A good 'first' game

[KOMega]

I suppose it might help to know what they already like.

Generally though...
Something recent, simple, non-competitive and something very obviously fun.
I'd like to suggest Rayman Orgins. Simple platformer, colorful, not punishing at all, and if you keep going it can be quite challenging so it doesn't seem like it's too patronizing. Is that the right word? idk...

http://youtu.be/wNfzsJhRWl4

As is often the case, Extra Credits has a pretty good take on the matter.

Good advice here too.

 

[Qvar]

Something 2D or with very simple controls. The less mechanics, the better. Probably a platformer, racing game or fps.

 

[Shinsei-J]

It may not be the very first game you give to someone but Ni No Kuni is a great starter JRPG for people who've liked Studio Ghibli stuff before as it hit's that transitional step between the two mediums perfectly. Likewise I'd hand someone the latest Spiderman or Batman game if they were a fan of the movies, it's all really dependant on the persons individual tastes.

Spoiler: Lets just go with something that just about anyone can enjoy once it's released then.

Lets just go with something that just about anyone can enjoy once it's released then.

 

[shootthebandit]

little big planet especially if its for a child. this is a really good game that promotes creativity and sharing. with loads of on disk levels with a strong emphasis on co-op and a load of good user made levels,some excellent themed expansions and not to mention making your own levels so re-playability is endless. this game shows that games can be colourful vibrant, educational, suitable for everyone and most importantly really really fun

 

[Sofus]

For a person who has yet to play their first game, I would probably recommend something like

Mass Effect
BioShock Infinite
Assassin's Creed 2 or 3

Just make sure that the game is easily accessible. The person shouldn't have to know anything prior to starting the game. The game has to be able to teach the person everything they need to know (and I do mean everything, even how to open the inventory).

 

[Rariow]

I learned to game with Super Mario Bros. 3, and then fell in love with gaming through Oblivion, and those both seem like pretty good jumping off points, Mario being a bit better for a complete newcomer. Apart from that, a good point-and-click adventure (and by this I mean something that doesn't have "use the honey on the whale to get the spaceship out of the tree" logic) seems like a good choice: Pretty basic controls that nonetheless give a good understanding of movement in a 3d plane, low-pressure gameplay that's more about logic than skill, and usually a pretty good story. Despite loving it so much, Walking Dead doesn't seem like the best one, though, since there are a lot of seemingly high-tension situations (You can sit and let the zombies walk at you for a fair while, but since you're panicking it becomes harder than it should be).

 

[V TheSystem V]

Mario 64. It's accessible, and with enough time, anyone can get the 70 stars and beat Bowser.

Apart from that? Um...probably Animal Crossing. Nintendo are very good at catering to the new gamers with games deep enough to satisfy hardcore gamers too.

 

[Noswad]

Portal is common answer and it's a good one, not only is it absolutely fantastic, it's 90% tutorial, by the time the play has come into contact with any real danger they have the basics of the controls, at no point does the game demand that you have prior video game knowledge, not even the controls.

 

[laggyteabag]

Id go for something like Portal, or Bastion. They're simple games that are easy to learn and easy to play.

 

[Maximum Bert]

so..... something like Divekick?

I mean, it literally uses two buttons.


Death From Above.

Round 1.

Divekick!


yes, I find the game to be funny at times, it's like a call out on how serious other fighting games try to be.

I have Divekick and had it in mind when I was writing but I have tried it with people completely unfamiliar with games I.e the folks and they were completely lost they kept forgetting the controls (they felt pressured) and despite its simplicity people unfamiliar with games just seem to have no sense of tactics. I played recently with a friend who plays a lot but dosent play fighters and I thrashed him even though it was both our first attempt at the game he just dosent understand spacing and mind games it seems.

I would say its not a great game to get people into gaming its to throwaway and nuanced amongst its simplicity, maybe facing other new players would make it an okay first game but generally any game that puts you against a another is not a good first game as most gamers arent playing for the first time.

As for its lombasting of fighters well its certainly joky about them but the jokes are lost on almost everyone I feel its too far up its own ass in that regards I have heard people laugh more at the attacks and quotes of games like Skullgirls and Blazblue for instance than Divekick where people who dont follow fighting games just dont get most of the references and I dont blame them.

