I'm sure there are people here that have non-gamer girlfriends. My girlfriend started out as one. I think her only previous gaming experience was occasionally playing an arcade game at the movie theatre or places like that. Note, I am not saying that all girls are bad at gaming. This is just a suggestion to help guys get their non-gamer girlfriends into games.
I've got a few suggestions for games that might interest your girlfriend.
I'll start off with the PC. My first suggestion is rather easy to guess.
World of Warcraft! I know that some of you might cringe at the thought of playing WoW again, but my girlfriend is absolutely insane over WoW. She isn't a hardcore power-leveler, she doesn't get mad when she gets ganked.. She loves playing in a persistent explorable world. She loves going to Darnassus even when nobody else goes there.
I bet your girlfriend will like it too. I would suggest taking an hour to just show her the ropes and help her get the basic game mechanics down. That way she can just explore and figure things out to her heart's content.
My other suggestion for PC is Portal. For some reason my girlfriend just fell in love with Portal. This is a game that lets you simply use your creativity to get through the level and advance the humorous plot line. Also, bad guys aren't rushing forward all the time trying to kill you. This is a big plus for some novice gamers.
For the 360-
Geometry Wars (Its on the Wii and DS as well) - Seriously, this game doesn't need an explanation. Its beautiful and simplistic. It combines the best of the new generation of games with the nostalgia of older games.
Halo 3- I know I'll catch some flack for this, but this is a good game to start a girl off with an FPS. It is almost impossible to die in Easy mode, and she'll be a lot more willing to go out of cover and try some heroic moves and learn the game if she isn't scared of getting popped by that pesky Jackal sniper.
Guitar Hero (Also for the Wii) - You guys know what Guitar Hero is. My girlfriend is actually better at it than I am. Her fingers are far more nimble so she has a far easier time hitting that stupid orange key than me.
For the Wii-
Super Mario Galaxy - This is probably my favorite game on the Wii right now. It is simple enough that novice players can catch on, and the difficulty ramps up just enough to let them get the star after a few tries. Beautiful level design and colorful graphics.
Smash Brothers Brawl - This really needs no explanation
Wii Sports- First of all, all the girls I know love customing their Mii. Aside from that this lets them get the basic ideas of the Wiimote down and have some fun bowling and boxing!
Warioware (Also for the DS) - This is a collection of hysterical minigames that are not confusing at all. Usually the premise of the minigame is given in one word, and you have a few seconds to complete a little microgame.
Virtual Console Classics - You know which games are classics. This is a big suggestion of mine. These games are still very challenging, but the controls are not as complicated as a newer 3-D game.
DS
Brain Age - This is a DS game that allows people to really stretch parts of the brain that they may not be used to. You'll be surprised that you actually do get better at a lot of games, and I know that it made me feel more focused when I played the game regularly.
Electroplankton - This is a great game for your girlfriend. There is no game over or bad guys. This is a musical game that is based off or your interactions with the various electroplankton.
PS3 - Warhawk - I don't really know much about Warhawk as I do not own a PS3. Crimson suggested it. If I remember correctly its a multiplayer only FPS game that heavily focuses on vehicular gameplay.
Well, these are my suggestions. If you have any other ideas, post them in the thread. If you want me to revise a game I've suggestion, just post in here. I hope this helps at least one person!
I've got a few suggestions for games that might interest your girlfriend.
I'll start off with the PC. My first suggestion is rather easy to guess.
World of Warcraft! I know that some of you might cringe at the thought of playing WoW again, but my girlfriend is absolutely insane over WoW. She isn't a hardcore power-leveler, she doesn't get mad when she gets ganked.. She loves playing in a persistent explorable world. She loves going to Darnassus even when nobody else goes there.
I bet your girlfriend will like it too. I would suggest taking an hour to just show her the ropes and help her get the basic game mechanics down. That way she can just explore and figure things out to her heart's content.
My other suggestion for PC is Portal. For some reason my girlfriend just fell in love with Portal. This is a game that lets you simply use your creativity to get through the level and advance the humorous plot line. Also, bad guys aren't rushing forward all the time trying to kill you. This is a big plus for some novice gamers.
For the 360-
Geometry Wars (Its on the Wii and DS as well) - Seriously, this game doesn't need an explanation. Its beautiful and simplistic. It combines the best of the new generation of games with the nostalgia of older games.
Halo 3- I know I'll catch some flack for this, but this is a good game to start a girl off with an FPS. It is almost impossible to die in Easy mode, and she'll be a lot more willing to go out of cover and try some heroic moves and learn the game if she isn't scared of getting popped by that pesky Jackal sniper.
Guitar Hero (Also for the Wii) - You guys know what Guitar Hero is. My girlfriend is actually better at it than I am. Her fingers are far more nimble so she has a far easier time hitting that stupid orange key than me.
For the Wii-
Super Mario Galaxy - This is probably my favorite game on the Wii right now. It is simple enough that novice players can catch on, and the difficulty ramps up just enough to let them get the star after a few tries. Beautiful level design and colorful graphics.
Smash Brothers Brawl - This really needs no explanation
Wii Sports- First of all, all the girls I know love customing their Mii. Aside from that this lets them get the basic ideas of the Wiimote down and have some fun bowling and boxing!
Warioware (Also for the DS) - This is a collection of hysterical minigames that are not confusing at all. Usually the premise of the minigame is given in one word, and you have a few seconds to complete a little microgame.
Virtual Console Classics - You know which games are classics. This is a big suggestion of mine. These games are still very challenging, but the controls are not as complicated as a newer 3-D game.
DS
Brain Age - This is a DS game that allows people to really stretch parts of the brain that they may not be used to. You'll be surprised that you actually do get better at a lot of games, and I know that it made me feel more focused when I played the game regularly.
Electroplankton - This is a great game for your girlfriend. There is no game over or bad guys. This is a musical game that is based off or your interactions with the various electroplankton.
PS3 - Warhawk - I don't really know much about Warhawk as I do not own a PS3. Crimson suggested it. If I remember correctly its a multiplayer only FPS game that heavily focuses on vehicular gameplay.
Well, these are my suggestions. If you have any other ideas, post them in the thread. If you want me to revise a game I've suggestion, just post in here. I hope this helps at least one person!