How are you getting non-gamers gaming?

[digitalwanderer]

Oh one more thing, my totally cyberphobic mother bought herself a DS after playing a few of the brain games (trivia games) on it.

You just have to find them something they like.

 

[PARANOiA]

I forgot a couple of games...

When we went to Japan a few years ago we ventured into the arcades a few times, and played a drumming game by Namco. Cannot for the life of me remember what it was called, but it was a "cartoony" drum game, where you play co-op, each having a single big drum with two sticks. Man, we spent a lot of money on that baby It was great fun.


Secondly, GH2 - a bit obvious, but she vehemently hated the game and the idea of me purchasing it. One day I came home from work early and I walked in on her playing it and she panicked - "oh no oh no" type panic. Classic.

Her dislike of GH stems from the fact that we both own a bunch of guitars and have a real passion for music... covering what are generally bad songs (Guns n Roses... ugh!) instead of learning to play real songs on a real guitar just frustrated her... but there's no denying a good bit of GH is fun. I can't wait to try Rock Band if she lets me have it!

 

[101998]

It really depends on your relationship to that person what games they will play, or learn how to play, with you. If I just met a chick and she is back at my house, I’ll just throw in Halo 3 or Gears, give her a controller and start playing. Most of the time they will bitch about not understanding what to do, they will suck horribly and want to quit. I just don’t let them stop, I just keep playing and explaining to them what to do. I turn teaching them how to play into a game, so I am having fun while doing this. Then after 30-45 minutes the chick will get the hang of it and then she will be really into it. Most dudes just quit because they don’t have the balls to see the woman through the learning curve. In my experience, if I have fun doing something, the chick can have fun doing that same thing. I think most guys get tripped up in wanting the woman’s approval they are not going to do anything that might displease her.

 

[Arwin]

A majority of the things you listed Arwin I have found don't have any lasting appeal with any of my non-gamer friends. Other then bowling, no one else has asked to play or check out any of the games or tech demos a 2nd time.

That's a fair point, although I haven't had people over that often yet several times, and they're not always coming over to game either . That said, two people did actually get a PS3 after they saw it at my place, though I think the overall package sold it more than any one game.

I forgot to mention, that Gran Turismo has brought in a lot of non-gamers also - car-enthusiasts. It's certainly tipped the scale for one or two of my car-nut colleagues also.

Which is why I again will fall back onto Rock Band. As the sales have been showing it has legs and word of mouth is getting around fast.

I have Guitar Hero 3 and SingStar, but Rock Band isn't out here yet. Previously by the way, Time Crisis sold an old PS1 to a friend, and DDR is another game that has had some repeat success with some people.

I think you need to play Rock Band as well. So you can 'get it'. I didn't get it until recently. It needs to be played, to understand how simple yet complex and mesmerizing it really is!

I went to a few Arcade meets for DDR, and at one time they had drumming game as well, which I loved. I'm fairly sure I"ll really like Rockband, personally. Shame that so far I haven't been able to convince my wife to play the base with me in Guitar Hero, because I would love for her to learn the bass, as I have the real instrument hanging on the wall right next to the TV. We could then play guitar and bass and do the singing live. Well, who knows, one day ... ! Maybe I should seduce some other female who can play the bass and make her jealous.

I should also mention that I am 33, and my wife is 40, and a lot of the friends we get over are also just really into talking. (Or Planet Earth, also a big hit)

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Here's an interesting observation on the problem : http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/182475.html?playlist=featured
It shows the PSEye hand-drawn tank game. A woman draws her own tank and then drives it. She clearly is attracted to the novelty, but her ability to control the tank is non-existent. First she doesn't get independent track control, and then doesn't understand aiming. Games that are intuitive to play are going to really help them experience the fun of gameplay without having to go through a major learning process. Wii has done very well there, and there are other examples like LocoRoco or Super-Rub-a-Dub. Put a Guncon in someone's hands and give them a rails-shooter and they'll be instantly in the game. That's where controller design has come into industry focus, but it's down to the games to fit the skills and understanding players have as well. If that tank game had 'absolute direction of left stick = direction of tank' control, the player would have got into the game a lot more readily. Rather than trying to emulate a tank and need the player to adapt to thinking like a tank-driver, design the tank motion around the mindset of the player.

