Alright I know there are plenty of female gamers out there, and let me say that I love how it is very possible for the gaming industry to move from this male dominated and oriented world to one shared by both men and women. Onto my actual question. I grew up around games, from the original NES, to current systems. The girlfriend I have now though, was not brought up around any types of games, and she actually kind of looks down on gaming, she doesn't really see it or understand it as a hobby. My question to both genders, is what would be a great starter game to try and get her into gaming? I'm just about willing to try anything here, I don't want to see posts about WoW, or other MMORPGS, when I tell her to hit Y on my 360 controller it takes her about 30 seconds to find it. That's about as much as she has ever done with a gaming controller. And the only system I currently have is an Xbox360, and a pc, of course.
Getting my girlfriend into gaming
- Thread starter Justin Gooch
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That was something I ran into, I wasn't sure if I should start her off with a "real" game or something kind of like peggle or one of the many arcade games I have.
Listen to this astronaut, war hero, and/or olympian. He tests for freedom/$60!Christian Fernandez said:
I don't think Portal will help. My wife gets baffled by controllers and she played stuff like Banjo Kazooie when she was younger. Nearly every console game is basically off-limits to a complete non-gamer unless it's controls are basic.
The best way to get a girl into gaming is the same way game developers got everyone into gaming in the 70s. Give them something simple and addictive. I got my wife a DS with Picross 3D, Tetris, and some 42 classic games collection. It was a bit hit or miss but like most people they'll get addicted to some mini-game that you wouldn't think twice about because it seems prehistoric to you and too simple.
But to a non-gamer it's a game they can actually DO and UNDERSTAND. And also her poor skills won't be on display in front of you while she learns. As an experienced gamer you'll have trouble empathising with someone who's never gamed. Imagine someone gave you two knitting needles and a ball of wool and said, "get going, it's easy/ Pearl one, NO PEARL ONE?".
If she looks down on gaming that can't really be helped. You can mention big interesting facts like the fact Call of Duty Black Ops has made more money than any movie. Or how the latest studies show that fathers and daughters can bond more over gaming while fathers and son seem unaffected if they game together.
Also is she does something as equally as unproductive as gaming then you can leverage that. For example I game all the time whereas my wife DOES stuff, like knitting, or DIY. I do some but she nuts when it comes to craft stuff and DIY and she knows it. But she wastes lots of time on ebay. Fortunately though she's never said a word about my gaming, she doesn't take it as seriously as I do but she doesn't mock me either.
So my wife goes through phases. Last night she ripped out a cupboard while I put the kids to bed. She then played some PC flash game she'd found that didn't interest me at all. I've got Portal 2 ready to go for co-op but I won't be playing with my wife. It'd take years to train her up to that level of gaming. She really doesn't get the dual analog stick system at all.
You said she's had trouble finding the Y button, which means she's tried to join in. If she asks why you like it so much just say it's like getting lost in a good book but more visceral. If you play ALLLLL the time, and talk about it ALLLL the time when you're not playing then it may not be she looks down on gaming but just finds it boring. But if she loves you then she'll accept gaming.
But you really should ask yourself to do really WANT to share your gaming with her. Guys seem to have images of playing co-op shooters and such with their girlfriends, but what if they just want to play Sims until 12pm 5 nights a week and you get kicked off your machine?
Good luck!
The best way to get a girl into gaming is the same way game developers got everyone into gaming in the 70s. Give them something simple and addictive. I got my wife a DS with Picross 3D, Tetris, and some 42 classic games collection. It was a bit hit or miss but like most people they'll get addicted to some mini-game that you wouldn't think twice about because it seems prehistoric to you and too simple.
But to a non-gamer it's a game they can actually DO and UNDERSTAND. And also her poor skills won't be on display in front of you while she learns. As an experienced gamer you'll have trouble empathising with someone who's never gamed. Imagine someone gave you two knitting needles and a ball of wool and said, "get going, it's easy/ Pearl one, NO PEARL ONE?".
