Don’t Make Your Girl a “Game Widow” – Get Her To Join The Fun!
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.
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.