Long story short I got my gf an arcade a week ago, target was having a really great deal. The bundle with viva pinata and banjo. I traded in my 360 for the slim but saved my 120gb HDD.
 
She got into viva pinata, I guess. I fell asleep, but she did get 2 achievements somehow. I also gave her sega superstars tennis I got with the live compilation disc but that game was mehhh.
 
Anyways, I am asking because I am having a hard time thinking of a game she could possibly play without being frustrated. I dont want to just throw kiddie games at her and see if she can play those. I'd rather give her something that has some actual narrative and is genuinely interesting. I was thinking maybe an RPG, but I dont think its the controls that get in her way. Its more that newer gamers have trouble accepting and understanding how games work and function. I asked this same question in the PS2 forum when I gave her my old PS2 and got some ok responses, but the PS2 library is a lot larger and a lot cheaper. I played persona 4 with her a lot, but once she tried to start a game of her own the game mechanics of the RPG genre frustrated her. The knowledge we take for granted is essential for playing games like persona even if it seems simple to us. She has no idea what an RPG is so she has to start at square one, the same way I did when I was a kid, but I had more time and a greater fascination with video games than she does.
 
Sorry to ramble, but can anyone think of something. An XBLA game might work too. I was thinking the maw, but the puzzles in that use game mechanics she wouldn't understand yet to be honest.
 
I googled and the popular responses are Viva pinata, Rock band, Lips, Beautiful Katamari, and DDR. Not what I was looking for. But if she needs to play a kids game to get introduced to games than thats fine, but I was hoping that there is something out there she can play. If she gets frustrated early on she'll just ignore it to be honest. She played a few levels of We love Katamari, failed, and never touched it again. Maybe Kinect might be the answer, but thats a ways off at this point. She does have a genuine interest in games after seeing how invested I am in them.

Maybe Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts? Considering how easily she gives up that will probably be too much. I think she just needs to work on her ability to not give up so easily. Also I think 360 was not the right console for this, playing games like Mario are always the best games to start people on.
 
Also Castle Crashers might be an idea. In fact definitely try that one.

Well, take it from a girl, I'd go for Dragon Age Origins (got a lot of ladyfriends hooked on it, bloody Alistair) if you want something deeper and big for her to sink her teeth in. Put it on easy and let her figure it out (most girls tend to actually prefer the DA system over real time fighting) and chip in when she needs it.
 
Maybe something like Devil May Cry or Bayonetta (especially that) will appeal to her (be sure to start slow on easy again, or you might end up with a controller in your brain) ?
 
All I can think of atm, hope it helps.

I was going to say 'Splosion Man, but then I remembered that the last third of that game was excruciatingly frustrating. 
Portal on XBLA may be a good choice, my experience with other people playing Portal is that they pick it up and love it, or just don't get the mechanics and put it down.  
I never really liked Mirrors edge, but my sister(Who is not a gamer) really loved it.
What kind of genres where you thinking about?

She has played a lot of games with me on my wii. I think she wanted the 360 mainly for netflix. She sort of wrote off the wii as I dont play it much at all, in fact I could probably just give it to her. I think she wants to get into the type of games I play, not games that she should probably play. She didn't want a Wii at all.
 
Dragon age might not be a bad idea, but it might be a bit complex. I was also thinking Fallout 3.
 
I think the simplest genre for her is an RPG, but definitely not a direct control one, which is why dragon age might not be a bad choice. On easy I cant imagine she would have to manage the other party characters much at all.

I'd go with Fable II. Its pretty much tailored to be user friendly (one button combat, breadcrumbtrail, basically no deathpanelty, etc.) Its easy for new gamers to get into, but it gives a full gaming experience.

" I'd go with Fable II. Its pretty much tailored to be user friendly (one button combat, breadcrumbtrail, basically no deathpanelty, etc.) Its easy for new gamers to get into, but it gives a full gaming experience. "

Well. I think your girlfriend will get the skills playing an RPG quick enough if she's really interested. I having similar thoughts here. The game my gf got into and finished was "Plants vs Zobmies". So I would advise for that one. And if you have a PS3 make sure to get heavy rain.

I was thinking Mass Effect? It has a capturing story and it's a really solid RPG. But at the same time, the combat in ME1 was quite frustrating. And it keeps those RPG elements to a minimum. I believe anyone can understand that "HEY SWITCH ARMOR OUT GET PROTECTION VS THIS LOSE PROTECTION VS THIS".  
 
