Quick Jump Daily Digest
Thank you for your interest in the Quick Jump Daily Digest. Get notified of all new content on QJ in our free Daily Digest. To subscribe, enter your email address below and click the subscribe button.
Don't Make Your Girl a "Game Widow" - Get Her To Join The Fun! |
Listed in: PSP, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Nintendo DS, MMORPG Tags: Google, Lego, Super Mario, Zelda
Ó
Although a Google search for "girls gaming" will bring up over six million hits, a great many girls' gaming experience is limited to My Little Pony, Rainbow Brite, Care Bears and Barbie. Some even went on to the Mario and Zelda series...but let's face it. Most boys want hard-hitting, fact-action games where things go BOOM! And how wonderful it would be for a boy to have that "special girl" sharing his greatest joy...Well, Ms. Shipwreck from CheapAss Gamer - a "Gamer Wife" - has some good tips for you. Read on...
Point 1 - Control: Men are infamous for their need to be "in control," but (as Condi and Hillary have shown) women crave power and control as well. The best way to allow this to happen is to limit initial frustration. Let's face it, if her character keeps dying, or she can't orient herself in the game's world, she will feel powerless - and will likely throw her hands up at the whole thing. Be a patient, yet thorough teacher - make sure she understands the controls, concept and rules before going in. When all else fails (and we guys are infamous on this point), Read The Instructions!!
Point 2 - Start Out Light: Begin with a "lighter" game that embraces more of the feminine "Yin" (but don't assume that she won't want to go on to more testosterone-fueled games). This doesn't mean you need to go with things like Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing or Super Princess Peach. She might enjoy some shooters like Goldeneye, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter or Metal Gear Solid, however.
Point 3 - Play Together, Stay Together: Hopefully, your relationship is based on more than just "love" or sexual passion - she's your "pal" as well, someone you just like to "hang out" with. Find games you can play together. Suggestions: Baldur's Gate, Champions of Norath, Kameo, X-Men Legends, or Lego Star Wars. These games allows one to have a character that complements their innate skills. If she's not a great marksman, she might do well as a wizard/mage, whereas a Xena Warrior Princess-type may enjoy being a warrior. Taking turns at single player games like Paper Mario, Kingdom Hearts, Sphinx, Futurama and Psychonauts can be fun - but make sure your relationship is on solid footing before competing against each other.
Point 4 - Find a Genre You Both Like: Nostalgia (Mario, Zelda, Tetris), puzzles (Devil Dice, Bust-A-Move, Pokemon Puzzle Challenge) or games that allow players to create their own elements (Zoo Tycoon, Harvest Moon) are good places to start. Take her to the game store and find out what interests her. And if it's not all you hoped for, don't be afraid to dump it before she gets frustrated.
Bottom line: gaming needs to be as fun for her as it is for you. And just because there aren't many "woman-specific" games out there (yet), don't assume she won't enjoy slaying monsters and making things go BOOM! as much as you do.
| 100% of voters think this story ROCKS! |
|
|












Comments
Reply
Reply
Reply
then i get grounded :-(
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
If you're the kind of guy who is going to neglect their girlfriend for games, you've either got your priorities wrong or you never deserved the girl in the first place and it's merely a matter of time until she figures out that she's wasting her life with you.
Reply
Reply
My fiance even plays them everynow and again, but the only game she will really play is WIPEOUT!!! she LOVES IT!!! she particularly enjoys shooting rockets at me, so women do like games with some BOOM in them
Reply
C'mon, what's Nintendogs?
Just kidding. Well, I already got my ass kicked on KoF by a girl. And a friend of mine (a girl) was a game developer (for cell phones) some time ago and she kicks my ass at Tetris. And the first time I played a DS was on the DS of another friend of mine (also a girl), and she still kicks my ass at Meteos. So, I think this article is sexist.
OK, so now everybody is gonna laugh at me, because I got my ass kicked by some girls. Go on, go on.
Reply
in short, she's awesome, really. and honestly, if your girl gives you grief for playing video games, she's not the one. if you neglect your girl for videogames, then you have issues. a real relationship is about understanding and respecting your partner for who they are (if she doesn't like video games, so what. don't let her ruin your gametime, but don't put games before her), and whatever differences of opinion they may have.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Let's hear it for Women Gamers!!!!
btw
9. » what
i would never let a broad (aka b1tch) touch my psp,ps2.xbox,xbox 360, gamecube, ds, n64, snes, gennisis, saturn,nes, gb,gbc,gba, gbasp she can go play with dirt or somethin
by mzn (Unregistered), at Jun 21, 2006 at 11:23AM
^^^^^ you must never get laid!!!! With an attitude like that.
