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Best Videogames For Enthralling Non-Gamers?
Thanks to GameSpy for its article discussing the best videogame titles that appeal to those unfamiliar with gaming. The list of these 'gateway' titles, games which "...are usually quite easy to pick up and play and remain addictive", includes EyeToy: Play ("It's immensely entertaining to watch your co-workers move around ridiculously while trying to wash a virtual window or fight a virtual boxer"), Dance Dance Revolution ("sits in a strange purgatory between social awkwardness and coolness"), and The Sims ("...breaking boundaries that many thought impenetrable.")
It turns out that they did, and the game got her interested not only in the RPG genre (we just finished Knights of the Old Republic together), but also gaming in general (some of her favorites have been Thief, System Shock 2, and Tropico).
That being said, if you can find a game with a story that might appeal to a non-gamer, you might have even more luck than just introducing him or her to a more gimmicky title.
DecafJedi
my weblog: apropos of something
...is that reliable classic, "Smash TV." I don't know what it is about that game, but both of them absolutely love it. Of course, they don't know HOW to set the Xbox up themselves(They play it on the Midway Arcade Treasures collection), but hey, it's a start
Chrono Trigger all the way. Excelent game play, great grahpics for its time, great characters, just an all around great game. I am still trying to convince my Mom to play it.
The obveous game that hooked an entire generation.
I remember my mother being really addicted to it. Although she didn't know how to do anything on the computer (turing the mouse like a steering wheel to go sideways etc.) she could still find and play tetris.
Mouse powered Chips, Open source Processors and Lego
No Amplitude? I've seen entire families get hooked on that. Mine included.
From my personal experience, I can tell you that the best game for nongamers is Taiko No Tatsujin (Drum Master).
DDR and Eye Toy are a bit too difficult for the non-gamer (expecially DDR), since they require quite a bit of coordination.
Sadly Namco says there is no market for it outside Japan, so if you want to play it, you have either to buy the arcade machine or to use the PS2 japanese version.
The best answer to this question depends on the demographic you are shooting for. Adult males, who it might be argued may have some sort of genetic predisposition to like videogames with titles such as Soul Caliber or a Tony Hawk game, no challenge on that one. But what about getting our girl-friends and wives into gaming? I have found almost any 2 player co-op game works as long as it is relatively easy, and easy to play. This isn't to say that women can't play Halo, what it says is that learning how to play games takes time, and introducing a new gamer to a difficult complex game is bad idea, no matter how cute or fun it is. Group settings are great too, Mario Party Springs to mind. As social games you can't really go wrong, and most of the mini games are simple enough that even people not familiar with the finer points of game control can get a pretty good grasp on it. Racing games like Mario Kart, or Crash Nitrocart are generally easy to pick up and run with as well.
On Wall Street they say "buy low, sell high" On the pad we say, "buy high, sell high" Isn't that somehow better?
I got my wife semi-hooked on games mainly by just playing them while she was around. I spent a few weeks playing Grandia II on my Dreamcast, and she finally let her curiosity get the better of her, and sat down and played it through.
Now she's playing Animal Crossing, and really liking it. She likes all the different things to do, all the interactions, the letter writing, decorating, digging, etc, etc.
Puzzle games as mentioned above are great as well, but I've noticed that once they find a puzzle game the like, they'll only be interested in playing it or something similar.
The Guy Game?
Mariokart and Monkey ball are always classics. Simple yet entertaining. (I haven't played the new mariokart, it looks more complex, but I have high hopes for when I finally get around to getting it.
-Sean
So the PS2 version of DDR is good for a non gamer, but not the x-box version? The x-box version of GTA is good for non gamers but not the PS2 or PC versions? I just find it incredibly odd that they would only mention versions of games for certain platforms when that game is available (in slightly different forms) on other platforms as well.
http://www.popularculturegaming.com -- my blog about the culture of videogame players
I found that this classic works wonders.
Why? Because it's funny. My GF doesn't get my first person shooters, simulators or strategy games. But she like cartoons.
Everyone I've shown loves it, even though it does have chunky graphics for these days.
Go the tentacle!
What, you mean like someone's sister who thought video games were stupid boy things 20 years ago now want to get a computer just for "The Sims"?
You'd be surprised, however, how much people of the fairer sex tend to like You Don't Know Jack or something like Space Channel 5.
Never hit your grandmother with a shovel, for it leaves a bad impression on her mind...
My girlfriend likes stories, so adventure games seemed like a natural fit. After she saw me play through Longest Journey, she wanted to try some of her own, although a bit easier.
