Thanks for your interest in the autism research video game. Please first read carefully through to the end of this page, including the section on bugs. The installer is incomplete to say the least, but this page should help you overcome its inadequacies.

The current build of the game is available for testing and recruiting purposes. Only one mini-game, Maritime Defender, is implemented thus far. Eventually there will be an entire suite of games, all of which will be built round the theme of acquiring resources to build and to maintain a space colony.

System requirements:

• Windows XP Service Pack 2, or Windows Vista
• a graphics card that supports DirectX 9 and Pixel Shader 1

Although we intend to release the game publicly, because the game collects experimental data on the people who play it we cannot make it generally available until it has been submitted to, and approved by, our Institutional Review Board (IRB). This IRB process will not begin until more of the game has been completed and we are closer to the game's release date. This approval process exists in order to ensure that all experimental work involving human subjects is conducted ethically. We are not permitted to solicit contact with experimental subjects before IRB approval has been granted. For this reason — and only for this reason — we currently require a password in order to download the game software. Passwords can be requested via the link at the bottom of this page.

Software requirements:

• Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0
  You can check whether you already have this by looking for C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.*
• DirectX 9
  You can check whether you already have this by selecting Start→Run... and running dxdiag. Look for the "DirectX Version" line at the bottom of the window.
• parallel port driver (for computers with parallel ports)
  Run (Start→Run...) a command shell (cmd), cd into the directory that contains the downloaded file "hwinterface.ocx", and enter the command line regsvr32 hwinterface.ocx.

After downloading and installing all these prerequisites, run the installer for the game which can be downloaded here.

The installer opens, but when I click Next nothing happens.
Did you install .NET 2.0?

The game installs, but aborts as soon as I run it.
Does your graphics card support Pixel Shader version 1.0?
Is the appropriate video driver installed?

• When the user has forgot to install .NET 2.0, the installer should say something useful instead of just refusing to advance to the next screen.
• Installation of DirectX and registration of the parallel port driver should be folded into the installer so that the user doesn't have to go through all these steps separately.

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  PASSWORDS

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  By requesting a password, you certify that you're interested in the game as a potential software developer or autism researcher, and that you are not a prospective experimental subject. People who would like to serve as test subjects for the game should not contact us until the game has been given IRB approval.
  
  To receive a password, enter your email address here:

  Then follow one of the links above to download the installer.

Last update Jan 2008