Teaching A Girlfriend To Game

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bassdrum

jygabyte!
Oct 6, 2009
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xI Kinshasa Ix said:
The Orange Box is an easy to learn, passive FPS. Maybe start there?
Yep. Start with Portal, it's non-threatening and non-violent.
Move to Half-Life 2, it's an excellent offline shooter.
Move to to TF2, it's an excellent online shooter.

Also, depending on the girl, BioShock may not be a bad idea. I've gotten a girl to play--and like--that game, and she'd barely ever played anything but a few Legend of Zelda games when she was younger. However, it also helped that she's a Rand fan (the author, not the philosophies Ayn believes in) and that she was intrigued by the setting. I've found that plot and setting is pretty important to non-gamer girls whom I'm trying to get into the medium, and so they'll skip Modern Warfare 2 and go straight to Beyond Good & Evil.
 

Pielikey

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Jul 31, 2009
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Yeah, like a few people above said, coop games are a good way to start. l4d, Halo, Borderlands is a bit complex but that's all I can think of.

I don't have a girlfriend so I wouldn't know but this is what I would think.
 

MASTACHIEFPWN

Will fight you and lose
Mar 27, 2010
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PowCoJG said:
The one question that's on my mind is... HOW?
What games should I start with?
I don't even know where to start >.<
And she really WANTS to...
...help?
What I think when a problem like this comes up... How did I start playing. Well for me that was Jersy Devil on PS1... ahh good times. Now, the best thing to do (if you have a console) look at the past generation console to try to introduce her into gaming in general, if you have a P.C. Show her more casual games, and then show her... normal games. That is my perspective on it... Not sure if it works because, frankly, I've never had a girl friend in my 13 years of life...
 

paranoidhalfbreed

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Jul 20, 2009
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If you have a wii, you really can't go wrong with Mario Bros. Wii. It's easy to pick up, difficult to master, and you can play together. Even if she's playing just to spend some time with you, it's almost guaranteed she will like the game for more than just time together.

If not that then a more social game like Animal Crossing or Little Big Planet; that's what hooked my wife and now she buys her own games.
 

Susan Arendt

Nerd Queen
Jan 9, 2007
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Have you tried asking her what she finds interesting? You say she "wants to", but what does that mean? She wants to learn to play, because she saw you playing (fill in game name here) and thought it looked like fun? She wants to learn because it's something you enjoy and she wants to share it with you? What?
 

theedbot

New member
Nov 9, 2009
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try fable 2, it has a nice art style, a low difficulty curve,a lot of ways to customize your character that have nothing to do with stats,co-op, and a little dodgy that finds treasure for you.
 

Extasii

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May 22, 2009
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speaking of wii we do play wii sports at her place sometimes
and she's going to start playing Kingdom Hearts soon, which will be good
good story, relatable characters, and a simpler game to pick up seem to be key elements
 

Extasii

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May 22, 2009
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Susan Arendt said:
Have you tried asking her what she finds interesting? You say she "wants to", but what does that mean? She wants to learn to play, because she saw you playing (fill in game name here) and thought it looked like fun? She wants to learn because it's something you enjoy and she wants to share it with you? What?
honestly it's kind of a weird situation
i've been trying to wean myself off of games for the past year or so
now that we've been going out for awhile i'm almost totally off of them
then she plays gears of war at a friend's place and she has fun
so gaming for us is more of a way to spend time together when theres nothig else to do ^_^
 

Lizmichi

Detective Prince
Jul 2, 2009
4,809
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Give her a mix of things like Portal, Mabinogi, any Zelda game is a good start, and Spore. Nothing too like no Prototype or Dragon Age. Any boyfriend I have the games is damn lucky because I don't need to be taught. I know. XD
 

Cain_Zeros

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Nov 13, 2009
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You said she likes Gears, so play Gears. Pick up the first one, and play through the co-op on both.
 

Fortunefaded

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Aug 12, 2004
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Don't play competitive games with her, you'll rage when she feeds the other team. She'll cry and you'll be sitting alone playing a computer game when yer gf is upstairs phoning her ex.

Best thing to do, is leave her a fuck alone with her ex.
 

Extasii

New member
May 22, 2009
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sorry if this is a lil rude, but...
you kinda sound as if this is from personal experience
but don't worry, any advice is good advice (i hope)
 

Criquefreak

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Mar 19, 2010
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AccursedTheory said:
Women aren't all THAT different than men.
An internet cookie for you for the most insight I've seen in months on forums.

Anywho, it's best to start with games that thematically match a person's non-gaming interests (and are well-made). Movies are a decent indicator, hobbies especially so, artistic tastes can sometimes be used as many games will try to echo those styles. While I could suggest that movie-based games are a way to go, too many are terribly designed and rely far too much on the player being well-versed in the movie to be able to progress without that outside knowledge.

One thing to focus on are games that are well-made as they will incorporate tutorials which teach the player how to play, a thing that is integral for someone new to gaming. It is also important to avoid doing the teaching yourself; if you're backseat playing the game, you may as well be the one with the controller and be demonstrating it because they're not likely to be learning how to play anyway. The most satisfying way to learn is often on one's own with a reliable source of answers such as an instructor.

Hopefully, you have a lot of patience, too. Gaming, like most things takes quite a lot of time to really pick up as a serious hobby or skillset. I've heard it stated that six months is the average time to effectively develop a skill in long-term memory, so if you're hoping she'll go beyond casual gamer, it's a must.

In the end though, some people just don't have the disposition for gaming, so you may want to prepare for that possibility. Note the word "prepare" as opposed to expect, never give up before long-term dedication and attempts have shown a result.
 

Con Carne

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Nov 12, 2009
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If you two drink, I'd suggest starting out with drunken Tekken, or some sort of racing game.
Also, start by playing a 2 player game with her that you aren't so good at either. That way it's not so discouraging. Then start introducing her to different types of games. Start off with platformers and gradually work your way up. (I'm not degrading her or anyone for that matter, but most of us who have been gaming for years, started off the same way, and it seems to be a safe way for gaming advancement.) Once she's had a taste of what's out there she can figure out for herself what she's comfortable with.
 

JamminOz07

New member
Nov 19, 2008
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PowCoJG said:
The one question that's on my mind is... HOW?
What games should I start with?
I don't even know where to start >.<
And she really WANTS to...
...help?
Ok, just don't. Do you really want to share your videogame time with your missus? Do you always want to hear the words.. "Is this a 2 player game, can I play too?".

Do you want to hear, "I really hope that they bring out a Twilight video game!"?

Get her to take up knitting, sewing, cleaning, vaccuming or some other womanly activity instead.