Good game for my girlfriend

Nevyn

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I've found Viva Pinata goes down well with girls.

Yup girls ( being female children ) do like that one.

What type games does she like ?
Are you looking for something for you both to play together ?
Or some thing with a story line to get her hooked ?
Or is she into building and managing ?
Or is she into killing people and blowing stuff up ?

Midnight sonata was crap, even the girl in this house ( my 8 year old daughter ) thought it was crap.

As for me I am finishing assassin's creed, thinking about going back to finish bio shock and looking forward to playing fable 2.

Silverfish

Seifer wrote: »

I was introduced to them. Probably mario on the NES a nice colourful game. Simple so someone new to games or a child can play. A good introductory game like fuzion frenzy would be..

Girls!=children.

Seifer wrote: »

Most girls are not going to want to jump in and start headshoting terrorists despite how much fun you or I think that is. They're also not going to be used to the controller and will find the fact you have to use every button on the controller and the two sticks in tandum hard to get to grips with.
Fuzion frenzy uses one stick and two buttons mainly, like mario.

I only bought an xbox this year. There's only one way to get used to the controller. Use the damn thing. If she's sitting there using one stick and two buttons, she's not going to learn.

Sorry, but I'm not going to argue with you any more on what games girls should and shouldn't play. Its a ridiculous attitude, and one that puts girls off gaming.
I bet a tenner if anyone's gf's 'can't seem to get into' dumb kids games on cooking and raising kittens or whatever that their boyfriends bought them to 'get them into gaming', that if they were handed Cod4 or Gears of War and let figure it out without the controller being snapped off them with 'Here, let me show you' then they'd be a lot more interested.
Guaranteed.

Timans

To be honest, if your girlfriend likes playing games, then she will like all the good games which you like. If she doesn't like games and you're trying to find a game to get her into gaming, then that's a different story.

I think any good game would be suitable, and if she doesn't like that genre, then try another good game.

Greyjoy

Silverfish wrote: »

I bet a tenner if anyone's gf's 'can't seem to get into' dumb kids games on cooking and raising kittens or whatever that their boyfriends bought them to 'get them into gaming', that if they were handed Cod4 or Gears of War and let figure it out without the controller being snapped off them with 'Here, let me show you' then they'd be a lot more interested.
Guaranteed.

In all fairness Silverfish, no-one here has suggested stereotypical 'girly' games like cooking/kittens or whatever but games which people's respective gf/wife have actually enjoyed.

Seifer

Silverfish wrote:

Girls!=children.

I never said they were. However if someone came on here looking to introduce a person to gaming I would still recommend simple games first.

Silverfish wrote:

I bet a tenner if anyone's gf's 'can't seem to get into' dumb kids games on cooking and raising kittens or whatever that their boyfriends bought them to 'get them into gaming', that if they were handed Cod4 or Gears of War and let figure it out without the controller being snapped off them with 'Here, let me show you' then they'd be a lot more interested.
Guaranteed.

I get it you're a girl. You're horribly aggrieved at my attitude but you would lose your tenner. That's simply not true. Guaranteed.
There may be exceptions but the vast vast majority of girls will not be interested in CoD4.

Thaedydal wrote:

Yup girls ( being female children ) do like that one.

Assume anywhere I have used the word girls it reads as women.

Silverfish

Seifer wrote: »

I get it you're a girl. You're horribly aggrieved at my attitude but you would lose your tenner. That's simply not true. Guaranteed.
There may be exceptions but the vast vast majority of girls will not be interested in CoD4.

.

Right. But we are talking about the OP's gf. Maybe she's also an exception. There's every chance she'd be interested in those games. Just as much chance as she wouldn't. Its a suggestion. From a girl for a girl. Not sure why you're getting so upset about it, and continually trying to correct me? I just suggested some games that the OP's gf might consider more interesting, and you jumped all over my suggestion.

Nevyn

Having to get to grips with the joypad is not just cos someone is female,
I have issues with it but that is cos I am mainly a pc gamer, found quake on the ps 1 werid to play; fps and console controlers just don't compute for me.

But I found playing Deamon Stone that damn it I needed every button and the set up demanded I get a better grip on the layout of the controller so it became nearly as second nature as a mouse and keyboard.

So yeah try demonstone, good story, nice cinema clips, pushes use of every button 3 very different chars to rotate and use.

Seifer

Silverfish wrote:

Right. But we are talking about the OP's gf. Maybe she's also an exception.

Exactly, we're not talking about you. Or other girls you know. You think maybe she'd be into games already if she was an exception?