Also, Batman Arkham Asylum maybe? On easy it is VERY simple in my opinion.

I guess I'd need to know more about where the problem she had with Persona 4 was. I ask because Viva Pinata is not a simple game.  Was it that the learning curve on SMT games is fairly steep?  FFXIII may work out then.  That said DA:O on easy may very well be the way to go.

" I guess I'd need to know more about where the problem she had with Persona 4 was. I ask because Viva Pinata is not a simple game.  Was it that the learning curve on SMT games is fairly steep?  FFXIII may work out then.  That said DA:O on easy may very well be the way to go. "

" I was thinking Mass Effect? It has a capturing story and it's a really solid RPG. But at the same time, the combat in ME1 was quite frustrating. And it keeps those RPG elements to a minimum. I believe anyone can understand that "HEY SWITCH ARMOR OUT GET PROTECTION VS THIS LOSE PROTECTION VS THIS".   Also, Batman Arkham Asylum maybe? On easy it is VERY simple in my opinion. "

Resident Evil 5

In terms of RPGs Fable II sounds like the best bet but I hear Alan Wake also has some very good narrative without combat that's too demanding. If she wants Xbox LIVE Arcade games I say get Uno, Space Invaders Extreme, Boom Boom Rocket or Peggle.

What types of games is she interested in? I would start with that.  
Most ladies I know love the Zelda games.  Paper Mario 1 and 2 are really cute and simple, I think the first one is on the Wii shop.

I'd definitely reccomend Oblivion. 
 
Anyone can generally get into that, and its cheap these days too!

I've only played a little bit of V.P but I'm thinking that something with little to no-HUD and less with linear gameplay and more sandbox?
I'm inclined to agree with B&K:N&B but the vehicle building may put her off a bit. A better choice would be Castle Crashers since the artwork is great but it also teaches the basic control schemes that the majority of games adhere too.
Also puzzlequest because it's awesome.

" @Jack268 said:

" I was thinking Mass Effect? It has a capturing story and it's a really solid RPG. But at the same time, the combat in ME1 was quite frustrating. And it keeps those RPG elements to a minimum. I believe anyone can understand that "HEY SWITCH ARMOR OUT GET PROTECTION VS THIS LOSE PROTECTION VS THIS".   Also, Batman Arkham Asylum maybe? On easy it is VERY simple in my opinion. "

I disagree with this guy. Mass Effect is an alright game and all, but the first one has clunky combat and once you become a specter the game gives you little info on what the hell you're supposed to do. I've been playing games for years yet I had trouble knowing what to do next after the citadel, so I could definitely see a new gamer being like wtf? Also the inventory system is kinda odd and the RPG elements make the combat frustrating (I'm aiming right at it but I keep missing!) which a new gamer won't understand.  Fable II is as good an idea as any so far, Mirror's Edge is awesome but it can be VERY frustrating, even on easy. I tried to get a girl to play Fallout 3 but she could not get used to the dual-stick controls. She had 0 gaming experience though so that was probably a lot of it. "

Umm, pretty much any of them.  Most games do a great job of introducing players to the mechanics nowadays, and games are rarely 'complicated' anymore anyways.
 
Looking at your achievements, I'd say that Fable 2 or Prince of Persia would be a good place to start.  PoP might be ideal in fact.

I highly recommend The Orange Box.  Not understanding the story of the original Half Life, but that's nothing a wikipedia page can't fix.  That being said, that collection of games (especially Portal) is a great way to get her used to first person controls in a game, which I'm sure she'll have trouble with at first.

Ubisoft games like Assassin's Creed II and Prince of Persia? ACII was pretty simple and streamlined, it's so automated it's pretty much pointing at a direction holding buttons and occasionally tap them to perform platformings, not to mention the AIs were pretty braindead, it got a lot of praise from everyone since it's focused mainly on the world and story and the combat is something everyone could play.

Edit: and oh yea, portal.

Gears of War 2 Co-op, GO!

