Advancements in optical technology are a wonderful thing, and it is helping color blind gamer Shaun see things in color for the very first time. Shaun has been playing Blizzard’s World of Warcraft for the past ten years, and a WoW guildmate of his who goes by the name of ZOMBGiEF went around to their WoW friends to help raise money for a pair of Enchroma glasses for Shaun’s 45th birthday. Enchroma glasses utilize a special type of lens that provide a ‘chromatic contrast enhancement’ for those with color blindness, enabling them to see in color, much in the way those with normal vision can. In the video below, Shaun boots up World of Warcraft while wearing his new Enchroma glasses, and is treated to an array of colors as he begins to explore Azeroth in color for the first time. Check it out:

Many touching videos of people trying out Enchroma glasses for the first time can be found on the Internet, and it is just as heartening to see Shaun experience WoW in color after ten years of playing it color blind. Being a color blind gamer isn’t easy, especially when there are mechanics of a game – raid-related or otherwise – that require color vision to progress further into the game. In the video, Shaun gives mention to a particular instance in the game where his raid buddies would become afflicted with a ‘purple fog’, which Shaun would need to cleanse off of his friends before, well, bad things happen. The problem is, Shaun was previously unable to see the fog, and had to rely on text cues from his raid partners in order to know what was going on. Thankfully, with these new glasses, he can simply enjoy the game without being hindered by a lack of visible color.  

Shaun has a whole new world open to him now that he can see in color. He can more thoroughly appreciate things as simple as the breathing color effect on his mechanical keyboard, or the questionably colored ‘Armor of The Fifth Age’ Taric portrait that is sitting on his shelf. “It’s still a great gift,” he claims. Happy gaming, Shaun!

So, what did you think about the story? Do you have any conditions that prohibit you from playing certain games? Let us know in the comments section below, and as always, stay tuned to Don’t Feed the Gamers for all the latest gaming and entertainment updates! Don’t forget to follow DFTG on Twitter for our 24/7 news feed!