1 game to represent gaming to someone who has no clue about it.

[Syntax Error]

I'd say Mario 3 for the NES. Simply designed but with elegant execution. It's a game without pretenses.

Or Portal. Portal is one of the best games I've played in recent memory.

 

[Atheist.]

Star Ocean 2. Simply because I bloody love that game.

 

[Aeonknight]

Any of the SNES titles that came out during the "golden age" of gaming would suffice. Chrono Trigger, FF6, Legend of Zelda: LttP, etc. Pick any of em.

 

[The Apothecarry]

Tetris, plain and simple. BAM! said the lady!

 

[Another]

If it's someone who's just started gaming and I had one chance to show them?
Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale. Light RPG with mechanics that start simple and then build up. Really sneaks up on some people.

Someone who already has some basic skill and knowledge? Shadow of the Colossus. Wanted to say something original for this but...yeah, there you go.

 

[Crocidurinae]

Katamari Forever.

Immediate fun, shorts levels - ideal for picking and pausing the game, relatively easy to play (just 2 sticks and a button) and tons of things to unlock if the guy reveals to be a completionist.


For someone who seems to prefer shooting things, I'd say Saint's Row 2.
Sandbox gameplay done right.

 

[steeple]

tetris...

if someone wants to know what gaming is, and not what gaming can be, Ill show him the greatest example of it. I dont want to show him the pinnacle of gaming excellence, because then he wont really understand what gaming is, but what one option and aspect of it.
tetris, on the otherhand, is simple. its the basics of what gaming really is, and what it has over everything else.

probably wont get alot of agreement about it, but thats my opinion anyway...

 

[Trolldor]

if you had only had 1 chance to be able to represent gaming as a whole what would you chose? how could you encompass the world of gaming in one example? obviously this is a hard choice as you can't use all the different types. someone has no opinion on gaming and who doesn't have time to be able to play more than 1 game all the way through due to various reasons which game would you choose to have?
if i had to choose i'd go with an assassin's creed game, shows alot about the story based elements the intrigue level the beatiful landscapes and beautiful free flowing parqour effects.

but thats just me what about you?

Texas Hold 'em

Gaming can find its roots in Gambling

 

[Avatar Roku]

You're right, you can't please everyone all of the time. My rationale is that that as far as representing gaming as a whole I'd show a game that has elements of as many games as I can, executed well. Portal is an amazing game that does what it does excellently, but when I compared Portal to a Zelda game, I found that Zelda showcased more aspects that I'd want a non-gamer to see.

As for the Companion Cube, what I was told was that it was a misconception on GLaDOS' part. Her understanding of human emotions is so limited that she assumes all it takes for us sentimental humans is five minutes with something before we get helplessly attached. So that's why she has only the one test chamber where you use the Companion Cube. I was told I proved her wrong by unconsciously thinking to myself "This is freaking stupid, the internet is stupid, this cube is stupid, in the fucking fire you go." instead of getting attached to it. Therein lies why it's a good bit of writing.

That makes sense. I suppose it comes down to what we're actually trying to do here. If we're trying to represent as much of gaming as possible, a game like Zelda would be a great idea. If we're trying to get the person in to gaming...Zelda's still a good idea, actually, but Portal could work too.

As for the Companion Cube thing, that's interesting, but that strikes me as a bit of a Fan Wank [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FanWank]. Valve is on record saying that, from a gameplay perspective, the reasoning was what I said earlier; they designed a chamber where a cube had to be brought with you, but players had been trained to use them once and then leave them, so they need to convey that they should take it. It also served as an intro to the "Throwing things into the incinerator" mechanic, which is rather vital later. Now, that doesn't mean that it wasn't changed to represent a story idea as well, but it just seems to me like Valve never intended for the Companion Cube thing to get so important in the first place, and probably didn't attach such significance to it themselves.

 

[hypermage]

Tetris. Just to reiterate, this is gaming made as simple as possible, but no simpler. Before casual gaming was even twinkle in the eye, this was a game played by people who never played video games. It is entirely possible that were video gaming to develop a legacy lasting a thousand years, history would still record this game as its pinnacle.

Someone said no RPG's. I'd extend that to most other games with story, characters and themes (regardless of quality) for their reasons; that's to be saved for later, after introduced the concept of gaming. One step at a time here.

