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In this segment of Ask the GameGirls we get a question that most gamers: male OR female tend to want answers to: This weeks question is from CarlKicks:

There is this girl I know and I kind of want ask her out.... but she has only ever played a 1 hour session of animal crossing with her friends.... so considering everything goes well: how do I get her to agree to game with me, what games should I get (I have a 360 and I only have shooters and RPGs) and what modes? (Vs. co-op etc.)

Well Carl we have several answers for you!

First off, congrats and good luck! Secondly, I feel sort of torn by the second part of the question. On one hand, it would be great if it were as easy as picking up a few multiplayer video games to turn girls into gamers. On the other hand, some will never be gamers no matter how hard you try to convert them. My advice is to proceed slowly: I would say RPGs are the best start to getting into games, due to the rich storylines. However, if you get resistance then drop the subject. Many couples are happily married/together where one partner plays video games and the other doesn't. It should never be a necessity that both partners have the same hobbies, in fact it isn't even healthy. If she just isn't that into games (which might be safe to say considering she's gone her whole life with only an hour of Animal Crossing under her belt), or she doesn't "agree to playing games with you," then its just a matter of learning how to balance your hobby with your romantic interests.

So if this girl isn't much of a gamer, you'll have to break her in slowly. Just remember! Don't ever force her into gaming, if she's really not interested! Since you're not really sure what she'd enjoy, you have to test out every type of game, and whichever is her favorite, you can go from there picking other games in that genre. If you've tried and tried, and she just isn't budging, you guys may have to find another hobby to enjoy together, and you can make gaming something you do in your own personal alone time. Or, if she's not even willing to play any of your game choices, tell her you'll try something she likes, that you may not, if she just attempts a few video games!! Compromising is K-E-Y!
Xbox 360 is definitely not the best console for someone like you're pal to start off on, in my opinion. What come to mind right away when I think of casual games that you can try out are Rhythm games. Like Guitar Hero, DDR, and Rock Band. Especially Rock Band, so you two can rock out co-op and play with other friends. If she's totally not feeling that sort of stuff, you'll have to move on to another genre. Xbox Live Arcade has a TON of games you may want to try playing with her, here's the site that shows all the games and their features: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/livearcadexbox360/default.htm
I asked a few of my friends this very question, and each one of them, including myself, think that the Nintendo Wii is your best bet for starting her off on. I know you don't have it, but surely out of your friends and hers, one must own a Wii! Wii sports is enjoyable for anyone age 3 - 80! Who doesn't like Mario Kart, or Party? SSB: Brawl even?! Plus! If one of your friends does in fact own a Wii, and you all have a blast playing the games that it offers together, she will interpret a good, fun time when she thinks of gaming! From there, you can eventually work her up to a 360. :) Good Luck!!

I always recommend for guys who are interested in getting their girls to game is trying fun simple games first. Stay away from the competitive gaming at first. You have 360, so I recommend Lego Star Wars for beginners; it's cute, the controls are simple and its co-op, getting her to play with you is essential and with a co-op game you can teach her to play without sounding like a lecture. You can guide her and play with her at the same time. Some girls don't like racing as a first time game b/c they don't understand the gravity and the basics of a video game race car, most girls (who are new to games) wouldn't like FPS's, the controls are harder to get a grasp on, and the learning curve is too sharp. If you play co-op Lego Star Wars with her and you see that she is having fun chopping your character up with her light saber or she is racing you to spots, then you know that maybe a more competitive game is next on the list. Just feel out her playing personality and make decisions based on that and you will be fine.

Well the first step is obvious. You need to decide if you are or are not going to ask her out, if you are, do it. Make sure it a way that is from you. I always hated getting notes from other people, or other people asking if I would go out with so and so. Be yourself and let her see that. Once you have started hanging out together, I would tell her that youre a gamer. Let her know that you would love to have her over sometime to play your Xbox 360 with you. That way you can see if she is interested. The hardest part I think would be choosing the right game. Since she has only played the one game you know of (Did she even like the game?), there are many genres that she has never tried. She may like RPGs or shooters and just not know it yet. So I would get a well rounded game selection for her to play when you have her over. I would try Viva Piñata or Viva Piñata Party Animals if she liked Animal Crossing. If you have Xbox Live I would also try Worms from the arcade. But I would also make sure she has choices to choose from: Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (FPS), PGR3 or Forza 2 (racing), Tetris Evolution (puzzle), etc. Then let her choose what she wants to play. That way she can figure out what interests her, and what does not. Plus it will help her feel like you really want her to play games with you by showing the effort you have put in.

Depends on the girl but lots of ladies enjoy the adrenaline of the FPS. I would be careful if she has never played one because of the motion sickness factor. I personally think that playing a game like Call of Duty or Gears of War in co-op with a guy is a great to bond over gaming and if he knows the game better I can learn from that. It is the gamers equivalent to standing behind the girl with a pool stick to teach her how to shoot. Good luck and let us know how things go.

My favorite type of question!! Where to begin?! Well first you really must see what type of gamer she may be, since she has only ever played Animal Crossing I would go with fun games like Lego Star Wars or even Eternal Sonata. Lego Star Wars is such a great game for the beginning gamer because the controls arent that difficult to grasp and it is just plain fun! Eternal Sonata is a wonderful RPG filled with lots of wonderful colors, interesting characters, and a great story/plot but most importantly it has some actual history involved in it! Which makes the game that more intriguing. So there are two choices for you on your X360. If things end up working out and she likes fun casual games then I would definitely suggest investing in a Wii. They are not as expensive as the other consoles and they have a good selection of casual/party games that she might enjoy. If she ends up loving RPGs then I would suggest introducing her to Fable and then its sequel when that comes out later this year. Even the getting a PS2 or PS3 would be great for role-playing games since Sony always has such an amazing variety to choose from. I hope things work out and remember dont try to force her, some girls just arent into games and that should never be something that you force on her otherwise she will hate your hobby lol. But good luck and keep us updated!

First off, you are getting way ahead of yourself. You haven't even asked her out yet, let alone gotten to the point in your relationship with her to know what kind of games she might like. After a few weeks of dating you will probably know what she will like, if anything at all. Ideally she'll see you playing, be curious, and want to try for herself. There is the possibility that she just doesn't want to play, she's not a gamer now and you like her so finding out she doesn't want to be one either won't really effect the way you feel about her. I'm just preparing you for the fact that she might be completely uninterested in gaming. If she does seem interested there are plenty of games you can play together to get her more into it. I don't suggest vs. right off the bat because chances are you are going to be better at the game than her and it's not going to be fun for either of you if you keep killing her. Co-op is definitely the way to go. Gears, Halo, AoT, and RSV2 all have fun co-op. Then again she may not like shooters. Here are some games she might like, Guitar Hero, Viva Pinata, Burnout or maybe even GTA4. The X360 isn't the best console for a first time player who isn't into shooting people. If having a gf who is into gaming is that important to you (which it shouldn't be), then maybe you should get a Wii. That way she can start off with games you two can play together and she won't have to have any real skills. In the end you can take all our advice word for word but if she's not interested, then she's not interested. After you get to know her better you will be the best person to answer this question, trust me. Also, I don't know how the other GameGirls will feel about this but, let her win, at least a little. She probably doesn't bother with games because she doesn't think she'll be good. Giving her some confidence will definitely help.

Got a question of your own for the GameGirls? Send an email to them at Tips4GameGirl@gmail.com. Your question may appear in the next segment!

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