Video games have been messing up relationships since Counter-Strike got famous in the Philippines. Dota is particularly notorious for igniting fights between teenage couples, which sometimes lead to ugly breakups. This is mostly because girls get so jealous with the unbelievably huge amount of time guys spend on gaming. So, how can we possibly make the love of our lives coexist with our love for gaming? How can we make our girlfriends love playing video games, too? Here are some great tips that might help:
Studies show that playing violent video games significantly reduces stress and tension in young adults. So, the next time your girlfriend rants about something that upsets her, let her try Call of Duty or Medal of Honor. She will definitely be addicted to the high that one gets after shooting down a target, especially if you tell her to imagine that the targets are her issues. Exploit that window of vulnerability.
Your girl may not be a hardcore gamer like you, but she’s definitely into some games. She may love spending her free time on mobile games, like Flappy Bird or Candy Crush, or on online games, like Plants VS Zombies.
Investigate. Try your best to know what kind of games pumps her up and support it with honest zeal. Then, find the perfect game that matches both your interests.
To help you mix and match, check out Ryan Woo’s list of cool gateway games categorized in different genres.
CRITICAL REMINDER:
When you already found her gateway game, tell her, matter-of-factly, something like this: “Hey babe, I’ve been seeing you play a lot. Guess what, yesterday, I stumbled upon another game that has the same vibe. You might want to check it out.”
But don’t wait for her response. Act cool. Text someone or read a book. Do something else. Make it look like it doesn’t matter if she plays it or not. Move on after sharing this to her, or she will notice that you did your research. Let her play your suggested game at her own pace. Then, a miracle will happen.
A lot of games are built around poignant stories that gamers get attached to, like Final Fantasy and Last of us. Sell the drama and you’ll easily succeed.
We are the gaming generation. So, not because your girl isn’t fond of video games now, it doesn’t mean that she didn’t play Mario when she was a kid. Almost everyone from our time grew up playing the first batch of Nintendo Family computers; most of us just didn’t have a follow-up. It’s time to pick up where she left off.
You watch the latest rom-com with her, even against your will. You carry all her shopping bags when she shops for three hours straight. You drive her all the time and bring her best friend home every time you go out, even when you’re really sleepy and drunk. Don’t you think that it’s just fair to ask her if she can try playing your favorite video game just to check if she’ll like it? If your girl truly loves you, this would be a piece of cake.
More often than not, girls get bummed out with gaming because they find it extremely difficult to figure out how to control the console to win. And oftentimes, we carelessly tease and belittle them. As a result, girls easily give up even before they experience the gaming rush.
It’s your job to make them realize that it’s just a phase, and every amateur gamer goes through it. It might even help if you tell her that it took you quite a while before you got used to the controls, whether it’s true or not. Be patient. It’ll be better after she overcomes the learning curve.
Winning is and will always be one of the top motivations for playing games. So, do you part and lose on purpose. Don’t boast about your gaming skills yet. Let her feel good about herself first, so she can slowly build her confidence and feel in control.
Once you feel that she’s already competent enough to fight in a fair battle, it’s time to put your real game on, and do some trash talk!
Schedule a play date with your gamer friend and her girlfriend. Have a couple of beers and share awesome food. By doing this, you will not only have an extra hand in tutoring your girlfriend, but also give your girlfriend a “classmate” in learning. She will love the idea of playing with someone at her level. This will make your girlfriend associate video games with fun memories. Next thing you know, your girlfriend is the one planning your next play date.
If all else fails, don’t force it. You don’t want to be too controlling and lose the love of your life over a video game. At the end of the day, it’s just a game.
Do you have sneaky tips to share? Post them in the Comments Section!
