Interactive PC Games for Blind Players? Yes, and the VTPlayer product family keeps growing -- in time for the giving season

New multimedia game aplications especially designed for PC users who are blind are announced by VirTouch, a company which is totally focused on the development of computer-based tactile products. These games appeal equally to people who are sighted and who care to share time and activities with blind friends. The key to their usefulness and fun is a mouse-like device first announced earlier this year and now shipping in growing numbers in the United States and Europe.

Jerusalem, Israel (PRWEB) November 21, 2003 -- It's not every day that software is announced for multimedia game-playing for people who are blind. But that's exactly what Israeli technology company VirTouch specializes in developing.

VirTouch announced its revolutionary VTPlayer in January, and began shipping in the United States almost immediately afterwards. Displayed for the first time at the ATIA show in Orlando, Florida, the VTPlayer broke new ground: a consumer device featuring fast-moving games, with proven educational features - and functioning as a computer mouse to boot.

"When you break into a niche that didn't previously exist, it can be quite a challenge to let people understand what it does and who needs it," said VirTouch CEO Arnold Roth. "The challenge that we have been grappling with since we started to ship the VTPlayer in March 2003 has been to let people understand the dual nature of the product. The VTPlayer hardware functions as both an input device and an output device. Calling it a mouse for the blind, which is what many people tend to do, is a little misleading. True, it's a mouse with all the conventional mouse features, so that's the input side. But far more important is that is allows blind gamers to experience the on-screen action via sound and motion. So it's a tactile output device," he said. And that tactile side is of critical importance in understanding how useful and fun this innovative product is.

"We shipped several interactive multimedia games as part of the standard package on day one. We knew that a PC hardware product without software to use with it made no sense. And we made it clear to everyone who would listen that we were committed to growing the family of VTPlayer software. In fact, software development is the largest part of our activity, and we have some great results to show for it," said Roth.

He announced two additional interactive-game titles today. Both products are shipping immediately. They are: Space War (Suggested Retail Price: $34.95) and Hidden Bombs (SRP $24.95). [Full descriptions can be found on the company's website at www.virtouch.com/Products.htm including downloadable images suitable for publication.]

"There are two things which make us especially proud of these newest games titles. The first is that finally someone - VirTouch - has understood the critical importance of giving people who are blind the ability and the means to play on equal terms with people who are not blind," said Roth. "These VTPlayer titles are engineered from the ground up to be fun and entertaining in roughly equal measures to people who see and people who don't. What's more, two can play on the same Windows PC, at the same time, and against one another and both are going to enjoy it immensely - one with the VTPlayer in hand, and the other with an ordinary mouse. The socialization factor has been demonstrated time and again to be one of the most valuable things that good, well-designed software can achieve. And based on results from out there in the field, we think we're doing it right."

"The second thing which makes us proud," said Roth "is that we have shown that well-designed and fun software can also be educational. In the case of blind children, the VTPlayer series has won acclaim from educators in Europe and the United States because of the effective way it integrates enjoyment with serious concepts like spatial awareness, personal navigation and other vital cognitive skills. While our products include the features that go to make "edutainment" fun, like shooting with sound effects, and crashing vehicles

VirTouch also announced a special promotion for the 2003 holiday season - two unique bundles of hardware plus software in specially marked packages which include a $100 manufacturer's rebate. Full details are in a separate announcement also made today, and online at www.virtouch.com/Latest_Developments.htm

The VTPlayer is sold through authorized resellers in the United States and Europe. The base product includes the VTPlayer device, plus three cognitive game software titles, one tactile mapping software application, and a highly interactive and much-praised Braille learning software game. The package retails for US$695. Add-on software products (including those announced today) from VirTouch and from other accessibility-software specialists are becoming available.

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VirTouch Ltd., based in Jerusalem, Israel, is a pioneering developer of computer software and hardware designed to meet the tactile needs of blind and low-vision users. For more information, visit our web site www.virtouch.com

For the contact details of authorized VTPlayer resellers in the US, contact us at usresellers@virtouch.com. For a similar list in Europe, contact us at europeresellers@virtouch.com.

Corporate inquiries, including press and dealer inquiries, should be directed to corporate@virtouch.com. Or call toll-free from the United States 1-888-393-4040.
From all other places, phone us in Jerusalem, Israel, on +972-2-587-0340.
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VirTouch publishes its press announcements on-line at http://www.virtouch.com/Latest_Developments.htm