Long story short, although she's 30, she's now played every Nancy Drew adventure game from Her Interactive. And she's starting to branch out, she just completed Syberia, and likes a few simple "other games" like SuperMonkeyBall, or Mario Kart: Double Dash.
-Jack Ash
So you mean inviting my pastor over for a few rounds of GTA: Vice City may not be a good idea?
i find that many women do better with the non-violent games that require some thinking, and in general are crafted with a good experience as the goal of developers, not just a fun time shooting. my female cousin who's 17 loves the sims, and one day i showed her doom and she couldnt get into it, but then we played lemmings for hours after that. and not that shes a non-violent girl she has quite a temper, but she doesn't like violent games that much. and one of my teachers now plays zoo tycoon on her laptop, other female teachers i've known have told me they loved the sims and simcity
Seriously, even my mother will play mario party. As for Monkey ball if i don't want to entertain guests i will just pop in monkey ball and within 10 minutes i have 4 people enthralled.
convenient!
Puzzle Pirates seems to be the revolutionary game of the year. And a lot of the players I meet in there are definitely not gamers. These are mostly people who used to play stuff like yahoo games, but now they play YPP instead.
The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
Yeah, Everquest.
I know, I know, you think I have lost my mind. As far as learning curves go in computer games, EQ's is pretty steep. Also, it has a reputation as a hardcore gamers obsession.
However, I know many EQ players personally, and I have noticed that those who "succeed" in it are often from seperate peer groups than the veteran gamer:
1. Atheletes - Believe it or not. I know lots of people who play lots of sports, and their competitive nature played well into EQ. Once they learned that this was a way for them to rise above the competition, and get the phat bling-bling, most took off at rocket speed.
2. People with time on their hands - That can be most of us during periods in our life. These are the moms after the kids have flown the coop. They are also the guy who got fired, the couple just trying to stay home and save some money, and the teenager counting the days till graduation and escape.
3. Anyone with more than 0.001% obsessive-compulsive behavior.
My point is I know many, many people who never played a computer game more complex than minesweeper, and then found themselves serving up an 8 hour day behind an EQ avatar.
I do not recommend you buy a copy for Grandma though, unless you are desperate to cease her meddling.
Pel
My girlfriend can't stop playing it - even my mother had a go. It's the combination of incomprehensible Japanese songs, the old bloke at the bottom of the screen with the animals and hitting stuff that makes it what it is.
Stop posting to Slashdot and start attending your junior high English class.
I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
Yes, UT - the first one. It has all the ingredients for non-gamers. The fact is that many non-gamers would be gamers if they had gotten into it early - so don't write of the hardcore genre of FPS. If you have access to a home-LAN, cooperative Assault is awesome for teaching and fun.
Reasons UT is good:
Easy (people move slower than most FPS games, so aiming is not impossible)
Polished & Friendly (heroic-looking characters and techno music, not loud heavy metal and psychopathic characters - good for getting girls into the game).
Multiplayer (that is why you want more players isn't it?)
Simplistic maps (learning to navigate an artificial world takes a lot of learning - I know many newbs get lost so easily even in DOOM).
Cathartic weapons (watch as your players squeal with glee at their first HEAD SHOT).
That, and mods like U4E only extend the longevity of the game.
What worked with my girlfriend are two diametrically opposed games, IMHO...Grand Theft Auto III and Morrowind. She loves both of these games. I bought her a copy of Morrowind and a better graphics card so she can play in her free time, and we play GTA together quite often, taking turns after each mission.
With Morrowind, I'm pretty convinced it's the open storyline along with how tangible the entire world is. She's like a 5 year old (or an engineer?) sometimes, she wants to play with every little button and device she can find.
GTA is just get away fun...where else can you drive realistic cars at breakneck speeds and cap people without worry?
--trb
Rhythm games--you love them, hate them, or have never actually played one. For anyone who wants a fun play that actually helps improve short-term memory and coordination, I'd definitely recommend Space Channel 5. It recently came out in a bundle for the PS2 which includes the original and a sequel; this bundle retails for $15. I promise anyone who takes up the challenge will spend their first few days after playing it seeing everything in Ulala-vision (Hey Bob, you get those TPS cover sheets sent off? Up, Up, Left, Left, Down, Shoot!, Shoot!)