If she looks down on gaming that can't really be helped. You can mention big interesting facts like the fact Call of Duty Black Ops has made more money than any movie. Or how the latest studies show that fathers and daughters can bond more over gaming while fathers and son seem unaffected if they game together.
Also is she does something as equally as unproductive as gaming then you can leverage that. For example I game all the time whereas my wife DOES stuff, like knitting, or DIY. I do some but she nuts when it comes to craft stuff and DIY and she knows it. But she wastes lots of time on ebay. Fortunately though she's never said a word about my gaming, she doesn't take it as seriously as I do but she doesn't mock me either.
So my wife goes through phases. Last night she ripped out a cupboard while I put the kids to bed. She then played some PC flash game she'd found that didn't interest me at all. I've got Portal 2 ready to go for co-op but I won't be playing with my wife. It'd take years to train her up to that level of gaming. She really doesn't get the dual analog stick system at all.
You said she's had trouble finding the Y button, which means she's tried to join in. If she asks why you like it so much just say it's like getting lost in a good book but more visceral. If you play ALLLLL the time, and talk about it ALLLL the time when you're not playing then it may not be she looks down on gaming but just finds it boring. But if she loves you then she'll accept gaming.
But you really should ask yourself to do really WANT to share your gaming with her. Guys seem to have images of playing co-op shooters and such with their girlfriends, but what if they just want to play Sims until 12pm 5 nights a week and you get kicked off your machine?
Good luck!
Sisko blue is making a lot of sense, though I admit I only skimmed that behemoth above me.
A cute and easy DS game, an xbox arcade game, or even a flash game I think would be wonderful.
What might be ever better is if you found a nice co-op game you two could play together! That way, you're not backseat gaming her the entire time and you both get to have fun.
I share the sentiment of good luck!
A cute and easy DS game, an xbox arcade game, or even a flash game I think would be wonderful.
What might be ever better is if you found a nice co-op game you two could play together! That way, you're not backseat gaming her the entire time and you both get to have fun.
I share the sentiment of good luck!
I'd recommend point and click games on the PC as a start off, she doesn't have to get used to foreign controls and they tend to have an easy pace so she doesn't have to feel stressed by her early experiences of it.
Something with a good story so she gets emotionally invested in it even if she's reluctant to be sucked into gaming?
Something with a good story so she gets emotionally invested in it even if she's reluctant to be sucked into gaming?
I must say, the most basic controls i've come across in the realms of "real" games has to be 'splosion man. It's left stick to move, A, B, X or Y to (ex)'splode. It's on the XBLA for about a fiver and even gives you the option to skip if you can't do a puzzle (which I never used).
I know this might sound like a bit lame of me, but please be careful trying to encourage her to play games. It might be misinterpreted and received the wrong way as in "You need to get into games because otherwise we have nothing in common" and then she'll take it personally.
I had a girl once who didn't understand playing video games. She flipped at me when I said to her that she should try playing this game, making comments that I wasn't letting her be her own person and she was allowed to not like or understand stuff. *rolls eyes*
ANYWAY, my way of getting my friends (both guys and girls) who aren't into games more involved in them and to appreciate the fun part is always getting a game you play together. For example, and I know that probably a lot of people don't like them, but things like Rock Band/Guitar Hero which have relatively easy principles with some sort of addictive and fun co-op. I have always found people who don't play instruments (AKA me) find it super hard to play a game when the timing is off, than say my friends who don't play and instantly just follow the game really easily. It kinda motivates them to think "I can play a game just as well as her, awesome, I won" than say, if I played some other FPS co-op game with them with a billion buttons.
Wii games can be similar but just be careful not to pick something uber patronising (as in, "this game is deliberately easy and its the only game I thought you would be able to play so I'm assuming you're an idiot" which is likely how psycho girls like mine took it)
I hope that helps! At least as a girls perspective and in previous history haha!