Silverfish wrote:

There's every chance she'd be interested in those games. Just as much chance as she wouldn't.

No there isn't. This is not a 50/50 chance. It is heavily skewed in the not interested direction.

Silverfish wrote:

Its a suggestion. From a girl for a girl.

Its a suggestion from a gamer girl for a non-gamer girl. With the gamer girl not taking into account the differences between those too.

Silverfish wrote:

Not sure why you're getting so upset about it, and continually trying to correct me? I just suggested some games that the OP's gf might consider more interesting, and you jumped all over my suggestion.

I'm not upset. I'm over here in the real world where I realise there are guys who like games and guys that don't. And girls that like games and girls that don't. (The ratios in those two groups are in no way equal). You however are off in some bizarro feminist land where you think that every girl has to like games because men do.

Thaedydal wrote:

What type games does she like ?

If the OP's girlfriend liked games there would be no need for this thread. They could just discuss between themselves what they want to play next.

As I said before I would give the same advice if someone wanted to introduce a guy to gaming. Maybe if she plays a sport you could get a sports sim of that.

Silverfish

You're way off on all of your points.

But I am going to call you on this one.

You however are off in some bizarro feminist land where you think that every girl has to like games because men do.

I'm not the one who started this thread looking for games for a girl, the OP did. Maybe tell him that not every girl has to play games just cos he does.
I just answered the question in the thread, and then defended my words when you had a hissy fit.

I don't think every girl has to like games. I don't think ANYONE has to like games. But if someone WANTS to play games, I'll make recommendations to them based on my experiences. Can you understand that, or will you argue that too?

Seifer

What is way off about my points? The FACTS are that more men play games. A lot more.

Silverfish wrote:

Maybe tell him that not every girl has to play games just cos he does.

No one said anything about having to do anything. Couples like to find things to do together. Good for him if he can get his girlfriend into something he already enjoys.

Silverfish wrote:

But if someone WANTS to play games, I'll make recommendations to them based on my experiences. Can you understand that, or will you argue that too?

I understand the English you are using, your logic however is flawed.
So you started off on Gears of War? Good for you. You're 1337.
Do you understand that some people (not just girls) would like to start off on something easier to get into? Do you understand that most girls don't particularly find the difference between a flashbang and a frag grenade very interesting so aren't gonna jump right into CoD4?
When you answer the second question try to think of all women everywhere. Not just you or your friends.

Ponster

Silverfish wrote: »

I bet a tenner if anyone's gf's 'can't seem to get into' dumb kids games on cooking and raising kittens or whatever that their boyfriends bought them to 'get them into gaming', that if they were handed Cod4 or Gears of War and let figure it out without the controller being snapped off them with 'Here, let me show you' then they'd be a lot more interested.
Guaranteed.

Last year I more time than maybe I should have playing BF2 so my wife took the 'if you can't beat them...' attitude and learned how to play.

I will admit that after 5 minutes of getting shot in the face and panicking when caught out in the open she finally killed someone (ran them over) and suddenly loved it. It's difficult to describe the joy I felt to watch her driving around in her tank, take an AT shot, and then driving it away from the battle to where she could safely repair it rather than letting it get blown up.

Silverfish

Seifer wrote: »

When you answer the second question try to think of all women everywhere. Not just you or your friends.

I am. Everyone has already suggested other games. I'm suggesting she might like those. 'All women everywhere' don't all like the same things. I'm trying to tell you not to generalise.

What is the problem?

Shiminay

Seifer, are you on some sorta weird planet where life is defined in absolutes?

SOME women are hard-core gamers. SOME hate games. I'd guess the vast majority fall somewhere inbetween.

There are hard-core male gamers that hate FPS' but love creation/management type games - does that make them somehow not hard-core/gamers/male?

You're getting so wound up with Silverfish for having as valid an opinion as any of us here and it just seems so weird - why?

NunianVonFuch

Presuming the OP's girlfriend is not into games at all, it might be a good idea to try and match the kind of games she likes with the kind of films.

Action movies - FPS - Battlefield:Bad Company.
Romance - The Sims/JRPG - Lost Odyssey.
Crime/Thriller - GTA IV.
Cartooney Disney kids movies - Viva Pinata
Artistic independent films - Silent Hill 2.
Dance movies - Rock Band.

I'm sure there's many more similarities that can be drawn. The main point is to equate the type of game with the type of film she likes so that its similar to something she already knows and loves rather than a completely new idea that will take time and effort to get to know better. Hence the success of sequels!

NunianVonFuch

Seifer wrote: »

What is way off about my points? The FACTS are that more men play games. A lot more.

