Michael Espinoza has been blind since birth. And yet he’s been playing video games since he was at least six years old. Confused how those two facts might square up?
“Growing up,” he told VICE News, “there were things that I either couldn’t do, or was told I couldn’t do. Luckily, I’m really stubborn.”
Espinoza starting playing games on his cousins’ Sega Genesis. But then his parents bought him a Playstation for his seventh birthday, opening up an entirely new universe. “I was hooked,” he said.
He started with games like Spyro the Dragon, Crash Bandicoot, and Grand Theft Auto before switching to fighting games like Street Fighter, Soulcalibur, and Mortal Kombat — his absolute favorite.
For one, fighting games negated the issue of navigation, so Espinoza could focus completely on memorizing a game’s sound design — how different moves sound depending on who is making them, or from what distance.
After years of practice, Espinoza describes learning a new game or character like learning a new instrument. At this point, he knows the theory, so to speak, so it doesn’t take him that long to dial into a character’s sonic universe.
These days, Espinoza regularly beats sighted players online, which holds particular meaning. “Beating a sighted person online when you’re blind is probably is one of the most gratifying feelings I have ever felt,” he said. “It makes me feel like my skill doesn’t have to be dependent on other people’s perceptions of what I can do.”
Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News
Check out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.com
Follow VICE News here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vicenews
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vicenews
Tumblr: http://vicenews.tumblr.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/vicenews
More videos from the VICE network: https://www.fb.com/vicevideo
More info on This Is How To Play Video Games If You’re Totally Blind (HBO)
-
32 Classic Video Games That Need To Get A Movie Or TV Show
How The Oregon Trail, a game many of us first met in the computer lab at school, hasn’t been turned into a movie is a mystery we may never fully understand. Ever since the educa ...
-
Activision forms studio to develop new narrative-driven franchise
Activision is breaking away from Call of Duty with the launch of Elsewhere Entertainment, a new studio that will develop a narrative-driven franchise.
-
Is ‘IF’ Streaming On Netflix Or HBO Max?
No, IF will not be on Max — previously known as HBO Max — since it’s not a Warner Bros. movie. No, IF will not be on Netflix — at least not anytime soon, since it will go to Paramount+ after its ...
-
All EA Play Games on PS5, PS4
News Square Enix Layoffs Underway in US and Europe as Restructure Begins ...
-
The 16 Best Free-to-Play Games on Nintendo Switch Right Now
Playing video games is an expensive hobby. Whether you’re purchasing a brand-new console ... More and more publishers have started embracing the free-to-play model in recent years, allowing ...
-
How well do you know video games? This free game will test your knowledge
Do you know how long it takes to beat your favorite video games? You can now put your skills to the test with How Long To Beat: The Game, a free browser game that’s ...
-
10 addictive Android games to play on your phone or tablet
The quality of Android games available in Google Play Store have never been better ... gaming experiences to consoles and PCs. If you're an Android user, you're in a prime position to make ...
-
Dear Abby: My partner would rather play video games than spend time with me
DEAR ABBY: My significant other loves to play video games. I believe he has become addicted. I don’t know how to tell him enough is enough. I would love to be heard and noticed by him ...
-
Metro Exodus is the perfect post apocalyptic game to play if you're tired of Fallout's wasteland
It's refreshing to actually like the people you're supposed to help ... After being thrown around by the blind one, my crew came to rescue me. I was only able to survive the radiation poisoning ...
-
5 Best TV Shows and Movies Based On Video Games
Screen adaptations of video games were once deemed certain failures, but not anymore. For the longest time, it seemed that any movie based on a video game was doomed to fail. After all ...