Reuters: The guitar is killing your relationship
by Justin McElroy 
{ Apr 15th 2007 at 6:45PM }
Sure, this article may seem like your typical "Hey Gladys, can you believe what the kids are into?" piece that dots the mainstream gaming journalism landscape, but there are some real gems here, including: A gamer named Festus explaining why girls don't like games, a woman who curbed her gaming after a guitar controller fell on her head and an analyst providing the following quote: "With the rise of certain game genres and, as they get more realistic looking, you have to have a different type of controller." If that's not worth a click, we just don't know what is.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Psaakyrn @ Apr 15th 2007 7:01PM
Solution: get a mate that accepts your habits, instead of one that doesn't.
Brad Lee @ Apr 15th 2007 7:04PM
Solution: Get plastic surgery, that guy is hideous!
Yes, I know, I'm riding on Psaakryn's coattails, but I'm also riding on Stephen Colbert's coattails for using the term "riding on _'s coattails." ;)
Jake Rosow @ Apr 15th 2007 7:12PM
LOL thats me in the picture
HyperOnion @ Apr 15th 2007 7:11PM
"As a new generation of game consoles hit the market over the past year, led by the Nintendo Co. Ltd. (7974.OS) Wii,"
Bwuh?
El tonto @ Apr 15th 2007 7:14PM
I'm lucky I have no GF and can buy any game I want. Hey who needs a GF when you have a right arm that can curl 40 pounds......oh baby!!!!! In all seriousness the only girl that interests me is Candace from Walls of Jericho...meet her 3 times in my life....just an awesome chick not like the traditional blow hard girls here in the south.
Seriously with all the infidelity and divorce in the US why even bother.
Dome @ Apr 15th 2007 7:17PM
Lol i didnt even read the blog all i saw was the picture of this ugly kid who looks like he might only have about 4 teeth in the front. Wow he has to be the ugliest kid i have ever seen lol.
Justin McElroy @ Apr 15th 2007 7:26PM
You rule Jake, welcome to the world of Internet stardom.
Ritz @ Apr 16th 2007 2:21AM
"As a new generation of game consoles hit the market over the past year, led by the Nintendo Co. Ltd. (7974.OS) Wii,"
It's not actually true... yet. Doesn't the 360 still hold that place for a couple months more?
Imadogg99 @ Apr 15th 2007 7:28PM
"If that's not worth a click, we just don't know what is."
I thought that said "If that's not worth a dick, we just don't know what is."
Jake Rosow @ Apr 15th 2007 7:37PM
do i get a prize?
Sam @ Apr 15th 2007 7:43PM
And while this poor guy is getting dragged into shopping malls so his girlfriend can make him look at the shoes she wants him to buy her, I can't get my wife away from playing GTA San Andreas for hours on end. And until last week, she didn't play a single video game in her life.
Brad Lee @ Apr 15th 2007 7:55PM
"LOL thats me in the picture"
You can beat me up if you want. Don't worry, I can take it (not in the face!).
A13x @ Apr 15th 2007 8:14PM
Funny, yesterday in the shops I saw a guy and his girlfriend trying out Guitar Hero II. She was telling him how to play, and was getting frustrated with him because he wasn't holding the frets right. Seconds later he gave up and they walked off.
syco @ Apr 15th 2007 8:21PM
I really don't see this being a common problem. Those few gamers who do have girlfriends will almost inevitably find ones who are also gamers to some extent, otherwise I don't imagine they'd have much in common.
Rex @ Apr 15th 2007 8:34PM
@ people who are talking about girls who don't play games.
Could be worse... One of my exes who I played games with had a talent for stealing a bunch of the resources when we played AOE2.
jason @ Apr 15th 2007 8:35PM
does anyone know if i rent crackdown from gamefly can i use it for the HALO 3 BETA.
if some know the answer to this let me know
wackychan @ Apr 15th 2007 8:48PM
"does anyone know if i rent crackdown from gamefly can i use it for the HALO 3 BETA."
off topic! but i was wondering the exact same thing.
andrew @ Apr 15th 2007 9:09PM
Yes if you rent Crackdown from gamefly you can get into the halo 3 beta, as long as you keep the disc. I'm doing the same thing, and they tell you that on the crackdown rental page.
