BA1b ★ Contextual Studies ★ Accessibility and Awareness
15:04I find that many rhythm games make me aware of my body and surroundings. Of course the obvious examples would be Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) or Stepmania, where the player must move their whole body in order to hit the notes at the correct time. However, this is a game which is highly inaccessible to those with disabilities, as it requires fast reaction times and mobility of the entire body to be able to play well. Because of this, it is very difficult for people with physical conditions to play the game as well as completely able-bodied people, creating an uneven starting point on which gamers could theoretically develop their DDR skills. It is likely that no matter how good someone's sense of rhythm is, they will not be able to play DDR or Stepmania expertly unless their physical condition is near perfect.
However, there are many more examples of rhythm games which allow more accessibility. Although the genre as a whole seems like it could be difficult for those with fine motor issues, games such as Project Diva, Taiko no Tatsujin (Taiko: Drum Master) and mobile rhythm games such as Love Live! or Aichuu require the player to be sufficiently aware of their own bodies while not having such high physical demands as DDR or Stepmania. These games require you to move your hands or arms quickly and accurately and use your sense of hearing simultaneously to judge whether you are performing correctly, helping the player to raise their reflex time and respond to audio cues effectively.

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