It is a fun game though especially when pissed.

 

[Vivi22]

What about something like Skyrim? Very easy to play, very simplistic, but exciting and interesting, and someone who's new to video games won't recognise its many gameplay flaws.

I still haven't played Skyrim, but I don't remember it getting a lot of praise for it's UI, and frankly, I think the UI in most other Bethesda games would be confusing enough for a first time gamer. Maybe I'd recommend it if they were big on table top RPG's because learning to navigate some clunky menus might not completely kill their interest, but even then it might be a stretch for me to recommend them.

If you're trying to introduce someone who doesn't play games to games, I say start as simply as possible. A few simple, intuitive core mechanics and that's it. Probably something like the original Super Mario Bros. would be my pick. Link to the Past might even be a good pick if they're into exploration, but even that can be cripplingly hard for someone who just doesn't get games. A simple racer like Mario Kart or Mario Kart 64. I wouldn't go near the other ones aside from multiplayer because the rubber banding is so god awful in every console MK after that that the person could learn to drive flawlessly and still lose. They'd be absolute shit for a new gamer.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

It really depends on the person.

 

[Eve Charm]

something short (( a few hours most)) something not very complicated ((something with a good easy mode that you do still have to play)) something that they'll like. It doesn't have to be a baby game hell call of duty MW 4 was the game that brought tons of gamers into the series and in gaming in general, and the AI will do a lot of the fodder work for the player on easy.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

First off, seeing as we're trying to initiate a non-gamer, the easiest way to do that is to introduce him or her to casual games. No controllers besides the mouse and keyboard, and if the mechanics can't be summarized with a single bullet point, that game is not appropriate.

For most non-gamers I know, gaming is eternally stuck at the Tetris phase. Showing them in-game cinematics or plot-heavy games - even if they're the absolute best plotlines in the medium - really isn't the way to go. For these people, plot-heavy games are as daunting a concept as asking of a very casual reader that he tackle "The Brothers Karamazov" or "À la Recherche du Temps Perdu".

So I'd start easy and go with PopCap's stable. The basic elements of modern games are all there. There's an interface, there's clear goals, there's things to use to accomplish that goal and the scope of each title is appropriately narrow.

Then, little by little, I'd try and find games that introduce more mechanics. I'd introduce new camera angles and graphical styles. Myst would probably come in second place, seeing as adventure games are some of the best first-person experiences out there.

Then you take an adventure game and stick a gun on. Voilà, simple FPS time (ergo, Portal), complete with a primer on the internal ethics of playing a shooter and how we can manage it without turning into aggressive motherfuckers.

That's pretty much it. From PopCap fare, I'd progressively add mechanics until my target has defined a genre he or she feels reasonably at ease in.

 

[JagermanXcell]

Portal/Portal 2.

Everyone i've ever met who wanted to get into gaming nowadays, I suggested they play Portal. It ALWAYS works, you'd have to be some sort of hell spawn not to enjoy Portal when its your first video game.

 

[Darth Rahu]

I would say Rayman Origins is a good start to a platformer. Visually striking, accessible, the game is punishing but lets you start again almost immediately, perfect for those starting. For shooters I almost want to say Call of Duty 4. Training course lets you get a handle of the controls and it's a great example of a tutorial done right. If they're creative types I say Sound Shapes or Little Big Planet. Yes, most of these are E for Everyone, but we all have to start with Dr. Seuss before we moved up to Pride and Prejudice.

 

[Weaver]

Probably Super Mario (the first one) or something very simple to understand.
If they've never gamed, they're going to have to get accustomed to using a controller and/or keyboard to play a game. The best way to do that is give them something simple so they can grasp the concept and build the muscle memory.

 

[Sylar860]

Although it might not have flashy gameplay, Limbo might be a good start if you think the person would be up for the art style. The game is simple enough control wise, it throws out challenges slowly and gradually builds, it has enough attention grabbing moments to where you won't want to put it down, and best of all its short. One to two sessions and you get the complete experience.