also to all the people saying the kid in the picture is ugly, you are probably uglier
vidGuy @ Apr 15th 2007 9:15PM
My GF played games until the N64 (she played through OoT twice!). She stopped when we were in our early teens, but now with the Wii she's back into them, playing 3-5 hours a week. It's nice to get her interested, Halo and Gears just make her roll her eyes.
jason @ Apr 15th 2007 9:15PM
Alright thanx andrew and also if i were a chick i would f@*k the hell out of that kid
andrew @ Apr 15th 2007 9:20PM
your welcome, yeah jake would love that (he's the kid in the picture)
Eric Baker @ Apr 15th 2007 9:55PM
Actually, I've found chicks tend to like games like Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution more than they like Halo or Splinter Cell. Having a dance pad or fake guitar lying around is a better sign that you share similar gaming interests than just an XBox controller lying on the ground.
-Moses
El tonto @ Apr 15th 2007 10:05PM
Girls who don't like games are usually just uptight cunts who are afraid to try new things. Any girl that is worth a damn will at least try something you like once!!!!!!!!!!!!
Les Doodis @ Apr 15th 2007 10:15PM
Funny enough, my wife hates gaming but ever since my recent purchase of Guitar Hero for the 360, she's played it more than I have.
ComradeTrotskii @ Apr 15th 2007 10:31PM
The most striking thing about this is that there is someone out there called Festus Williams. Who actually managed to get a girlfriend. LOL ROFFLEWAFFLE!!11SHIFT.
Anyhow, any girl who doesn't appreciate the wiimote as a an accessory is just missing out.
Grant @ Apr 15th 2007 10:38PM
From the article:
"For whatever reason, girls just don't like you spending time playing video games," game player Festus Williams said. "And then you come in with a guitar or steering wheel, that could get people in trouble."
Two Things:
1. Festus? WTF were his parents on. I'm sorry dude, but you can always get it legally changed.
2.Girls don't like it when you choose the games over them, when you can include them, it's fine. My girlfriend always tells me to stop playing gears to play guitar hero I or II, she loves music/rhythm games. I've also notices that you can get most girls into it if it has bright colors and an easy learning curve. DON'T start off on a hard difficulty just to show off, they're not impressed, just frustrated and bored.
A simple rule of thumb is if the game involves a theme she already enjoys(for example music) she will probably take to it alot easier. Most women don't care about guns, so most of them won't want to play shooters.
dsub @ Apr 15th 2007 10:40PM
girls who don't like games or gamers all seem to have something in common. They don't like the games because they have to compete with them. They have to compete with games for your attention, time and money. Three things that the average "wrap a guy around my finger" type of girls must have. I've been there and done that. It's not worth it. Girls like that are like World of Warcraft. In the beginning it's fun, but 12 months later when you get dumped or snap out of it you wonder what the hell happened for the past year and where all your money went.
Grant @ Apr 15th 2007 10:42PM
lol @ ComradeTrotskii,
How are we the only two that picked up on that name.
dsub @ Apr 15th 2007 11:12PM
Jason-
they won't wipe your HDD unless your HDD is the root of your problems, which is RARELY the case. When I sent mine in for repair (mine was also a launch console) they let me keep my HDD and I had a new system within a week. It's been perfect ever since (going on a year now).
mko @ Apr 15th 2007 11:32PM
OMG CHUT UP x5 JAZON. UR MAKJIN MYS HED A SPLOTTERS!! GO FIND A FORUM TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS!
And it's not just women who shy away from steering wheels, my father in law, who I would have expected to be excited to try a racing game where you didn't have to use a regular controller (GT4) absolutely refused to use the steering wheel for some reason?? Maybe he didn't want to look like an idiot if he didn't race well or something.. who knows.
Antonio @ Apr 16th 2007 12:09AM
As long as I have my right hand and access to porn, anyone who doesn't want to date me because of the video games can fuck off. If I ever lose my right hand then God help us all. That having been said, I wonder if people have ever been turned off when they see my DDR pads, DK bongos, guitar controller, and big-ass arcade joystick sitting by my TV.