If you like those, try Um Jammer Lammy (a little harder for me since it's more abstract in control), Samba de Amigo (it requires the maracas and a Dreamcast, but those combined will run you less than a copy of GTA) - which I have to say is a great party game - or Taiko no Tatsujin if you can handle everything being in Japanese.
I found that once I got FFXI, most of my console gaming has become social...I haven't watched television in a long time, and movies aren't something terribly social (not everyone enjoys MST3king films), and it's easier to keep a large group of people interested with console games since they're quickly and easily changable. Silly games with no real point to them (Meaning, you don't have a mob boss asking you to kill the interstellar aliens) have been scoring really high with me of late--they usually have a little more innovation to them, which can slip them through the shields of a non-gamer who might even have reservations against videogames.
Also, at the risk of being flamed to death--Brittany's Dance Beat is a good play too. It can take advantage of the dance pad, which makes it a far more entertaining and interesting watch (and conversation piece) than just DDR (which I still have a blast with).
Social gaming has been getting a lot of my non-gamer friends to consider purchasing consoles, simply because I have such oddball games they've never expected to see that don't require insane coordination (Ikaruga, Halo) or a taste for the gameplay (FFX, GTA, Gran Turismo).
Crazy Taxi! It's easy to learn, visually impressive, and you can have short, timed rounds - pretty much the only game my wife ever showed interest in.
My wife HATES computer games, but she really enjoys playing the Rollercoaster Tycoon series.
A long time ago, she enjoyed playing the adventure games - King's Quest, etc.
"No matter where you go, there you are." -- Buckaroo Banzai
I know Gamespy like their top 10 lists and all, but they really should go to a little bit of effort to compile them. This most recent list seems to completely miss the point.
As I was working my way through the top 10, I kept expecting to see Animal Crossing somewhere in there, but it was nowhere to be found. It is without a doubt the number one game to enthrall non-gamers. I speak from experience as it rapidly had my mother and my sister playing, and neither of them had ever played a console game before in their lives (and I do own other games from that list).
I don't think many of the games on the list would appeal to people who have never before played a game, although many of them would appeal to casual gamers. I don't see how racing games, fighting games, shooting games, sports games etc... will suddenly appeal to people who weren't interested in playing those games a year ago, five years ago, or ten years ago - they aren't a new idea or genre.
While I can accept that Gamespy have listed some of the best racing games (eg Mario Kart), some of the best FPS games (eg Counter Strike) or one of the best sports games (eg Madden) they have only listed one or two simple and innovative games, that might attract someone who hasn't been interested by the normal fare.
The only four games I see on the Gamespy list that might attract new players is the Eye-toy (although I think that it is something that will only capture attention for a short period of time), Karaoke Revolution, Dance-Dance, and the Sims.
Animal Crossing is a glaring exception - not only did my mother start playing it, but she is still doing so 6 months down the track. However Animal Crossing is not the only exception - there are many other games suited to the list, for example nearly any web-based puzzle game, or new games like Donkey Konga.
As a medical resident, someone installed Snood in our computer lab. Prior to the Snood era, these computers were used for research and looking up patient data. However, once installed, the lab became a daily Snood tournament. It's very simple, yet very addictive. Try it, but be careful! www.snood.com
Some games are interesting to gamers because they appeal to fans of the genre. Games like The Sims, however, appeal to everyone because they intend to do that. They are also FUN to play, and they have an easy interface that make it easy to pick up and go within 5 or 10 minutes. These are the 3 elements that, in my opinion, are essential for a "gateway game".
Do take note that it seems to be compiled from a list of 2003 games only. Yes, Animal Crossing should probably be on there. Yes, it is odd that they mention an X-Box version of GtA when far more people have access to one of the PS2 versions released one-two years earlier.
The gateway theory is probably as accurate here as it is in the drugs realm, that is to say not at all. I'm sure most "non-gamers" in the working world have played Solitaire or Minesweeper, or NES games in their youth, so surely they're aware that fun games exist - that's just not their thing, it's yours. So understanding that their non-gamerness is in all likelihood the result of conscious decisions and not lack of opportunity, is it really tactful to attempt to convert such people to your opinion through gradient (read: deceitful) introduction?
How would you feel if someone attempted this sort of conversion on you? Say for instance that an acquaintance perceives that you don't read enough books because you spend all of your time playing games. How would you react to them slowly and obviously crowbar-ing you towards their interests instead of just being overt? Would it be O.K. if they gave you a Nancy Drew book one week (to show how fun reading can be), an Encyclopedia Brown book the next, then a Xanth book, then a Tom Clancy novel? Wouldn't you consider that patronizing and insulting?
