@maluvin: I would argue that the "standard" board games would be better compared to Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja in terms of relative complexity. There are much better board games available that wouldn't really be the video game equivalent of a complex flight sim.
I think Ben's game host made the classic mistake of picking the wrong game for the group. Although they did warn Ben first at least. Board game nerds (myself included) tend to forget how daunting a rules-heavy game can be for newer players.
Everyone has differing opinions on what games are good, just like video games. Here's a brief list of games I like that I think have a lot of diversity and would be good for beginners. I definitely have a type of game I like though, so YMMV.
Starter games:
Bohnanza (~1hr): Simple game, great player interaction, designed by Uwe (who designed Ora et Labora, to really bring home the diversity in board game design). You're...uh...bean farming. Impress your friends by telling them that the card art and names are puns that only make sense in the original German.
Codenames (~20min): Super popular game. Fun, quick word game in the vein of $10,000 Pyramid.
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective (~2hr): Amazing story-based cooperative game in the world of Sherlock Holmes. Very laid back, easy to play while drinking.
Cosmic Encounter (~1hr): There should probably at least be 1 player who has played this before helping out to set this up. There are ways to customize the game to make it simpler for beginners. Probably not a great game to completely start out with, but still something that can be played by newer gamers. A game about different aliens battling to control the galaxy. Endless hilarious combinations of player powers, always a good time if people don't take it too seriously.
Patchwork (~20min): 2-player starter game...also designed by Uwe actually. Really simple, Tetris-like gameplay. Build a pretty quilt!
Lords of Waterdeep (~1.5hr): I'm kinda sick of this game because the theme is very uninteresting, however I 100% recommend this over Catan as a beginner game. Light introduction to some euro game mechanics to see if they interest you or not.
Some more advanced games:
Space Alert ("10 minutes" more like ~30min-2hrs): My favorite game. Real-time cooperative game, comes with a CD soundtrack that's necessary (you can find the mp3s online or download a bootleg app instead). Very complicated but an amazing rulebook that would probably change Jeff's mind on the awfulness of board game rules. You're a crew on a spaceship trying to fend off incoming threats for 10 minutes until your warpdrive powers up. It's very light-hearted and incredibly fun and hilarious.
Captain Sonar (~1hr): Another real-time coop! This one pits 2 submarine crews against each other as you try to find and sink the other team's sub. It's actually very easy to learn and play, but it's an expensive investment in terms of money, time, and people required (6 is ok but 8 is definitely the way to play). Therefore, maybe not for beginners.
San Juan (~20min): You could also substitute Race for the Galaxy here, kind of similar games although San Juan is much simpler and more streamlined. Probably easier to teach to beginners. Good introduction to engine building which you may or may not find out you enjoy. Only reason I consider this "advanced" over starter is because the theme isn't gonna sway anyone reticent about board gaming.
Tried out the tutorial in the demo and it's really well-done, the spaceflight and combat all seems solid and entering a planet's atmosphere is pretty fun. There are even more training videos on the developer's site. Seems like a fun game, but we'll see after some real playtime.
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