Freezair @ Apr 16th 2007 1:03AM
Is this author for real? Who the heck was he STUDYING? Gamer wisdom (and experience) states that the more interactive and "fun" controllers are EASIER to get your non-gaming significant other (or your non-gaming anybody) into, while the more hardcore but less "invasive" controllers are a turn-off. I mean, hasn't DDR (and to a lesser extent Karaoke Revolution) been a massive hit in the casual crowd, which contains a much higher significant portion of female members than the hardcore set does? Personally, I'm looking forward to the Wii Guitar Hero, whenever it comes out, and I can't wait to own a nerdy GH guitar controller.
In my opinion, "weird" gaming pariphenalia is not the problem. Rather, it's soul-stealing MMO's that are the problem. If your significant other is glued to a computer screen during their every waking moment, even if you happen to play too, it becomes frustrating. This is regardless of whether or not you're a gaming couple. I speak from experience: My SO and I both play the same MMORPG, but whereas I play a few times a week for a couple of hours, he's practically attached at the hip to the freakin' thing. So take my advice, folks: If you're going to play an MMO and you have a girlfriend/boyfriend, make sure you're not obsessed with it (or you're both equally obsessed), and don't do anything stupid.
Xbox MAN FTW @ Apr 20th 2007 1:32AM
Wow, this is the one of the many bad Reuters articles. My girlfriend tells me all the time how fun her brother's guitar hero is and I know most girls enjoy games that involve sequences and extra equipment, like DDR and GH. I know this because I near near a boardwalk(stretch of beach with wood walkway and it has about 30 arcades on it, in which all have DDR machines which many girls play, including good looking chicks.
David @ Apr 16th 2007 1:33AM
I read it the other day and thought it was complete bullshit.
If the girl cares about you playing video games a little, like the one talked about, then you need to break upand find a better one.
Now if the guy is playing the video game too much then all the girl has to do is "Let's have sex" and the guy will jump over.
So what have we learned? It's always the girl's fault.
potato @ Apr 16th 2007 1:50AM
Above posters are 100% correct.
My girlfriend isn't a gamer (she's never played any of the FFs, nor any shooters, ever) but we play Guitar Hero and DDR together quite often.
She also accepts my gaming as one of those things that I do with my buddies, and never gets on my case on it, and even goes as far as to try and understand as much about the newest game I'm obsessed over.
It's a bit of give and take. In exchange I try to share in more of the things that she's interested in but that doesn't pique my interest all too much.
To those out there whose gf's are complaining about their gaming. Get new gf's. She doesn't have to be a gamer to be able to accept your choices and respect them.
Kyle @ Apr 16th 2007 2:06AM
As it is, my girlfriend loves guitar hero and procedes to school me. Of course there's a difference when I'm playing on expert and she's on medium with that 4x combo the entire time.
mister.matthew @ Apr 16th 2007 2:39AM
I don't even need to read that article to know that the author's logic is irreversibly effed. If anything, all these add-ons an make gaming generally more fun than anything, in the same philosophical vein as the wii it makes gaming more accessible so that anyone could just pick it up and easily get into it. When I say anyone, I also mean the other 49-51% of the population who make up the vast majority of casual gamers. When you (also girls) pick up guitar hero or shake it on the ddr pad it's easy to get into and lots of fun, girl or guy, gamer or non-gamer.
ps. Reuters can try to talk to my girlfriend all they want, but she could play more Final Fantasy than a crackhead.
t_m @ Apr 16th 2007 5:56AM
talk about getting it ass-backwards.. i know half a dozen guys who's girlfriends have FINALLY gotten into games because of peripherals such as the guitar hero one, dance mats, the wiimote or the DS stylus.
Heck, it was darn hard to get close to the tv to watch 24 once my housemate's girlfriend got into Guitar Hero. :-(
benjamin @ Apr 16th 2007 6:42AM
Whenever I mention how GH sucks because it makes you look like a tool, people feel the need to comment that "LOLZ, who cares what other people think?"
I'm happy to see that respected journalists feel the same way. I mention the above not to be mean or to speak negatively about GH, but I'm doing it as a service to *you*, dear gamers!
Often the topic of DDR and GH has come up in conversations with my female friends and, each time, they mention how lame people look while playing them.
So let that be a lesson to you, gamer otaku, if you want to score in real life, try doing it less in a virtual one.
