THE BIG TEST! Bought a DS for a gay non-gamer

[fishsandwich]

I used to be a hard-core gamer and collector. None of my past lovers have been into gaming. It sucks.

My current BF showed a passing interest in the DS a few months ago and nearly bought one (but he's a major impulse buyer and I talked him out of it.)

This is to be a TEST. Can the DS turn him into a gamer? Will an actual CONSOLE be in our future? Does being gay make you less likely to enjoy video games?

I bought him a DS for Christmas with the following games...

Brain Age
Trama Center: Under the Knife
Mario Kart
Feel the Magic (cheap)
True Swing Golf
GBA Poker game

I gave it to him last night and he seemed very pleased. He played Brain Age for a while and watched me play Mario Kart. I bought myself Nanostray and Animal Crossing but I'm keeping them hidden for awhile. I don't want him thinking I bought this for myself. Brain Age, Golf, and Trama Center were bought with HIS likes/dislikes in mind. Mario Kart is a given. The other two were just cheap plus I wanted a GBA game to show him.

We shall see! I'll keep if informed (if you care, that is.)






!

[Cobra Commander]

What does being gay have to do with it?

[Chadt74]

My GF (not gay and not a boy I know...) knows that I like games and spends nights watching me play games. After dating for a year she is actually pushing me to get a Wii so that she can play games. The Wii (like the DS) has such a simple interface that non-gamers are attracted to it.

Having dated many non-gamers handing them a complex controller is often frustrating for them and they can feel intimidated by the complexity of the control scheme and there is nothing more annoying than having a car consistently drive into a wall or Bond looking at the sky all the time (two personal experiences). Obviously if he isn't into the Wii you can search for games like Cookies and Cream (PS2) which are simple (2 buttons) co-op games, which my GF enjoyed playing with me.

Good luck and I hope he joins the dark side!

[Captain Wrong]

What does being gay have to do with it?

I was thinking the same thing.

[fishsandwich]

What does being gay have to do with it?

I have dozens of male friends, all gay. One of them likes video games. ONE. That means that one solitary gay man (besides me) out of at least twenty-five gay men likes video games... the average for straight men has GOT to be higher. Years of experience have taught me that the majority of gay men do not play video games and when they do it's just a passing thing, more of a novelty at a party or something.

My big test is to see if a can get a non-gamer to like games. I mentioned that he's gay because it decreases the odds of success even further. Simple as that... nothing more.

[maxlords]

Yeah, I'd say the normal average is more like 30-50% of guys. I'm kind of surprised that there'd be that much of a difference....

[Kamino]

Yeah, I'd say the normal average is more like 30-50% of guys. I'm kind of surprised that there'd be that much of a difference....
it makes sense to me. the percentage of girls who play video games is pretty low, too.

[KingCobra]

Shoulda got him a ps2 and Space Chanel 5 part 2, for some reason that game got a lot of hype over at gaygamers.net


Send'em over to http://gaygamer.net/forum/

and NO I'm not Gay! But I don't care if you are.

[cyberfluxor]

It's true, gay guys love to play other people's Wii's.

[kainemaxwell]

It's true, gay guys love to play other people's Wii's.

*rimshot*

[Necron99]

I have dozens of male friends, all gay. One of them likes video games. ONE. That means that one solitary gay man (besides me) out of at least twenty-five gay men likes video games... the average for straight men has GOT to be higher. Years of experience have taught me that the majority of gay men do not play video games and when they do it's just a passing thing, more of a novelty at a party or something.


I don't know about that..maybe it's different where you are but I know MANY gay gamers and I am of course one of them, as is my BF. we've even hosted a few game nights at our place and had some amazing turn outs.

Nintendo has changed the games are played and I think their strategy to involve the whole family is an awesome feat, I took my Wii home at Xmas and for the first time since the Atari 2600, my parents were actually playing a game and enjoying it.(and nobody got hurt)

anyways, I hope your BF enjoys the DS!

[Cmtz]

What does being gay have to do with it?

I guess he wants to see if being gay has any correlation with not playing video games.

[lendelin]

it makes sense to me. the percentage of girls who play video games is pretty low, too.

Yep, I think you got it, Osama; gays are girls, right? ...or at least a bit like girls...well, at least they're not men...well, at least they are not straight men.

[Darth Sensei]

I guess he wants to see if being gay has any correlation with not playing video games.

Or he's an attention whore.

[DeputyMoniker]

Does being gay make you less likely to enjoy video games?


I know it makes you more likely to enjoy a DS. >;-)

[fishsandwich]

I do remember (now) that I took a trip a few years ago to the mountains with some friends and took the Dreamcast along. A couple of them really got into Crazi Taxi, Soul Calibur, and Typing of the Dead. Their facination ended with the trip, though. I do not think they have thought about games since.

My post was not meant to be a commentary on the state of gay gaming. I was just sharing with you, my fellow gamers both straight and gay, my attempts to get a very important person in my life to enjoy games as much as I do. I almost didn't mention his sexual orientation at all but it does make a differance (in my experience, anyway.) The fact that is he is gay may very well decrease of odds of success but I'm going to try anyway. No stress, no nagging, no "Why don't you play your DS anymore?!?" I'm just give him the means and opportunity and I'll just stand by and see what happens.

