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

[Dragonsoulq]

Portal, Shows that story can be still good in a game-Check
Nothing morally objectionable(No killing people) -check
Not overly difficult -check
Reasonably Short-Check

 

[rokkolpo]

I can honestly recommend shadow of the colossus to every single person on the planet.

But it hardly represents gaming.
I feel it's genre defying.
In the way that it is unlike any other game.

OT: Super Mario Galaxy.
You can learn so many gaming skills by playing a Mario game.
Let alone one made almost completely of spheres.
Failing that, Super Mario Sunshine.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

Portal/Portal 2 are pretty good, and quite humorous. Dragon Age: Origins, Assassin's Creed(though you need II and Brotherhood to see the whole story, unless you enjoy cliffhangers), Bioshock, Chrono Trigger, Golden Sun, Tales of Symphonia/the Abyss/Vesperia/Destiny are all pretty good choices for epically told stories.

However, the game I'd choose to represent gaming is: Tales of Symphonia.

Epic and touching story full of twists that keep you wondering what's gonna come next. Great soundtrack, beautiful scenery, and a fun and engaging battle system. Even co-op is you like! I've beaten ToS SEVERAL SEVERAL times, and to this day I still play it because it's so damn fun. Brilliant game, highly recommend it. Dammit, now I wanna drag out my Wii and play it again! D: ToS is a Gamecube game, btw.

 

[DugMachine]

World of Warcraft
*trollface*

Okay but seriously i'd go with Portal or Half-Life 2. Portal may be a bit too much for first time gamers though so maybe something like Half-Life

 

[Alphakirby]

I'd think maybe System Shock 2,it's fun when you get the hang of working the game for you. (I have barely any ammo,no energy for my psi powers,and typically I'm near death...yet it's fun)

 

[droid]

I would be careful of any epic storylines. They are not into games and so you want something that will payoff quickly. Do something that can be completed shortly, ideally in bite sized chunks. Also be careful of games that require 8+ buttons and 2+ independent directional controls, since newcomers may be overwhelmed by complexity that is second nature to you.

It depends on the situation. If they haven't played games for 15 years thats very different from not at all. If you choose something that is co-op then you can help them as they learn the game with you and they will have more fun, but a solo game they can study independently.

Braid:
Good introduction unless they have already played Super Mario. It has simple controls, is composed of short independent levels, and the penalty for death is small.

Magicka:
Solo is very hard, but co-op is good fun. Give them the keyboard, it makes spell selection easier.

World of Goo (Wii version):
Works as co-op and solo. PC also is good, but solo only.

If you absolutely must choose a current gen FPS, Portal 2 is probably the best. Valve does a good job of playtesting their levels and the fun of this game comes from learning to play it. I think its levels are simpler than those in the first Portal, plus there is a co-op mode.

 

[bl4ckh4wk64]

If its storyline and immersion, then either of the two Mass Effects, most likely the first one as it had a better story.

see i originally had that idea, however i wouldn't want them to get bogged down in the grinding for certain missions and things the linear same space station on random planet C and the mako missions wouldn't exactly show alot for gaming me thinks

That's why I'm not using it to represent gameplay, but rather immersion and storyline. If I wanted to represent good gameplay I'd probably show them HAWX or AC5 or ME2.

 

[ManWithHat]

-snip-
It depends on the situation. If they haven't played games for 15 years thats very different from not at all.
-snip-

I agree, it definitely depends on the person and what you're trying to accomplish.

If you're trying to convince your crazy aunt that games aren't all about guns, violence, and gore, a game like Portal would be fantastic.
Or, if you need to show that games can be a deep and moving medium for story and character development, Portal still works for that, too; but others like Shadow of the Colossus, Mass Effect, or Final Fantasy X (imo) are good as well.
When you want to show that games can be a form of art, Okami or Psychonauts might be a good selection.
If there are those who complain that games are just mindless button-mashing and slack-jawed entertainment, any puzzle game will do really, but Valkyria Chronicles, Tetris, Legend of Zelda (any), or Portal (again) could be good examples.
If all you want to do is show how much fun they can be, simple games like Portal (again!), Plants Vs. Zombies and Katamari Damacy are great ways to go.

