Introductions

Shelby: Started gaming with Oregon Trail and King's Quest 6. Got into gaming via osmosis ¨C mom was a CPA with a computer in the days when computers were rare.

Christa: Started with Space Invaders on Atari and King's Quest 2.

Jane: Got started with Commodore 64, playing Load Runner and making impossible levels that can't be beat.

Cori: Likens first gaming experience to first crush. Pitfall Harry was her first "boy".

Nicole: Had the coolest grandma ever that bought the Atari 2600 to lure her grandchildren over.

Q: What are some of the barriers to entry for non-gamers and what can we do about them?

Christa: A big one is gamers acting like jerks when they play games. You throw the controller, act like a dick, and ignore company. The game becomes the enemy ¨C like football.

Cori: People try to force other people to like specifically what they like. Girlfriends may not be into Halo, but they might like something else; so don't force Halo on them and expect them to love gaming.

Jane: Starting a non-gamer with something totally unfamiliar is bad. Final Fantasy will overwhelm a noob, but if they like soccer, they can identify with FIFA Street and get into it that way.

Shelby: People don't know that there are games out there for them. They might think Halo and GTA are the only games ever. You can't force it. Show 'em what's out there, let them try it. It's about exposure.

Q from the floor: My wife plays puzzle games with me, but she gets pissed if I beat her. And if I let her win, she acts like a dick. What should I do?

Jane: Do you need to play versus? Because there are good co-op games out there...

Cori: There are some XBLA games that are co-op.

Shelby: Try Boom Blox.

Nicole: My husband and I had a huge thing going with Puzzle Fighter. 6 hour battle to beat him ¨C but it was rewarding. Don't just let her win.

Q: What are ideal games for introducing noobs?

Cori: Played Nintendogs at a Laundromat and a crowd of non-gamer women gathered around her to watch. The next week, they had each bought a DS for themselves.

Shelby: A few years ago, that question was a lot harder to answer. With the Wii and the DS, Nintendo basically is the answer. We got a Wii for Christmas a couple of years ago. The kids started playing the adults gathered around, even the anti-games ones. Pretty soon, they all wanted to play Wii Sports. My dad destroyed everyone in Bowling and Boxing. My mom did the same in Brain Age and then gave it to her mother.

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Resource: Kotaku