I had a girl once who didn't understand playing video games. She flipped at me when I said to her that she should try playing this game, making comments that I wasn't letting her be her own person and she was allowed to not like or understand stuff. *rolls eyes*
ANYWAY, my way of getting my friends (both guys and girls) who aren't into games more involved in them and to appreciate the fun part is always getting a game you play together. For example, and I know that probably a lot of people don't like them, but things like Rock Band/Guitar Hero which have relatively easy principles with some sort of addictive and fun co-op. I have always found people who don't play instruments (AKA me) find it super hard to play a game when the timing is off, than say my friends who don't play and instantly just follow the game really easily. It kinda motivates them to think "I can play a game just as well as her, awesome, I won" than say, if I played some other FPS co-op game with them with a billion buttons.
Wii games can be similar but just be careful not to pick something uber patronising (as in, "this game is deliberately easy and its the only game I thought you would be able to play so I'm assuming you're an idiot" which is likely how psycho girls like mine took it)
I hope that helps! At least as a girls perspective and in previous history haha!
My lady enjoys Fable quite a bit, because it's really forgiving for someone who's a novice.
And although you said you didn't want it, WoW was a great way to get her into gaming too since you can both play at the same time and explore a world at the same time (and you can basically carry her through the game).
And although you said you didn't want it, WoW was a great way to get her into gaming too since you can both play at the same time and explore a world at the same time (and you can basically carry her through the game).
May I just say that she just might not like it, like at all. And there is nothing you can do about that. So try but be very much aware that she is completely justified to say no and it would be wrong for you to keep on pushing her to play.
I reccomend Portal like others have said. that or just ask her. And if she says no then back off and accpet that. If it's a deal breaker then break up with her quickly. If not then you know games can be part oft he special thigns you do when you are alone.
I reccomend Portal like others have said. that or just ask her. And if she says no then back off and accpet that. If it's a deal breaker then break up with her quickly. If not then you know games can be part oft he special thigns you do when you are alone.
Just show her your collection of games and see what catches her eye. I think that people will be more likely to put up with the learning curve of getting used to a controller etc if they have a particular interest in the game.
You should be watchful to see if she likes them at all. I tried it before and while she did play with me, it was for the same reason you'll watch a romantic comedy you don't like but she does.
I DON'T recommend portal. Despite the game being mostly puzzles (and Valve making them very inviting), walking around for the first time in first person is very unintuitive and frustrating. That said a game with clever puzzles or a forgiving platformer are both great starting points.
I DON'T recommend portal. Despite the game being mostly puzzles (and Valve making them very inviting), walking around for the first time in first person is very unintuitive and frustrating. That said a game with clever puzzles or a forgiving platformer are both great starting points.
Try Viva Pinata, it's quite simple but really addictive and fun. It'll also help her get used to using the controller as the controls aren't very complicated. Another good one, as somebody mentioned, is Fable. If you happen to still own a ps2 then I'd really recommend a Final Fantasy game, (maybe X, it's really popular) as I know heaps of girls who love FF and I imagine several of them would play games if it wasn't for Final Fantasy. Also since they are all one-player games it means that she can learn at her own pace before building up to playing games together.
Although, if she's willing then I highly, highly recommend playing Borderlands co-op, I'd never played any "shooting" games before as they didn't really appeal to me but I gave it a try because my bf really likes it and now it's one of my favourite games and we have so much fun playing it together.
Although, if she's willing then I highly, highly recommend playing Borderlands co-op, I'd never played any "shooting" games before as they didn't really appeal to me but I gave it a try because my bf really likes it and now it's one of my favourite games and we have so much fun playing it together.
Start with something casual, like Rocket Mania Deluxe. Do some classic Mario Kart or pre-2000 Sonic titles. Then ease her into RTS and RPG's. If she really succeeds, you might even give her EVE Online.
every woman i know loves dragon age. every last one of them.
personally, my husband managed to get me into star wars AND PC-gaming in one stroke by letting me hijack his knights of the old republic II game. of course, i was already a console gamer since age five, so that might have been an easier sell.
personally, my husband managed to get me into star wars AND PC-gaming in one stroke by letting me hijack his knights of the old republic II game. of course, i was already a console gamer since age five, so that might have been an easier sell.