Honestly it isn't very difficult to get a non-gamer interested in most popular games so long as you have the time and hardware necessary to show them. Convincing them that the time they currently spend doing other things should be spent playing games is the tough part. For friends, that's best done with words and not cultish gradient plans.
Bejeweled, the same game, tetris, etc. I'd just like to comment that the same game (google for it) is the most addictive little game I've ever played. It's so simple, but has this, "I have to beat the high score" attribute.
If you don't feel like googling, the same game is a game in which you remove groups of two or more objects of the same color connected to each other, after they are removed the objects above them fall down. Tricky strategies involve getting all of one color at once, without losing too many of the other colors. Don't try it at work, unless you have several days to waste.
Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
Bust-a-move aka Puzzle Bobble
1) XBox looks cool (not as childish as GC)
2) XBox has a lot of games (unlike childish GC)
3) XBox is made in USA and therefore one of our patriotic vehicles of national pride.
4) M$ has good stock quotes (unlike childish GC)
4) You can play games with your XBox!!!
Wario Ware Inc. End of Discussion.
Yes folks, another shameless plug for tranquility.
.gov sites like
It's so much the "anti-game" that we've got more non-gamers playing than anyone else.
Much of our email feedback tells us that. We get a lot of comments like: "I don't normally play
video games, but tranquility is great, I just had to write you...".
Over one third of our players are women. In fact, the big hole in our demographic seems to
be where other computer games are popular. Guys under 20 just don't get us at all.
We are also very big with technical professionals. A bunch of players come from
NASA JPL, NIH, and the Dept. of Energy. There are at least two doctors that we know of
that use the game as part of a therapy regimen for treating post-stress, trauma, and sleep disorders.
We're also highly addictive (once you find out about us, and "get it"). Our game levels are
generated on-the-fly uniquely for each player from our servers, so we can track who's playing
and for how long. We've got one player in particular that signed up back in 2001 and has
played the game for over 1200 hours at last count. Much of that is due to the hallucinogenic
and vertigo inducing effects of playing the game. Many of the reviews on the 'net about tranquility
talk about how it gets you quite stoned, dizzy, and disoriented. (That was the real point of the game).
Many liken it to that game on the Star Trek episode that got the crew hooked. We agree.
Our biggest problem is with marketing a game that's targeted at non-gamers. This happens
with every publisher we have had contact with. Some publisher staffer falls in love with our game,
then when it comes time for Mr. Type-A Decision Maker to take a look at it, it's so unlike any
other game, they just don't get it. This reaction happens every time, and it's due to the design
of the game itself. Tranquility actually attempts to induce a tranquilizing effect in the player.
If you play aggressively and start thrashing around with the mouse, the engine tightens up
and makes it more difficult to play. You have to relax to make the game work.
Unfortunately, the upper-level execs got to that position by primal aggression, so when they sit
down to give us a try, they can't play the game at all and refuse to let go and submit to the game.
So we're stuck with mainly word of mouth marketing, which is why I end up writing posts like this.
Gots to be Monkey Ball for non-gamers - no buttons to push (in the main game), gameplay based around simple physics - everyone knows about gravity and inertia, even if only instinctively - a great learning curve, a simple goal, intuitive control with instant feedback... and all wrapped in a great package. I bought my GameCube into work at Xmas, and one non-gaming coworker had ordered one of their own within five minutes of starting Monkey Ball. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it at all; it's a perfect game.
Having said that, try explaining the Monkey Bowling mode to a novice...
"Okay, there'll be a bouncing line - don't press A yet, or... okay, you pressed it, no problem - there's the line. You have to stop it in the middle. Just press A.... you've only got a few seconds. Don't panic! Right, you've stopped it at the side, you'll start rolling in a second or so - you'll need to spin in the opposite direction. Use the shoulder button. No, the shoulder button. Before you cross that line! Oh, see, you span the wrong way. Your monkey's dead."
(Trying to explain it beforehand is even worse, by the way).
Both your points (GTA, DDR) are easily explained.
1) DDR Max 2 is very much a version designed to appeal to more people.
Why? It contains many licenced songs not present in any other DDR game. Songs like Dirty Vegas. In addition, Max 2 in North America has complete music videos in the background, rather than the random prerendered sequences that tend to be with the Japanese songs (try out DDR Extreme JP import to see what I mean). DDR Max 2 is a very unique release; while the gameplay mechanics and some songs are shared with Ultramix, the licencing and music videos make it a very unique release in the series.