I thank you.
mattclarkie @ Apr 16th 2007 7:05AM
If you think about it ROB for the NES is the most annoying and unwieldy accessory, and that is hardly due to graphical improvements.
FrankTheCrank @ Apr 16th 2007 7:44AM
Fender?
How boring.
How bout a Jackson Custom or a Les Paul? No floyd's or seymour duncans. You can't shred with that crap!!
Your lame!!!
TMoney @ Apr 16th 2007 8:10AM
Benjamin is 100% right. You are all living in a bubble. DDR and GH are not cool and most chicks will right you off as a geek if you talk about how much you love to play them. Of course there are exceptions, but that article is spot on for most people.
Jack of No Trades @ Apr 16th 2007 8:22AM
I jam on my cheap Johnson. It was my first guitar. You can modify any cheap guitar to shred with better pickups and heavy strings.
BTW my girl plays games(only certain video games) and guitar with me. You have to be social to find a girl that likes the exact things as you. It takes time and alot of searching, but there is always somebody out there for you.
And to anyone that has beat Resistance. Im on my second time around and I unlocked new weapons. Will I unlock new ones on the third time around?
Galley @ Apr 16th 2007 8:51AM
Steering wheel controllers are great and all, but who wants one mounted to a table in their living room?
Keith @ Apr 16th 2007 8:31AM
Shouldn't the title be:
The guitar is killing your CONSOLE...
LOL...
Karen @ Apr 16th 2007 9:16AM
Organization can eliminate all these problems.
All my gaming stuff fits perfectly in a wall unit in the living room. I have some box's on shelves behind cabnet doors that hold all my 8 consoles, controllers and cables. The only thing I have out is the current system I'm playing.
I bought it at Ikea from the Bonde product line.
Nibs @ Apr 16th 2007 7:03PM
Well, good thing both my boyfriend and I really like video games. :p We like a lot of the same type of stuff, for the most part. And...I'm the one who'd "ruin" the family room decor with all my video game systems... XD (Of course, like said above, if you can organize them all, it wouldn't be so bad. That's something I'd have to invest in in the future, I suppose, hahah. Since, as of now, at my house, my systems are sort of a pile around the tv... :P)
benjamin @ Apr 16th 2007 10:32AM
@#42: Wow, I think that's the first time anyone's agreed with me on this issue, TMoney. Good show.
potato @ Apr 16th 2007 10:43AM
#46 is right. Organization does eliminate this. I don't keep a swathe of old consoles lying about - all I have is the 360 and the DS, so it's not as if gaming peripherals are strewn all across my apartment.
I could totally understand my girl if she started complaining about my massive collection of old game consoles - it's as unsightly as a closet full of shoes ;)
Xbox MAN FTW @ Apr 16th 2007 2:07PM
@39.
"Whenever I mention how GH sucks because it makes you look like a tool"
A) I hate you
B) I have never played GH, yet it without doubt is a popular game, Like I stated previously, My girlfriends younger brother plays it, and she told me she did enjoy it. Heres my post "32. Wow, this is the one of the many bad Reuters articles. My girlfriend tells me all the time how fun her brother's guitar hero is and I know most girls enjoy games that involve sequences and extra equipment, like DDR and GH. I know this because I near near a boardwalk(stretch of beach with wood walkway and it has about 30 arcades on it, in which all have DDR machines which many girls play, including good looking chicks.".
C) No one is talking about how good the game is, Its about the validity of the article and how it relates to real life.
"DDR and GH are not cool and most chicks will right you off as a geek if you talk about how much you love to play them."
A) You are a geek if you go around bragging about how you "love" GH, You shouldn't talk about video games outside playing them at home in the first place, especially to girls.
B) But, if you are with a girl and mention it or wanna play it, You wont be labeled a geek, because its not uncommon for men to play games in the first place.
"So let that be a lesson to you, gamer otaku, if you want to score in real life, try doing it less in a virtual one."
Alright, I'll try and be as nice as possible.
A) I hate people like you
B) I hate you
C) You have never "scored", because if you ever banged a chick, You would not say score. Nor would you use a lame metaphor like that...
D) Playing video games has absolutely nothing, at all, to do with your sexual life, There is a extend where you can let video games take over your life, but if your at that point, then you will lose more then your relationship, like your job, your loved ones, your life, etc. But for one to become that obsessed, is rare.