Hasn't anyone else here tried to convert a non-gamer?

It would be awesome to get back to my college days where me and my buds sat in front of the TV and played games for hours. I'm thinking PS3 if the library evolves and Blu-Ray takes off.

[poloplayr]

If he's gay then I'd say you should've gone for a PSP.

[Super Mario Fan]

*rimshot*

More like rimjob!

I have nothing against gay people, whatever floats your boat. That just always used to be a joke between my friends.

[j_factor]

Where are you from, fish? I've known lots of gay gamers, but the bay area isn't like anywhere else.

[Necron99]

Shoulda got him a ps2 and Space Chanel 5 part 2, for some reason that game got a lot of hype over at gaygamers.net


Send'em over to http://gaygamer.net/forum/

and NO I'm not Gay! But I don't care if you are.

BTW, thanks for the link!

[Kitsune Sniper]

Most of the gay people I know are huge gamers. Even the ones over forty.

[DeputyMoniker]

Hasn't anyone else here tried to convert a non-gamer?


I'm sure most of us have. The closest I've come to successfully converting a non-gamer is buying my wife an iPod. She isn't as non-gamer as she is an all around non-tech person. She'd still be buying cassettes if it wasn't for me. I got her the iPod for Christmas and to my surprise, she's actually learned to get her music on it. She's almost filled it up after only a few days. The next thing I'll do is get her a DS Lite. She likes how small it is compared to my original DS and she digs playing Mario 64. You're doing the right thing. Take it slow, don't pressure him and be willing to spend some money buying him gaming gear until you get a hold of something he digs. The odds of him ever becoming a true gamer aren’t very high so keep your expectations low. Hopefully you'll find a game or two that he can't put down. Just make sure you're trying two player games. Like I said, odds aren't high that he'll become a true gamer, he'll just find a few games he digs so make sure they're games you can play too. Be ready to lose some money in this because you're going to buy some things that he won't really enjoy. I think you're expecting that though so I'm sure you'll be quite pleased in the long run. Good luck!!

[Zap!]

Good luck and I hope he joins the dark side!

Hahaha!

[djbeatmongrel]

well out of curiosity did you get a pink ds lite and bedazzle a fabulous rainbow on it?

just kidding. i dont know how buying games for a gay gamer is any different. my piercer is gay as can be and is an avid console gamer. last time i saw him he was messing with his psp in the shop hahah

[fishsandwich]

Well, it seems he REALLY like Brain Age. He's been playing it quite a bit. Not so much the other games. We shall see. I'm glad to see he's getting some use out of it.

No Pink DS for him. He would have HATED it. I got a black one.

I live in Atlanta near 10th and Piedmont... the center of gay Atlanta. I know gay guy who owns a PS2. One of my ex's has a Dreamcast, NES, and SNES but he doesn't play them.

I'm waiting to see if he gets into Mario Kart...

Until next time.

[davepesc]

What does being gay have to do with it?

Just wanted to ditto the idea...

[fishsandwich]

Just wanted to ditto the idea...


(pulled from previous posts in this thread)


I have dozens of male friends, all gay. One of them likes video games. ONE. That means that one solitary gay man (besides me) out of at least twenty-five gay men likes video games... the average for straight men has GOT to be higher. Years of experience have taught me that the majority of gay men do not play video games and when they do it's just a passing thing, more of a novelty at a party or something.

My big test is to see if a can get a non-gamer to like games. I mentioned that he's gay because it decreases the odds of success even further. Simple as that... nothing more.

.................................................. ............

I do remember (now) that I took a trip a few years ago to the mountains with some friends and took the Dreamcast along. A couple of them really got into Crazi Taxi, Soul Calibur, and Typing of the Dead. Their facination ended with the trip, though. I do not think they have thought about games since.

My post was not meant to be a commentary on the state of gay gaming. I was just sharing with you, my fellow gamers both straight and gay, my attempts to get a very important person in my life to enjoy games as much as I do. I almost didn't mention his sexual orientation at all but it does make a differance (in my experience, anyway.) The fact that is he is gay may very well decrease of odds of success but I'm going to try anyway. No stress, no nagging, no "Why don't you play your DS anymore?!?" I'm just give him the means and opportunity and I'll just stand by and see what happens.

Hasn't anyone else here tried to convert a non-gamer?

It would be awesome to get back to my college days where me and my buds sat in front of the TV and played games for hours. I'm thinking PS3 if the library evolves and Blu-Ray takes off.

[vaportransmitter]

I'm gay and videogames are my only hobby. I spend insanes amount of time not only playing, but researching things about it. I don't know why, I don't know very many gay people... as I live in south Texas. :-/ But, the ones I have met aren't too into them. As redundant as it sounds, I guess it's all about lifestyle. The same can be said for females & older people, too I suppose. It just doesn't fit into their lifestyle. But, maybe it's just they haven't experienced it enough to really enjoy this form of media.