2) GTA.
"Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack (PS2/Xbox)"
They are specifically mentioning the double pack as a good gateway game, because for the low price of 59 or 69$ CDN, you get both 3D releases in one package (3 + VC). The double pack's on the PS2, and they mention it. They're trying to keep the list to top 10 gateway games of the moment, which restricts it to the past 12 months. The double pack was released in these past 12 months. Plus, unless you're someone who lives in a cave, you know there's a GTA for PC, even if you didn't get a shiny double pack with enchanced radiosity ala the Xbox version.
--
Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
Good work AD.
I can sleep in my bed at night knowing that you are roaming the boards randomly flaming people for marginal English.
We all know that you are above such mistakes, I mean I could go through your backlog and pull out your grammatical infractions but I know that is unnecessary because you don't make mistakes.
Please, continue bringing light to the ignorant masses.
Basic platformers are a good intro to console games: Mario & Sonic.
RPGs: I would suggest something pretty straightforward, I concur on Chrono Trigger, maybe Final Fantasy III (US)
PC FPS: Doom or Counterstrike. CS tends to be favored by a lot of people who don't play a lot of other FPS games for some reason.
And then there's always Tetris.
Insert Sig Here
you can play DDR on a PC... it just has another name: Pydance (http://icculus.org/pyddr/).
You can even use a dance mat if you get a PS2 controller USB adapter such as the ones sold by liksang.com
All the games listed in the article suck.
It's a really stupid idea to try to sandwich people into categories like "women will like this game" and "your drunk football buddies will like this game." Here's my theory; it's not that some games are "too cute" or "too violent." It's not that women naturally want to play a game that is like an interactive soap opera. This article reads like the people who wrote it actually believe that non-gamers have never heard of Vice City, or don't know that they also have nonviolent games out there. I think it's more likely that there are three primary reasons for non-gamers.
1. Don't realize there are good plots out there. It certainly could happen. The pure dumb fun of Vice City gets played up, while the homages to Scarface and Miami Vice, and the game's dark humor, get played down. Games like DOOM get all the attention, while games like The Getaway and Beyond Good and Evil get swept under the rug. Even absurdly popular games like MGS and the Final Fantasy series get little or no attention from the non-game media.
2. Some adjustment to the controls is required. For somebody who has never used a gamepad before, the first time can be awkward, annoying, and extremely difficult. This can, in some cases, turn a person away from gaming, and it takes some persistence to get that person to adjust to a controller.
3. Or maybe they just never really got into it. Let's face it, there are people out there who have other things they have to take care of, and other people who just aren't willing to fork over the money for what can be a pretty expensive hobby.
So, what's the solution? Well, for 3, maybe it's best to find some free time that person has, and try to make him/her sit down, shut up, and play. 2, same thing, but it's going to require a lot of persistence, and keeping that person at the game for a while. Games like Soul Caliber II are good for that person, because button mashing still works. Sometimes, it's probably not even worth it, however, if the person can't adjust. As for 1, the solution is relatively simple; show them games like The Getaway, MGS, FF X, etc., maybe bring up your favorite cutscenes if you can find them.
Remember, this is just the short list; I realize there a lot of other reasons why somebody wouldn't be a gamer.
A few years ago I held a LAN Party, but this was no ordinary LAN Party.
I was expecting to play some Quake 3 and Warcraft, but instead, the all-powerful game of the night was TetriNET.
There were people playing that that NEVER EVER play video games (including my girlfriend). And they played for 9 straight hours.
Pretty Nuts!
How could I say to men: "Speak louder, shout! For I am deaf!"? -Ludwig van Beethoven
You probably havent noticed but soul calibur and tekken are really easy to pick by non gamers since most moves only require button mashing, there are almost no moves that require "ha-do-kens" and the like. Besides some character are actually attractive to their opposite sexes. (male and female) so It makes a great party game specially if you organize tournaments. (as soon as you dont try to show off by beating everyone with 50-90% combos). HALO, Doom and Quake3 (and similars) are HARD for nongamers, but they sure pick up the "shoot whatever is in your sight" motif in deathmatch and co-op! they wont oftenly win (and tend to drive jeeps off cliffs in HALO) but they have a good time trying, besides never understimate the power of camping,luck and sniper rifles! (not for nongamer girls though)
Go ahead MOD my day!
