I just got an Xbox 360 with a kinect for free, from a promotion. It looks fun, but the last system I owned was a Sega Megadrive (Not kidding)

Any recommendations for a newbie? Preferably ones both guys and girls can enjoy.

I swear no matter how good they are, i'll keep updating my comic on time ;)

I think that might depend on what kind of games you DO like to play. When I think of "gamer" I think of someone who will play any old piece of garbage (especially shooters) because it's a game. However there are several really brilliant, and more even simply enjoyable games, that a person would enjoy if their general interests match. Do you like RPGs, or games with heavy story, etc? Do you dislike or like combat bits? What are some games on other systems you like?

don't forget you can always look these up on youtube or whatever (like Let's Plays) to see if they look like the kind of game you'd enjoy.

Bioshock is almost universally acclaimed as a clever, somewhat scary, and fun game. Dead Space is an alien shooter but well designed, fairly scary and with several twists and unique elements. I'm quite enjoying Deadly Premonition for its pure weird genius, even though the combat bits are dumb.

I enjoy the odd rpg. I liked Baldur's gate on pc, but the thing that's most intriguing are the 'non traditional' games that make creative use if the kinect device, like the dancing or sports games would be cool.

When you you say "non-traditional" games I tend to think you're looking for more atmospheric type games.

My favorite one of these on the Xbox, particular XBLA, is Limbo .

It's a rather eerie platformer that uses a lot of physics-based obstacles. It can become rather difficult towards the later stages of the game, so keep that in mind!

Otherwise, another fun XBLA title was Splosion Man . Another platformer with a wacky story and interesting timing elements to the game. It was pretty refreshing when I played it at the time.

Unfortunately I'm not at all familiar with the Kinect, so I can't really recommend any games for that!

Dance Central has been getting a bit of hype lately. It's from the same people that made Rock Band and uses the Kinnect. I don't know how good it is, though. I don't get much for the 360, anymore. I don't like how Microsoft is trying to push the industry away from offline multiplayer experiences.

Unfortunately for you, it seems like most of the more non-traditional gaming experiences are on other systems. You get a handful of the indie titles hitting Xbox Live, like Limbo and Braid, but those games tend to be just traditional game experiences with a twist.

If you're not afraid of an initial investment, Rock Band 3 is fun for the whole family. It's cheaper if you just buy the game and a guitar or two, because getting the whole band setup can get spendy. However, I've seen the whole band set (Guitar, Drums, Microphone) plus Beatles Rock Band for $99.

One avenue you might want to check is downloadable games on Xbox Live Arcade. Here you can find some good games for non-gamers because they're cheaper and more oriented toward quick, low-commitment fun. Peggle, Plants vs. Zombies, Geometry Wars and Castle Crashers are just a few that have been pretty popular.

Isukun mentioned Dance Central, and I'll add that many reviews peg it as the best Kinect game to date... some even say it's currently the only worthwhile Kinect game. I watched a girl play it in the store today and she was having a lot of fun, but her shirt said "Kinect" so I think her motives might be somewhat suspect. But the game did look pretty cool.

Unfortunately, the Xbox360 is probably the least nongamer-friendly console to own, but that may change thanks to the Kinect. There definitely are still some good titles available.

skoolmunkee
don't forget you can always look these up on youtube or whatever (like Let's Plays) to see if they look like the kind of game you'd enjoy.

Haha took your advice and watched all day... some rally good suggestions so far, but Limbo was creepy. Was that a floating bridge made of dead children?

Yeah, I gave the kinect a whirl today and downloaded some demos. It's quite user frendly. I think I could really enjoy this!


Heh... ok back to the comic. I WILL make the next update (while playing xbox) B)

Tales of Vesperia and Eternal Sonata are two great RPGs for 360. The Box is a great device for non gamers too with apps like Netflix and Last.fm it does so many things you're sure to get plenty of use out of it.