Senko No Ronde, which is probably the most current incarnation of the first videogame; Space War.

This is pushing it though. Mad props just for the nerd cred here.

 

[Retronana]

New super mario bros, it's got good visuals and is accessible, easy to play and fun with friends. It also has just the right learning curve.

 

[plugav]

I'd say DEUS EX. It's simple enough to be fairly accessible and complex enough to hint at the different possibilities offered by gaming.

Another pick would be SID MEIER'S PIRATES! - an even simpler game with even more different elements (shooting, fighting, economy, tactics, rhythm games), playable as both a casual and a hardcore title.

Actually, that second pick seems a better idea. Pirates are a familiar theme, cyberpunk may not be.

 

[AyreonMaiden]

As for the Companion Cube thing, that's interesting, but that strikes me as a bit of a Fan Wank [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FanWank]. Valve is on record saying that, from a gameplay perspective, the reasoning was what I said earlier; they designed a chamber where a cube had to be brought with you, but players had been trained to use them once and then leave them, so they need to convey that they should take it. It also served as an intro to the "Throwing things into the incinerator" mechanic, which is rather vital later. Now, that doesn't mean that it wasn't changed to represent a story idea as well, but it just seems to me like Valve never intended for the Companion Cube thing to get so important in the first place, and probably didn't attach such significance to it themselves.

Ah, I didn't know Valve had cleared it up. I'm not at all surprised that what I said was fan wank; this game, along with most minimalistic games, have so much artsy-fartsy Wild Mass Guessing attached to them. Not that I don't interpret things or catch themes when I play, but I would never go on record and put words in Valve's mouths about their own game.

 

[TheTaco007]

Portal worked well for me when trying to show my girlfriend what gaming is about. It has humor, puzzles, and a good story. And it doesn't revolve around the "go here and murder things" that turns most people away from gaming.

Pretty much exactly this. I can't think of a better way to put it.

 

[Avatar Roku]

As for the Companion Cube thing, that's interesting, but that strikes me as a bit of a Fan Wank [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FanWank]. Valve is on record saying that, from a gameplay perspective, the reasoning was what I said earlier; they designed a chamber where a cube had to be brought with you, but players had been trained to use them once and then leave them, so they need to convey that they should take it. It also served as an intro to the "Throwing things into the incinerator" mechanic, which is rather vital later. Now, that doesn't mean that it wasn't changed to represent a story idea as well, but it just seems to me like Valve never intended for the Companion Cube thing to get so important in the first place, and probably didn't attach such significance to it themselves.

Ah, I didn't know Valve had cleared it up. I'm not at all surprised that what I said was fan wank; this game, along with most minimalistic games, have so much artsy-fartsy Wild Mass Guessing attached to them. Not that I don't interpret things or catch themes when I play, but I would never go on record and put words in Valve's mouths about their own game.

Keep in mind, I just said that it strikes me as Fan Wank, not that it definitely is. Valve has only described the gameplay purpose of the Cube, they haven't touched the story significance at all. It is my impression that they never really assigned any importance to it themselves, but again, that's just me.

 

[The Red Spy]

Maybe something like Crash Bandicoot (I'm going back in time here) or Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. Both games are quite fun, the latter has a good story to string it along (As well as easy mechanics, the combos are quite easy to learn and the gameplay is quite forgiving).

I'd have to say, just avoid games with multiplayer components, or where the multiplayer is intergral to the whole experience, and choose something that has simple, interesting game mechanics that won't punish the new player for missing a single button press within a narrow time frame (As few QTE's as possible). Aim for something they can take their time with.

Portal

What Spartan said.

 

[veloper]

Batman Arkham Asylum.

That game represents most aspects of gaming, but in a good light.

Good action gameplay.
Just enough exploration to keep things interesting and not become a slogfest.
Puzzles included, abeit very simple ones.
XP system and a batman that gradually acquires new tools and means to solve problems.
Great voice acting.
Great visuals.
A mediocre, but adequate plot.
Decent length.
Additional challenges to play for highscores and unlocks.

 

[Soviet Steve]

I'd say tetris. You have to start off slow or the person will be overwhelmed.

 

[Dan Steele]

legend of zelda windwaker. I loved that game so much