

Until next time... To infinity and beyond!

Disney and Beyond News - Disney D23 Expo 2017 Special (Part Two)

Hey everyone, here's part two of the Disney and Beyond D23expo news roundup. This time I take a look at the three major game titles coming out over the next year. Enjoy!

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Taking Control: My Gaming Comeback

I remember the first time I held the controller of a gaming console.  I was five years old, on holiday with my parents and some family friends whose son owned a Sega Master System. Straightaway I was hooked to the fast pace and exciting action taking place on the screen. I was in control. I was the omnipotent God controlling the lives of the pixelated men jumping and kicking on screen. And that summer, I owned my first games console and haven't really looked back since.

My experience of gaming has been extensive over the years, having owned nearly every console that has ever existed. Gaming is a big part of me, whether it be a sports game, a beat ‘em up, a first person shooter, or an RPG. You name it, I've played it. But my love of gaming has taken a back seat for the last 15 years. With the ever increasing weakness in my arms and hands, playing computer games got to the point where it just wasn't worth the effort. I was getting less functionality out of my body and therefore less ability on the games. Couple that with the ever increasing complexity of games, which require more buttons to press, it was almost impossible. My pixelated persona became a shadow, a backseat gamer, destined to watch those do the things that I loved to do. It’s true what they say, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

That was until last year, when I stumbled across a charity called Special Effect. All it took was an initial contact email to them and arrangements were made for them to visit me in my family home. They came, looked at the problem and within a few hours, I was back in control. I haven’t stopped playing since. It really is the most amazing feeling being back in charge. Like a phoenix, I’m reborn. I really couldn’t be happier with the outcome. How did they do it? I shall explain.

My rig, as I’ve now named it, consists of an adapted PlayStation 4 control pad that has four micro switches plugged into the handles that can be mapped to any button that I require via the console settings. They essentially replace the trigger buttons on the shoulders of the control pad. That is then mounted to a photography camera bracket in order to bring it level with my chin, which I use to manipulate the left analogue stick. Each button is positioned where I can easily press them; one for each hand and two on the wings of my headrest. I also have voice controls set up for more complex games to give me increased functionality. It took around three hours to come up with the solution and implement it.  I couldn't be happier with it, as it works for me and only takes around ten minutes to set up each time I want to play.

I think I’ve said it twice already in this blog, but I’m so happy to be playing again. Watching was fun for a time, but nothing beats doing it yourself. Gaming gives disabled people a chance to do things in life that they may never get to do. When I'm playing I can run, jump, or fight. I can be anything I want to be without the limitations of my disability. The guys at Special Effect have given that back to me and I wouldn't change it for the world. I can’t ever thank them enough.

Until next time… To infinity and beyond! 

Disney and Beyond - Disney D23Expo 2017

Hello and welcome back to Disney And Beyond, your one stop shop to all things Disney and pop culture.

Today it's time for a Friday Feature. This week I'm looking at the Disney D23expo happening right now in Anaheim. I talk about all the things that I hope will be there and all the things that have already been confirmed.

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Disney and Beyond News #2 - Pop Culture Edition

Welcome to the Disney and Beyond News #2 - Pop Culture Edition. Today we look at the latest film and TV announcements including the title for the next Jurassic World, the new Jumanji and Deathnote trailers, along with an Assassin's Creed Anime . Plus, we also take a look at the world of gaming with Splatoon 2, Battlefield 1, Overwatch and Hearthstone.

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