EXP Podcast #22: Games for the Uninitiated

If you read this site, you are probably one of two kinds of people:

1.  The kind that loves video games or...
2.  The kind that is subjected to rants about why we love video games (i.e. non-gamer friends and family).

This week, we were inspired by Owen Good's article about explaining the allure of video games to non-gamers.  We use his discussion of trying to decide which games to demonstrate for his grandfather as starting point to discuss the tricky business of sharing our favorite games to people that probably have never heard of them.  It is a situation in which many of us have found ourselves, so please feel free to share your stories in the comments!

Some discussion starters:

- Have you ever tried to explain or demonstrate your gaming interests to a non-gamer?  How successful were you?
- What is the most effective way to draw someone in to gaming?  Finding a game that ties in with their interests?  Showing them something completely new?  Demonstrating graphical realism?  Showing them inventive story-telling?
- Which games would you show to a non-gamer and why?  What would you want to communicate to them?

To listen to the podcast:
- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes here. Additionally, here is the stand-alone feed.
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking the title. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.
- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.

Show Notes:

- Run time: 30 min 20 sec
- Owen Good's Article, via Kotaku: "What Would You Show to Someone Who's Never Seen a Game"
- Music provided by Brad Sucks