Reply
If a girl asks you to play video games, awesome you found a keeper, but if you ask her to play video games with you, either A) she will think you are a loser and go find a man to give her some d*ck, or B) you are boths losers and she will accept, which is probably good because she probably isnt the kind of girl you want to spend much time looking at
Reply
I love my P$P only.
Reply
lol.
My Girlfriend loves Kingdom Hearts and some FF titles.
I know this other girl who is great in Fighting Games.
Awesome it is to play. I'm not easy with her just for being a girl. Fair play.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
this is kinda degrading stuff to read...
Reply
Reply
i would never let a broad (aka b1tch) touch my psp,ps2.xbox,xbox 360, gamecube, ds, n64, snes, gennisis, saturn,nes, gb,gbc,gba, gbasp she can go play with dirt or somethin
by mzn (Unregistered), at Jun 21, 2006 at 11:23AM
Dude you need to get some *****, seriously.
On the other hand my fiancee loves games. She has more DS games than i own PSP games. Well one reason is i like homebrew, but even if i liked the psp games she'd still have more.
I recently bought Paper Marion and she loves it. I finished it today at 34 hours finding everything while she is at 29 hours just doing the basics. She cant beat the end guy but hey she played 29 hours of one game. Impressed the hell out of me.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
I got my girlfriend a PSP and a DS (what a lucky girl huh!). She loves Lumines but she hasn't played PSP for ages. Too many great games on DS that girls love. Mainly Tetris and Animal Crossing.
She also really enjoyed Rockstar Table Tennis (just got that yesterday) The Sims the Urbs, The sims 2 (DS), Nintendogs, Ultimate Block Party, Puyo Pop Fever, Hearts (xbla), and more.
What do all these games have in commen? They are either a puzzle game or fairly "slow" gameplay. Games like animal crossing and The sims you can take your time, figure things out, without the pressure of a timer etc to frustrate the girls and make them feel stupid. Trust me, lose 1 life really quickly and the whining starts. "waaaa, i dunno wat to do, this game is stupid!" hehe hear that all the time. It's not like they are slow cuz girls rock at puzzle games so I am not sure whats up.
Also, I don't play fighting games with girls, every time is just a button mash fest and it's just pathetic really. Sad thing is you can win games just button mashing, but I avoid the situation altoghether so my sacred ninjistsu skills are not disgrased by the frezy of I dont understand button combos and the art of fighting.
Anyways I feel really lucky to have a girlfriend who likes games, on a day off its common we spend the time sharing fruit from animal crossing of playing a vs match in Tetris (yes she is probably better than me at tetris), or playing some minigames in TNSMB, or trying out the latest xbox live arcade or xbox 360 rental.
Also this IS sexist but I can't wait for the cooking game for DS to come to USA so I can get it for her and she is bound to take a more vested interest in cooking after that. Cook me a pot pie! (sorry but its true)
Note to developers: Make animal crossing for Wii the most fantastic thing ever! Also, don't be scared make more games FOR women.
Reply
Halo 2
Ghost recon
Counter-strike
Rainbow Six 3
games like that
i also LOVE GUITAR HERO!
That's a fun game to play with friends
I don't suck either
Reply
You wont see alot of girls playing stuff like Halo2 on Xbox Live because they choose not to. I know plenty of girls who LAN Halo2 almost every week. Girls dont play online much because gathering together in one place to play is better then playing over the internet. You will never have as much fun Playing group games online then if you could play them sitting next to each other.
They dont invite guys because every guy knows that girls like to spend time with other girls. Its like us men where we choose not to take our girlfriends to poker nights or sports night, its a guy thing.
If you want your girlfriend to play games you want to play, then you have to accept that you will have to play any games that she wants to play. Even if it means you have to break down and learn to play Dance Dance Revolution or Karaoke Revolution, two games that I own and play with my girlfriend and her friends all the time. Its also IMO, the best two games to start out since its fun to play no matter how bad or good you are and downright funny to laugh at people and have people laugh at you and be totally ok about it.
Most important of all, never ever judge a girl on her skill. Never use the word beginner or anything that will make her feel lower then you are no matter how much better you are. Even if she is terrible tell her she did a good job, if you want bonus points say she was better then you when you first started.