Survey Finds Women Own More Game Consoles Than Men (Sep 24th 2007) http://www.mediapost.com/publications/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=67924
44% of women own a console compared to 39% of men.

Women Dominate Nintendo Land (Oct 11th 2007)
http://kotaku.com/gaming/japan/women-dominate-nintendo-land-309452.php
DS has a 53% female userbase in Japan. Wii has a 51% female userbase.

Japan:Men, Women All love the Nintendo DS
http://kotaku.com/378539/men-women-all-love-the-nintendo-ds
79.6% of women asked prefer the DS.

Don't base things solely on your own experience and certainly not on Xbox Live. Personally speaking out of my own batch of friends all the guys game bar 2 who gave it up due to work commitments. But all of the women have a DS, a Wii and regularly give it socks at Rock Band meetups. Its just an old stereotype thats all. Be gone in a few more years of Nintendo domination.

Seifer

Kharn wrote:

Seifer, are you on some sorta weird planet where life is defined in absolutes?

How can you be so ignorant as to come onto this thread and say that to me? It's literally like you based everything I said on Silverfish's "'All women everywhere' don't all like the same things." comment.
The whole way through I debated using facts and at no point said anything in absolute. I always qualified my statements with "the majority" or something similar. Then Silverfish would not address my points and make up something I never said. You can read my logical argument through if you wish but I won't be replying to you or Silverfish again unless you actually come up with something ressembling a valid point.

Seifer

NunianVonFuch wrote:

Survey Finds Women Own More Game Consoles Than Men (Sep 24th 2007) http://www.mediapost.com/publication...&art_aid=67924
44% of women own a console compared to 39% of men.

Interesting article but it does point out that the majority of women are not playing games like Halo. Which is what I was trying to point out to Silverfish.
It also doesn't take into account how many games they actually own for these consoles or the fact that people can own multiple consoles.
And a four day online survey with 1000 respondants is hardly the most accurate thing in the world.

The second one is interesting also but if you were to obtain similar data for xbox, ps3 and gaming pcs I'm pretty sure it would be skewed a lot more in the male favour. Also its Japan only, not the world and we're in Ireland.

The third one doesn't really say anything. It just says that the DS is the prefered handheld of women in Japan. It says nothing about owning or playing one.

Another point of view Video Games Activate Reward Regions Of Brain In Men More Than Women

NunianVonFuch

Seifer wrote: »

The second one is interesting also but if you were to obtain similar data for xbox, ps3 and gaming pcs I'm pretty sure it would be skewed a lot more in the male favour. Also its Japan only, not the world and we're in Ireland.

The third one doesn't really say anything. It just says that the DS is the prefered handheld of women in Japan. It says nothing about owning or playing one.

The point I'm making is that Nintendo are actively targeting these markets worldwide not just Japan and it is working. I completely agree with you on the FPS arguement - that most girls wouldn't be into it. But its more like the way most girls wouldn't be into football - its seen as a "man's" game from when you're very young. Hence girls with enough self-confidence to ignore this nonsense will try everything and pick what they like best so play soccer & FPS games if they want. Those with less self-esteem will go for they see others doing. Others being their peers at home and on tv so dollies and dress up it is! Or something similarly stereotyped.
Hopefully that in a few more years the next generation will grow up without this in-built sexism towards games when you're a kid and we'll all be on an even keel.

Beruthiel

OP
I started off 2 years ago on the xbox, my first game was Oblivion followed by Gears of War, Dead or Alive 4, Assassins Creed, Mass Effect, Bio Shock, Halo 3, (there were others) but those are the best games and your g/f should like them all.

IMO asking what a g/f would like is basically the wrong question, it has nothing to do with it.
The question you should be asking is, what are the best games out there for the xbox.
If the game is good, it will be liked, no matter what gender you are.
Anyone telling you anything different is talking bullsh!t.

Seifer

NunianVonFuch wrote:

Hence girls with enough self-confidence to ignore this nonsense will try everything and pick what they like best so play soccer & FPS games if they want. Those with less self-esteem will go for they see others doing.

Yeah they're real pioneers picking up a controller :rolleyes: Bring self-esteem into it is just ridiculous. This debate has nothing to do with confidence.

Beruthiel wrote:

The question you should be asking is, what are the best games out there for the xbox.

If that were the case the OP could just take the games he has and play those instead of asking for advice.

Beruthiel wrote:

If the game is good, it will be liked, no matter what gender you are.

