With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, what do you have in mind for the special someone in your life? Are you going to buy her a box of chocolate and a bouquet of flowers? Maybe a candlelight dinner and a leisurely stroll in the evening breeze? Wouldn’t you much rather spend that time rocking out to Rock Band and decapitating zombies in Left 4 Dead? Who said that you can’t combine both of these activities?
The stereotype says that video games are only for boys, but the industry is quickly changing to accommodate the fairer sex. It may take some convincing and you may need to tear down some pre-conceived notions, but it is very possible to get your girlfriend into gaming. That way, she can understand why you spend so many hours on Xbox Live belting out instructions to those in your squadron.
Why You Want Your Girlfriend to Game with You
Before I dive any deeper into the subject, I need to say that this guide is not for girlfriends who are already well-versed in Resistance and Gears of War. If your girlfriend (or spouse) is already fragging the crap out of your friends in Portal and Team Fortress, then this guide does not apply to her.
However, I think it’s safe to say that there are a good number of girlfriends out there who just don’t understand our infatuation with gaming. She doesn’t understand why I’m getting so excited about Street Fighter IV, because “isn’t it like all the other Street Fighters before it?” The goal of this guide is to introduce the world of gaming (and its appeal) to our significant others. That way, she won’t be so pissed off when you choose to boot up the Xbox 360 rather than watch “27 Dresses”. Again.
It Starts with Casual Gaming
Carrie Underwood and America Ferrera have both said that they love playing on the Nintendo DS. Even Nicole Kidman keeps her mind sharp by playing Brain Age. Kate Winslet told E! during the SAG Awards that she loves playing Wii Sports with her kids.
To get your girlfriend interested in video games, you have to take baby steps. Don’t throw her into the complexities of Fallout 3 as her first outing. Instead, you need to start with casual gaming titles, like many of those offered on the Nintendo Wii. Casual games are not nearly as intimidating and they are much more approachable.
Appeal to their pre-existing preferences. If your significant other likes yoga, try investing in Wii Fit, for example. Is she great in the kitchen? Cooking Mama could be the ticket. The key is to have a game that is easy to approach and offers instant gratification. She may not enjoy Madden 09, but she can have a lot of fun playing New Super Mario Bros.
Avoiding Pressure and Confrontations
I can only speak from my own experience, but I’ve found that most girls don’t like games that are too competitive or too confrontational. That’s why she may not be as interested in a first-person shooter, because there is a lot of immediate pressure and there is a significant risk of death. That risk factor can be intimidating and, given a poor performance, it can be really frustrating.
As you try to ease your female counterpart into the world of video games, select titles that don’t have as much immediate pressure. Animal Crossing is a great example of this kind of game. Available on the GameCube, DS (Wild World), and the Wii (City Folk), she can lead a simulated life without risk of death or bankruptcy. It’s all good and it offers instant rewards.
Try playing some party games. These are designed for pick-up-and-play enjoyment with minimal learning curves. As her interest in gaming grows, you can slowly shift the focus to some of your more hardcore titles.
Cooperating for Fun and Profit
Continuing on the previous notion, cooperative games are generally preferred over competitive ones. If you keep beating the crap out of her in Soul Calibur IV, she won’t want to play with you anymore. However, if you work toward a common goal and play together, she’ll start to see your gaming sessions as bonding opportunities.
The learning curve may take a little bit of time, but girls can have just as much fun playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band as their male counterparts. Start up a career mode and unlock those songs together. Look at how much fun skateboarder Ryan Sheckler is having in the picture above. Better yet, look at how much fun his gal pal is having.
Play video games with your girlfriend. Not against her. For even less pressure, you can consider a karaoke game like Lips for Xbox 360. You can’t fail in that game.
Come on! You know you want to rock out with Megan Fox in Guitar Hero. I wonder how well she can handle Dragonforce. Through the Fire and Flames, baby!
Powerful Female Characters
Oftentimes, female Street Fighter players will be drawn to characters like Cammy and Chun-Li. This is understandable, of course, because they may be drawn to powerful female characters. They could be tired of the whole “damsel in distress” thing (I’m looking at you, Princess Peach) and they would prefer to see a strong female lead. Tomb Raider, Heavenly Sword, and even Metroid feature powerful women. In the meantime, you have some pixelated eye candy to enjoy too.
Crawl Before You Walk Before You Run
Keep it simple. Even if she wasn’t really into video games at the time, there’s a good chance that retro titles will have an inherent appeal to your girlfriend. This is partly why a game like Mario Kart Wii can be a good idea, but Burnout Revenge might not be. They’re both pretty outrageous, as far as racing games are concerned, but one has Luigi, Yoshi, and Peach. The other just has cars.
Similarly, games that are overly complex will be nothing more than a source of frustration. Getting them to figure out Dead Space could be an exercise in futility and it could be a one-way ticket to sleeping on the couch for you. Going back to simpler games, like Bomberman Live, is a better idea. By and large, Bomberman can be played with one button, but it’s still a lot of fun.
If she is completely new to video games, you’ll want to take her hand and walk her through the process. Start simple and work your way up. After getting acquainted with Bomberman, she can step up to Super Smash Bros. From there, she can try an easier shooter like Far Cry Instincts.
Introducing Violence, Blood, and Gore
Not all video games are about sniper rifles and chainsaw guns, but we all know that those can be a heck of a lot of fun. Some girls enjoy the gore, but many do not. That’s why you got to ease them into that part of the video gaming equation too.
Cartoon violence is easily digestible. Moving further, you can introduce arcade-style shooting games like Ghost Squad. From there, you may want to show off a little blood with House of Dead, retaining the relative simplicity of a game like Ghost Squad. Soon enough, she’ll be just as bloodthirsty as you are. Boom! Headshot!
Sharing Your Passions
If you’re like most boyfriends, you’ve probably been stuck with the task of holding onto a purse as your girlfriend tries on a bunch of clothes at the mall. You’ve probably endured more than your fair share of chick flicks. As she attempts to get you interested in her interests, I think it’s only fair that she make an attempt to get interesting in your video game obsession too. A strong and happy relationship must be based on effective communication and sharing some common interests. No one ever said that Gears of War couldn’t be one of those common interests.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a chainsaw gun that begs to be utilized.
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Get Your Girlfriend into Video Games for Valentine’s Day