• Mass Effect
• Mass Effect 2
• Dragon Age: Origins
• Guitar Hero
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

While a lot of people have suggested a number of good games, the truth of the matter is that we can't pick the game for her to play.  You will by far have the best luck if you simply let her read about some games and see which ones really interest her.  If she finds a game SHE is truly interested in, she will keep at it even through some difficulties.  In many of your posts, you write things such as "games she should be playing", "games she'll understand", etc.  At this point in time, there are very few games that are complicated enough that an adult with a true personal interest wouldn't be able to figure out and play.  Often when guys seek suggestions for "girl gamers", they are basically writing women off as too stupid or somehow too uncoordinated to play the games the guys like.  This is far from the truth.   It is usually lack of interest not lack of abilities.  This is not a hobby that requires a lot of actual skill to enjoy.   There is no need for "training wheel" games to ease her into gaming because almost all games are fairly casual at this point.  If she truly has interest in playing, she'll be able to find herself a game to play.  If SHE is the one with the interest in the game, then she'll have success.   
 
To me it sounds more like she is trying out the games more to humor you than out of any true interest in playing.  Since they aren't truly that interesting to her, she is more than willing to stop when there is the slightest bit of difficulty or frustration.  Let her do a little reading and pick a game.  If she is unwilling to put in any time even looking for a potential game for herself, then it seems pretty likely her interests lie elsewhere and she is humoring you or just playing a few games in an attempt to spend some time together with you.  Look for other things to do together and just play games when she is doing her own thing.  

You should seek out Beyond Good and Evil.  I don't think the controls are too difficult, but more importantly, the character and storyline are appealing to a wider audience than the "chainsaw gun" demographic.  I know it's a previous generation game, but I think it still holds up.  The suggestions of Fable II and Prince of Persia (the one with Elika) are good, too.  If you want to try something the two of you can play together, the first Marvel Ultimate Alliance is a good one.  It's got very simple controls (a 9 year old can handle it) and a decent mix of characters, male & female, to chose from.   On XBLA, you might want to look at Castle Crashers.
 
And don't forget to check out demos on XBL or PSN.  Eternal Sonata might appeal you her or perhaps Civilization Revolutions?  Download the demo and see. 

Story's a good idea, but I'll throw in that it can't take too long to get somewhere. I know my wife will half watch, or listen to some of the games I play, and one of the things that turns her off is a lot of what seems like pointless running around between the interesting story parts.
 
I know it's not an rpg, but I'm going to suggest a racing game. It takes something that most everyone already knows how to do, and if you get something like split/second, adds in a couple extra mechanics, so it's not just going around and around on a big loopy track. Also, unless I'm remembering wrong, it has local co-op, so you could do a bit of racing against one another.

I would say Fable II. Has a good story and there is no real penalty for death. Combat is easy and it also has the breadcrumb trail to keep her from feeling lost or overwhelmed. My gf loved it. 

Fable II all the way.  I knew a girl who couldn't handle anything video game related, and then I told her to get Fable II and about six months later she was playing Dragon Age.

Fable 2  
Alan Wake  
Crackdown 2   
XBLA games: Risk, Uno, Shadow Complex, Trials HD (it's hard but the mechanics are simple), Splosion Man, Braid, P.B Winterbottom etc.

One or more of the lego games.

" One or more of the lego games. "

" @Zidd said:

" One or more of the lego games. "

This here be a good suggestion.  The Lego Star Wars games were actually quite fun.  I hear the Batman one is also fun. "

Just get her what she wants to play. Acting like some games will be too complex and hard for her without even trying is the cop out that's damaging this generation of video games.

Viva Pinata is serious buisness! 
 
But Peggle would work wonders 

I bet she'd like Limbo.

Puzzle Quest might be a good choice. It's easy to pick up and play and might serve as a good entry point for understanding basic RPG mechanics, too (levelling up, finding suitable equipment, attribute points, etc).

  
Honestly, Co-Op games are going to be your best bet to start. You being there while she learns the basics of video games will ease frustration. Borderlands & Left 4 Dead (offline) are good FPS trainers where you can hold her hand and keep her alive. 
 
Also, I'd say Resident Evil 4 (since you mentioned PS2) and Dante's Inferno/God of War style games would be the best place to start. Either a button masher that she can spam away on, or a RE style shooter that doesn't require run and gun would be the best place to start solo. Remember, the controls are the most intimidating factor to a new gamer, so the less she has to do, the more comfortable she should feel. 
 
edit: Important note now that I think about it. While games like Dante's Inferno/God of War are good for your girlfriend to play stylistically, it's important that you don't actually let her play Dante's Inferno. If your girlfriend is any kind of girly girl like mine is, she will freak out the second dead babies start popping out of the giant woman's nipples. I'm talking tears.