Before we begin on the glorious quest of getting a controller or pc in the hands of your beloved non gaming girlfriend, please excuse me a few disclaimers. This article is geared towards the ladies because getting a guy to game is as easy as putting a controller in his hand and pointing at the pretty lights. Our competitive nature compels us to want to shoot our friends and humiliate them upon the field of battle. And while not all men or woman fit into a single mold, this article is written for those guys who want to share an important portion of their lives with their special ladies who either do not understand the value and entertainment in gaming, or have just never had the experience or opportunity to try.Getting your girl to game has so many benefits to the gamer and the couple as a whole its ludicrous to not even try. Sharing your passions is part of any successful relationship and that leads to my first tip.
1. Share Your Life. It all starts here. You, as a couple, must first be willing to spend time together trying out the activities that the other enjoys. This may mean you might have to go shopping or endure some American Idol guys, but in return, she tries out gaming. Also, use passionate language during the discussion. Say things like "I want to share my life with you." and "I want to spend more time with you, together." These kinds of arguments will tug at heart strings and break down the barriers of whatever kind of nerd invested basement she may have had her first negative gaming experience. Avoid saying something stupid. "Well, I went to your grandmas!" or "I just want to do something with you that I enjoy..." NO! Keep it positive, honest, and reasonable.
2. Start Off Slow. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count how many guys that have screwed up by starting their girl off with a first person shooter. Is that how you started gaming? Probably not. It will take time for a new gamer to develop the skills as such needed to enjoy the activity of gaming. This doesn't necessarily mean break out the old school Nintendo, but it's not far off. I have found the most success comes from puzzle games.Women seem to have a natural ability for organizing, multi-tasking, and problem solving that makes a perfect fit for games like Tetris, Puzzle Quest, and the Proffesor Layton series. This will get them use to using a controller and feeling comfortable playing. Plus, games like Tetris feature multiplayer so you can jump in and introduce her to the joy of competition. Just check out her smile when she kicks the crap out of you or your best friend. Once she seems to have mastered the puzzle game then move her into one of the Zelda or Mario titles. These are well known games that will test her platforming yet keep the puzzles she has mastered. Also, these games have very well thought out 3d tutorials that can teach her how to navigate through 3d spaces without the fear of getting fragged over and over. From there, you can probably start moving to more complicated games depending on her skill level.
3. Avoid Impatience or Yelling! This is probably something new to her so not only will she be nervous, she will probably be extra sensitive. Do not yell at her if she is having problems jumping up "there" or looking up. Let her learn at her own pace and BE PATIENT! Yelling at her will certainly get her off the couch and never so much as look at your console or pc ever again. Keep the experience as positive as possible with reinforcing statements like "Great job, honey!" or "I knew you could do it!". And enjoy the view. Girls gaming can be hot and let her know that. She'll appreciate it.
4. Bring Some Friends. We all know by now that the Wii's success didn't come from the system power, waggle controls, or a slew of epic games. It was it's ability to bring people who normally don't game together. Use this. Peer pressure to try something new works like a charm with gaming and is a good way for her to show off her skills to your friends. Also, try some co-op before you escalate to full fledged multiplayer. This depends greatly upon the woman, but I find most tend to be cooperative than competitive. And guys, Avoid acting like a jackass. It may be fun to wiggle your ass in front of a fallen foe when it's you're best friend, but its a terrible turn off to your mate. Especially if she is still learning and you're in front of friends.
So, there you guys. Just be sure to remember that gaming is a skill that takes time to learn. With a little patience, you can be spending more time gaming and best of all, more time with your lady love. Plus, the Christmas and birthday gifts get better...
If any gamers out there have any more helpful tips or if the ladies feel like chiming in, feel free to post below. Don't forget to follow us at the top right of the page, like us on face book, and support us by clicking the ads so we can spend less time working and more time bringing you entertainment! Good luck and glorious gaming!
I in no way claim ownership to any of the photographs used in this article and simply pulled them from goolge. If any are subject to copyright laws, my bad, dude. Also, this article was in no way intended to be sexist, but meant to bring to people together and possibly have more sex. If you have a problem with it, I'm sure you'll get over it.
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