A friend just bought Untold Legends cheap for PS3 - until Snowblind Studios get a decent fantasy action game out these are the only options we have - and a look on Play to see what coop modes are supported shows another nice example of the non-gamer viewpoint in the review...

Untold Legends : Dark Kingdom Really Superb

dm47red | 26/01/2008 | See all dm47red's reviews (4) »
Saw this for sale and not being a gamer as such bar from solitaire, free cell and the likes of them have always struggled with things like Sonic the Hedgehog although my mates 6 year flies through it - cry cry sniff sniff.
Always liked the look of the fantasy games so other half got a PS3 so I bought this with his card - thanks darling ;-)
I opted for being the Wizard and am currently on level 14 at the moment on the really basic level.
PERFECT for the likes of me who is rubbish at controlling the direction of my character. The fight scenes are fine and simple and I did well just by pressing the buttons furiously. Got mega stuck at one point but between other half and me in a team working brain storming I got passed it although it took me about 3 hours until other half helped me out with ideas but I did it on my own
Lots of magic spells and movements and puzzles to work out. And after the initial feeling quite motion sick from getting to grips with the angle shots and feeling more inexperienced with gaming than most 3 year olds.
This to me is like the Mills and Boon of the gaming world which for me is totally what I wanted something which requires abit of thought little skill and total playability.
Why can't there be more games like this that are purely playable and not too hard.

The game is pretty rubbish by real gamer standards, but this non-gamer loved it. The simplistic combat of CON can also be criticized but it has had great appeal with 'other halves'. So I don't think simple controllers is important, although it can help. Simple controls, at least on the entry level, are paramount. Fable2 is gunning for that. In that respect game design becomes more complicated as the game needs to span multiple skill levels with a progressive gaming system, where new players aren't lost but where experienced gamers can extend the play and use their skills. The difficulty in achieving that will probably leave the market divided into simple games and complex games though, which'll make cooperative gaming, the real crux of getting non-gamers gaming, hard to share with those non-gamers.

 

[Freak'n Big Panda]

I forgot a couple of games...

When we went to Japan a few years ago we ventured into the arcades a few times, and played a drumming game by Namco. Cannot for the life of me remember what it was called, but it was a "cartoony" drum game, where you play co-op, each having a single big drum with two sticks. Man, we spent a lot of money on that baby It was great fun.

Would it be this game? You can get it for PS2 I think, obviously you have to buy the drums along with the game.

Anyways as for the thread topic I've found this near impossible to do. Some games will have more success then others but you can never expect a non-gamer to play anywhere close to as much as hardcore gamer regardless of what game you pick. I think it has to do with the fact that games require a bigger time and energy investment than movies, music or other forms of entertainment.

 

[Mobius1aic]

One Namco drum game was released here: Taiko Drum Master.

 

[Graham]

... because it's a solo experience and in her mind that's a waste of time ...

That little comment sums up the biggest challenge facing the game industry, many predominantly older / female people do not see benefit in 'mindless entertainment' - especially in countries like china.

It's one of those problems of gaming - casual game appeal because of their simplicity and often their lack of depth, while the best hard core games often appeal for their story and depth. How can you not see something as shallow and a waste of time when the real stuff is so intimidating?

I've most recently used flatout: ultimate carnage as a good 'introduction to games' I imagine motorstorm shares a similar appeal. I hear god of war / shadow of the collosus are also surprisingly good. And of course, now we have rock band in the office - well

 

[PARANOiA]

Would it be this game? You can get it for PS2 I think, obviously you have to buy the drums along with the game.

That's the one! I actually found a version in Melbourne which I always seem to end up near when out drinking and pop in $2 for a game heh heh. For any locals, it's at the arcade near the corner of Swanston and Russell St's, next to the Hungry Jacks.

Not sure if the PS2 version made it over here but I haven't seen it if it did.

 

[V3]

That's the one! I actually found a version in Melbourne which I always seem to end up near when out drinking and pop in $2 for a game heh heh. For any locals, it's at the arcade near the corner of Swanston and Russell St's, next to the Hungry Jacks.

Not sure if the PS2 version made it over here but I haven't seen it if it did.

You could also try that NGC Donkey Kong Drum game, is not Taiko drum, but it's done by Namco too and has similar style.

 

[RobertR1]

My gf and a couple of other gf's of friends love Xbox live. That's certainly one way.

 

[valioso]

i think the nintendo DS is as good as it gets for people not used to gaming