MMORPG are addicting to both genders. I have yet to meet a girl that I couldnt get to play Final Fantasy XI because of its cutness factor. MMO games are one of the best because you can play with each other even when your not in the same palce. Why go out when its just as enjoyable to log into a MMO world and play together, not to mention the money you would save.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
2. Metal Gear Solid really isn't in the same genre as Ghost Recon.
3. This seemed like a pointless post and really just a way for one of the bloggers to get another post in.
Reply
not the kind of girl im interested in taking home
why would i want to play halo with her when i could get some dome instead? does this article count if shes givin some head while i play halo?
Reply
Reply
Reply
I'm a seventeen-year-old girl gamer. I've been playing games since I've been able to hold a controller in my hands. (Infact, it was probably that of an Atari at the age of three.) And I've played everything all around. Not just a Mario game, or a puzzle game, or a racing game. I'm talking like Diablo, Baldur's Gate, Mortal Kombat, KOF, Tekken, F.E.A.R., Fallout, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Devil May Cry, Guild Wars, Halo, etc. and all their prequels and sequels, the list goes on, you name it, I've probably heard of it, and have likely played it.
And there are no girls online you say? Hell, I play online games both at LAN parties, and online, but mostly online. And guess what? I've met other girl gamers, there are plenty of there, they can just be tricky to find, but they exist, they usually won't reveal their identity to many guys since they suspect they'll get all horny. Either way, they exist. I also know girl gamers in my closer real life, who play large varieties of games like I do, there aren't too many, but they exist.
My favorite games are the more aggressive ones, action-oriented ones or twisted ones. How about some Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines anyone? Devil May Cry 3 for some kick-ass, Quake III to blow your face up? Haha. The list could go on.
This was just to point out that girl gamers DO EXIST, we are not quite as extinct as you guys would expect, or not nearly as lame as you suspect. And no, I'm not a butch dyke, or anything like that. I look like a typical girl. Either way, this article is somewhat sexist, but I believe it to be more lack of understanding, you males just can't understand, and still don't. You don't look for girl gamers, they'll come to you . . . but you'll never know it.
- 1337 R4R3 Sp3c1m3n
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
btw. girls shouldnt play videogames. its unfeminate. if thats a word.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
And btw, figboy (post no.18):
Wow man, u're very lucky to have a fiancée like this, and I agree totally with what u said. Now just one question: does your fiancé have a friend who's like her?
Reply
Not all girls just want to play Mario and Zelda. This article is lame.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Geek I may be, but that does not mean I can't get a girlfriend. I spend more time with my girlfriend than I do playing videogames.
Reply
and dont tell me your gf or fiance is a hardcore gamer and "totally hot". she isnt. she either A) doesnt exist, or B) is uglier than you and thats how you convinced her to game w/you
Reply
I thought everyone knew that!
Reply
let her play single player halo once and she ended up losing control of the camera with her guy just looking at the floor
i'm sure that in some parallel universe, a hot girl does exist that is good at halo and other "gamer games"... but they are few and far between
and just a note, any girl that is interested in MMOORPG's automatically loses 5 points off the hotness scale... so let's assume that any girl that actually does play WOW is a fat, acne riddled 4 out of 10, you then have to subtract 5 points for liking a genre of games that only the true losers of our generation like, and she becomes a -1 out of 10
brian peppers wouldn't even hit it
Reply
I know plenty of very hot chicks who play games. Most of them prefer the MMORPG games because of the social interaction. I don't know many who play FPS's etc.
Bottom line is, Brett, is that the only reason you see ugly chicks is because they are the only ones who would waste their time with a ***** like you. All the hot ones run screaming the instant you open your mouth, so you never get to see them.
Reply
and #63, those girls are still pretty hot @ 22, and the "kinda hot" (aka ugly) girls just ended up going to the local community college and live in some trashy apartment with all the other ugly people to play their mmorpg's and avoid real human contact.
face it, hot girls playing video games past super mario are 1 in a million
if you really do know a hot girl that games, amazing. but the kind of girls most of the hardcore gamers i know consider "hot" are well....less than spectacular
Reply
Reply
And yeah I have vowed to marry the woman that kicks my ass on UT2004, and Starcraft in the same day.. I've yet to find one. Someday.
Reply
) . (
( v )
Reply
Also, meeting girls (gaming reporters, testers, not the babes...) nearby the convention center at the E3 would be rather exciting, but I should've thought about it 3 months earlier... Well u know in a country like where I'm living that is a real pain in the a** to find a girl who even knows what is a difference between a playstation and a gameboy so... Move to LA, copy that ;)
Reply
Reply
Yeah *****. Cos shes my Girlfriend. Ahhahahah. So she wouldnt want a lot of ***** you geddit, silly little boy!
Plenty of girl gamers, we have several in our clan. You just obviously dont rub girls the right way in real life or on the internet hence not meeting any
Reply
Reply