That's just wrong. Many women would say Sex and the City is good and most guys will say its utter sh!te.
The majority of games are aimed at a certain demographic ie. males of a certain age. Yes they are now copping onto the fact that there is money to be made from women too but it's in the handheld market, the interactive market i.e. singstar, dance games etc. and other markets.

Beruthiel wrote:

Gears of War, Dead or Alive 4, Assassins Creed, Mass Effect, Bio Shock, Halo 3, (there were others) but those are the best games and your g/f should like them all.

What does should mean here? If she's a gamer already then sure. If she's not then no.
If you took a poll where ever you study / work (excluding any IT related area :P) and asked the women how many of you would be interested in game where you can chainsaw someone's face, what kind of positive percentage do you think you'd get back?

koneko

Recommendations should be based on taste (if she has tried anything in particular and likes it), past games, that sort of thing, not gender. I'm not going to get into a big debate on women/girls and what they like, everyone is different, statistics don't help you if you're looking for practical advice, gender doesn't define what you will or won't like. It's hard to recommend games without knowing how many someone has played, if they're into games at all, or even want to be! Sometimes the type of films/shows someone likes might help, for instance if she likes horror, try Silent Hill 2 (absolute classic). Be ready to accept that maybe she just won't be into your hobby.

Has she played any games at all before? If you have no idea where to start, a cross-section of games is a good idea, and let her have her time with them to get used to controls etc. You know, a good puzzle game, a good RPG, a good shooter, a good racing game. See if she likes any of them and go from there. Has she shown any interest in any games she has seen you playing, or does she leave the room?

If she isn't into games already (I'm assuming she isn't, otherwise you'd let her get on with playing what she wants ) then you don't have to start with recent games, pick some of the greats. For instance, for an FPS, a game like Half Life, No One Lives Forever (2), Halo. Games that are relatively easy to get into for newbies. You could try a co-op game on an easy difficulty if she isn't used to controls, like Gears of War or Halo 3. Or go with something "lighter", maybe funny, like Stubbs the Zombie (not an amazing game by any means, but it's co-op and fun!). All this advice applies to either gender.

Beruthiel

Seifer
I'd ask you to kindly quit trolling this thread.
The OP asked for advice, I have given him my POV from a womans perspective, as have others on this thread, and which would appear to be more valid than anything you have had to say on so far.

Seifer

Beruthiel wrote:

which would appear to be more valid than anything you have had to say on so far.

Seifer wrote:

Got my girlfriend to play fuzion frenzy which I have from the original xbox. Also played Halo 3 but the whole moving and looking thing was a major stepping block.

Seifer wrote:

Maybe if she plays a sport you could get a sports sim of that.

So I've been as helpful as you.

Beruthiel wrote:

I'd ask you to kindly quit trolling this thread.

Thank you for addressing my points in a logical manner. I respectfully disagree but you're the mod.

Nevyn

Again the op should try her with a few games he has and see what she like or heaven forbid they shoudl both go to a shop and she can have a look a brouse the xbox section.

NunianVonFuch

Seifer wrote: »

Yeah they're real pioneers picking up a controller :rolleyes: Bring self-esteem into it is just ridiculous. This debate has nothing to do with confidence.

Self-esteem is probably the wrong word. I'm talking about having a willingness to try new things. If she's not interested in trying games because of preconceived ideas about them the OP may be wasting his time. I'm not suggesting they're pioneers either. Just I know when I was growing up a lot of girls who had a brother (usually older) weren't allowed play games cos it "wasn't for them". :rolleyes:

Where's the OP gone? Someone said they started on Oblivion. That's a great one as it covers a little bit of everything, you can play it how you want, it has a decent tutorial, plus if the combat bits get too hard you can just drop the difficulty down or go learn some kick ass spells til she gets used to the controller.

Slig

I started a thread a couple of weeks ago when I got my first console asking what games to get and I got all the usuals, COD, Orange box, bioshock, Mass effect. Not fusion frenzy or viva pinata. My GF loved the original Half life but hasent palyed any games since except Dirt, which she loved and fusion frenzy which she binned.

Its not an easy question to answer, generally they like completely different films and tv to men so technically they should like different games but they are people so let her choose herself, rent a few different genres maybe. But for Gods sake, if she is doing something wrong dont tell her, or offer to show her how its done.
The xbox controller is very heavy, has no wire to limit range and is ergonomically perfect for throwing.

hal9000

Try Hello Kitty Island Adventure
Failing that My g/f liked Portal (thought it was a neat puzzle game if a bit short)

blaze1

after 2 years of hearing "that feckin box is going in the bin" I suggested Guitar hero. The bird placed the disc in the box at 5pm, switched it off at 11:30 pm.

best buy ever!!