More opinions here
I've set up my own little game room with a modest collection of games. I, too, find that the interactive games are good gateways for non-gamers. DDR ultramix with two dancepads gets ample play time as well as need4speed: underground with the steering wheel and pedals. Also games that are easy-to-play but hard-to-master are fun for non-gamers and gamers alike. Soul Calibur 2 and Top Spin comes to mind. Need4Speed and Burnout also very easy to play compared to other racing games for its arcade-like feel instead of simulation type racing games like gran turismo. Another thing that non-gamers like is when the game rewards them for just playing. Need4Speed gives style points. Soul Calibur 2 offers gold and experience even when you lose.
I noticed that it's harder for non-gamers to get hooked to skill games such as games of the FPS and RTS genres. They often don't have the coordination for the two thumbsticks control of Halo or the mouse keyboard combination of Counter-strike and the likes. They often become pin cushions for veterans of FPS games like myself. Similar, skill in rts games come from playing the game over and over and adjusting your strategies which is really hard for the non-gamer to pick up on. Also build order has become an art form which require precise mouse clicking and timing that non-gamers will not acquire easily. As oppose to this, non-gamers love the SIMS for its ease-of-use. It doesn't require accurate mouse precision and timing but just casual clicking here and there.
I've found non-gamers treat games like Virtua Tennis like a electronic form of ping-pong. Simple, yet addictive.
popcap.com's latest.
http://www.popcap.com/zuma.php
(the downloadable version, not the mini-online version)
Karaoke Revolution recently exploded at my school. A group of my friends tried it out at my friends' house (his Sister got it or so he says). Somehow, everybody gave it a try and the result was some awful music. I recommend everybody throw a Karaoke Revolution party, especially with the worst singers you know
Look it's a joke about my sig IN MY SIG! LOL!
and every single one of her friends all hate anything to do with a video game. That was until I screwed up by going out and renting Crash Bandicoot for the X-Box. Now every night when I get home from work ready to play a little MechAssult online, I have to fight with my girlfriend and all of her friends in order to get any gameplay. So I would say that Crash Bandicoot would fall into the 'easy to play video games'.
HaHaHaHaHa
... what they are talking about sometimes ...
madden 2004 a 'gateway' to getting non gamers to play a game? thats gotta be the joke entry, right? the game is pretty damn complicated, and i cant see how people that arent used to games that just want something 'simple' are going to be able to get into it at all. maybe the gamespy guys really liked it, but that obviously doesnt mean that non-games will, in fact, its probably the complete opposite.
the GTA games also require a lot more skill than people think. sure, its fun to bash around and stuff, but actually try and do a mission. it would be much better to do what i do with my brother, who rarely plays games, just let him load up my save after ive finished it and unlocked everything 100% (so he has immediate access to all the weapons etc), and then just let him run riot.
wario ware? a game where you have 3 seconds to complete you objectives on the fly without a pause? if i gave that to my girlfriend her game would be over in 9 seconds and she would be handing my GBA back with a WTF? look on her face.
counter strike? hahahahahaha whatever. these guys smoke some wicked crack sometimes. try quake3 on the easiest bot level or something. maybe once they can beat the bots on hard after 5 years they might then be ready to play online. you may want to repeatedly abuse them in the background while they practise as well. you know, just to get them ready for the experience online.
and with no animal crossing the list might as well not exist. its almost like they didnt put it in there so they would get attention.
I recently got a non-gaming friend hooked on all three of these.
Diablo (II specifically). Pointlessly simple interface, familiar fantasy type themes, nice graphics, plenty of lush feedback (sound, animation, etc). Good but simple story line.
Myst (all three). Again, simple to play, not real-time so easy to learn how to use. Nice eye candy.
Civilisation (III specifically). Turn based. Probably way too complex to start with, but again, the lack of real-time elements made it more approachable.
Trolls arguing about who's the lamest. It's like watching a bunch of midgets argue about who's the shortest. Lol. Rofl.
Great game, easy interface, no fear of dying.
There's really only one puzzle that is sort of tough to solve, but even then, it's hardly frustrating.
Adventure games should be like that, I think... just a fun storyline and a few puzzles along the way.
Street Fighter Alpha 2 is the best fighting game ever made and it's one of the few fighting games where folks can still get by with button mashing. My friend's wife is interested in the game because she can kick ass and not have to learn anything:)
Plus, Super Akuma's Raging Demon move is arguably one of the coolest fighting game moves in videogamedom.
And, although this is slightly OT, I feel the need to mention that Howard Dean's YIIIEEAAAAA was very similar to Vega's YIIIEEEAAAA.