معرفی
Per Anders Östblad serves as an Assistant Professor in Media, Aesthetics and Narrative within the Department of Information Technology at the University of Skövde's School of Informatics. His research focuses on creating inclusive gaming experiences with a particular emphasis on accessibility for visually impaired players. His work bridges the gap between media aesthetics, game design, and technological innovation to make gaming more universally accessible.
Östblad's primary research interests lie at the intersection of inclusive game design, audio interfaces, and immersive experiences. His work investigates how audio can substitute or enhance visual elements in games, enabling visually impaired players to fully participate in gaming culture. His research explores the cognitive aspects of audio-visual perception and how these inform the development of more accessible game interfaces. He examines immersion in gaming environments from multiple sensory perspectives, challenging traditional visual-centric game design paradigms.
Analysis of his publication history reveals a consistent focus on accessibility in gaming, with particular emphasis on audio interfaces and inclusive design principles. His work demonstrates how games can be designed to accommodate players with visual impairments without compromising the gaming experience for sighted players. His research spans both theoretical investigations of immersion and perception, as well as practical implementations of audio-based navigation and interface systems. The evolution of his work shows increasing sophistication in understanding how to create shared gaming experiences that transcend visual limitations.
Östblad led the Inclusive Game Design project from January 2014 to June 2015, which aimed to develop a framework for inclusive computer game design. The project resulted in two games for smartphones and tablets specifically designed to include players with visual impairments. His collaborative work with researchers like Henrik Engström, Jenny Brusk, and Ulf Wilhelmsson demonstrates a strong interdisciplinary approach to solving accessibility challenges in gaming.