I find it difficult to represent the game industry in a single game; it's too big and complex for that (that's a good thing). It's better to display the different facets it has and lead those curious to one that they enjoy the most.

 

[Irriduccibilli]

I'd have to say Minecraft. A lot of people I know who dont play videogames likes Minecraft (well Minecraft IS a video game so they do play games, but... you know what I mean)

 

[zombiestrangler]

Psychonauts

 

[JackWestJr]

1. Uncharted 2. It has everything, plus it is very easy.
2. Heavy Rain. It doesn't have THAT many controls and is very immersive (thats the idea right)
3. Burnout 3. It is possibly the most fun game ever!
4. Just Cause 2. Refer to 'Burnout 3'
5. Portal 1/2. What can I say, it has all been said.

 

[ChupathingyX]

Are you high ??? Comparing a book to a video game...seriously stop putting video games on such HUGE piedestals. You need to get out of your basement, go to your local library and read a little bit before you say such stupid things.

Why shouldn't video games receive the same level of respect that books receive?

It's thinking like that that makes people think all video games are for little kids.

 

[Ordinaryundone]

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Fable, or Bioshock.

Sands of Time (or any of its sequels) really represent some of the pinnacle of platform gaming. Combat is quick and fairly easy, the platforming is simple but still manages to feel exciting and rewarding, and the puzzles can test you without making you feel stupid. Add in some fun characters and a great setting and you have a great "beginners" game.

Fable is a great introduction to RPGs because it has all the trappings of one without letting itself get bogged down in all the nonsense of traditional rpgs like number crunching and grinding. Its got a nice linear story progression that doesn't run for too long, a great sense of humor, and fun combat. Plus, its a good introduction to things like quests, exploration, item collection, and npc interaction.

Bioshock is a good introduction to FPS because, first of all, its not very difficult. The game is very atmospheric and has a fascinating story; enough to keep someone interested while still running them through a good tutorial on FPS.

 

[Iconsting]

I'd go with Sly 2: Band of thieves.

Though the rookie player will ask "Why the second game in the series?" "Because," I reply, "Sly Cooper games are completely independent in terms of plot. There's nothing you need to understand in Sly Cooper 1 that you need to understand in order to play sly 2, and Sly 2 has a lot more enjoyable gameplay."

Cooper has always been a top notch game in my books. Not only does it have a fun, stealthy play style, but it also offers a lighthearted and humorous yet well-written story campaign. This will give the new guy an experience that will make him curious about other games and how they immerse the player.

 

[OrenjiJusu]

Mass Effect. 1, 2 or eventually 3.

 

[neonsword13-ops]

I am going with either Ocarina of Time or Half Life 2.
Both are spectacular stories.

 

[Sir Broccoli]

Psychonauts.
A fairly simple game with some very interesting and compelling places and characters.

 

[Fleeker]

I'd choose Mrs. Pacman the arcade game.

A lot of games are so in depth that a non gamer may not give it enough time. I choose Ms. Pacman because games are designed to be fun, get incrementally harder as you progress, force you to react to whats going on screen, and reward you for completing a task. I choose Ms. Pacman because she is faster then normal Pacman and its from an era when games where just made to be fun. I could explain afterwards to the person about other games and explain this is just one type of game and is rather simplistic.

You don't teach someone to read and hand the War and Peace or Shakespeare, you hand them a book where the longest word is 4 or 5 letters long and you don't hand someone that has no idea about video games a long drawn out game that is very very genre specific because they could hate the genre and thus turn on gaming. Keep it simple and explain more complicated that exists.

 

[Iron Mal]

To everyone who has been picking their favourite game for various artistic and story reasons, no.

You've made a bad choice if you want a game to represent us to someone with absolutely no clue about games, I've had to try and do this before on a few occasions and I can tell you that the more complex a game is and the more someone has to focus on something besides playing the damn thing, the harder it's gonna be for them to get into it.

Start with something simple, you don't need to proverbially flash everyone by showing the artistic Magnum Opus's of gaming, that's just gonna make newcomers feel like they're way in over their heads.

If I had to pick a specific game, it would be something very simple like the original Sonic the Hedgehog or Doom. Simple, entertaining, accessable and doesn't require amassive amount of skil or thought to have fun with, we can move onto our Mona Lisa's and Cabinet of Dr. Caligari's later when you've built up to it.