Tangent Alert! Tangent Alert! The thing I really hate, however, is the reputation videogames get. It's like people make you feel ashamed for playing them. I'm not trying to sensationalize things, but a typical conversation can go like this:

"What did you do today?"
"Played some videogames. Pretty laid back day."
"You nerd... should of gotten out of the house."

and the other side of things.

"What did you do today?"
"Watched a movie. Pretty laid back day"
"Oh, really. Which one?"

Which makes me believe that people get the wrong impression of videogames entirely. There's something out there for everyone, people just have to realize. Good luck, though, man. I hope your boyfriend turns out to be an avid gamer. But, if not you're lucky to have someone that you care enough about to want him understand you fully.

[suckerpunch5]

"What did you do today?"
"Played some videogames. Pretty laid back day."
"You nerd... should of gotten out of the house."

and the other side of things.

"What did you do today?"
"Watched a movie. Pretty laid back day"
"Oh, really. Which one?"

Which makes me believe that people get the wrong impression of videogames entirely.

Exactly. Very well put! I try to explain this exact thing to people, and they just look at me like "Poor helpless nerd . . . "

[rbudrick]

It's interesting...there's been a million studies on women and their gaming habits, but never any on gay/lesbian gaming habits.

I guess the demographic isn't big enough for such studies to be carried out. What percentage of people (women or men) are flat out gay, like 1%? I dunno.

If he only digs puzzlers and RPGs after a while, he's leaning toward what would be the 'traditional girl gamer' side. If he ends up playing everything else, then well, his gayness has nothing to do his gaming. In fact, I would fathom that being gay has very little to do with gaming habits, but your BF can be our guinea pig, lol. No, I didn't say gerbil. Oh, man, I kill me. Sorry, couldn't resist. But, if it's found gayness does influence gaming habits, I would think that at the very most, some gay men may just tend toward games girls like, but I kinda doubt it. Could be wrong, but I doubt it. Is he the Rock Hudson type, or the Nathan Lane from The Birdcage type, lol?

Well, you can always show him some Cho Aniki or something. And if he doesn't like the DS, he can shove it up his ass! (another rimjo...er, shot).

-Rob

[fishsandwich]

Well, it looks like the DS is a flop. He hasn't picked it up in several days. He was really into Brain Age for awhile but thats it. Maybe he'll take it on trips. He hasn't even played Mario Kart much... come on now! How can you not like that one? I may get him Big Brain Academy and Tetris for his birthday... that's all he has expressed and interest in thus far. My other additions (Nanostray and Animal Crossing) didn't get his interest, either.

It doesn't help that he has a fairly new 1080p huge LCD tV and loves to watch it.

[Slimedog]

I play Final Fantasy XI and there seem to be a lot of gay guys (and women) playing that. My friends list is only about 8 people long and three of them are gay guys. I do tend to meet fewer on other XBox Live games like Gears of War. I would guess the social aspect of the MMORPG genre would what attracts a higher percentage of gay guys and women as opposed to RTS or FPS games, but I'm probably just generalizing here.

[Ed Oscuro]

...one solitary gay man (besides me) out of at least twenty-five gay men
Does that make you the 25th man?

Anyway, good luck getting the guy to game.

[fishsandwich]

Hey! I noticed the DS moving around this weekend and the games had been switched!

Then last night I was in bed playing Puzzle Fighter on the GBA (easier than the PSone version I might add) and then he got into bed with DS Mario Kart. I showed him how to play it, what the power-ups meant, the differance between the green and red turtle shells, etc. Then I showed him Mario Kart of the GBA and compared it to the DS version.

He might be comning around...





!

[Iron Draggon]

hey, if he decides he absolutely hates it, you could just give it to me and make a fellow gay gamer (gaymer) very happy... I wanted a black DS for Christmas or my birthday (New Year's Eve) but sadly I didn't get one... I wish one of my BF's had bought me one, but one of my BF's did buy me a 2GB RAM upgrade for my PC, so I guess I shouldn't be complaining... I only had 512MB before that, so I really needed the RAM upgrade more than I needed a DS...

as for gaymers, most of the gay people that I know are gamers... at least the ones around my age are... and it's been that way as long as I've been a gamer too... back in the heydays of the Genesis and the SNES, I was always running into lots of gay friends and coworkers in the gaming aisles of stores... I met quite a few gay guys I didn't even know yet that way too... maybe it helps that I live in one of the largest cities in the US... much easier to find other gay people in big cities than in small towns... and other gamers also... try chatting with some of our fellow gaymers in this thread on the subject:

http://bnskin.com/Forums/viewtopic.php?id=969

gaymers... we're definitely out there, you just have to know where to find us!

[smork]

I live in Atlanta near 10th and Piedmont... the center of gay Atlanta. I know gay guy who owns a PS2. One of my ex's has a Dreamcast, NES, and SNES but he doesn't play them.

Funny, I know exactly one person in Atlanta -- he's a gay guy who's into games. Not really a hardcore gamer, but owns a 360 and plays a fair amount of computer games.

Gotta agree with Iron Draggon -- seems like most gay guys i've known are at least casual gamers. Maybe it's a Houston thing (as I'm from there, too)? Full disclosure -- most people I know are gamers to some extent :)