Taming the gamer in his element is easier done with these tips.





Photo: Image Source / Getty Images | Licensed to Alpha Media Group 2012

The gamer is a tricky beast. Highly devoted to his hobby, he’ll spend days and nights pursuing his goals...but that doesn’t mean he’s hopeless. You just have to speak his language. Here are a few of our tips for the ladies to help you touch your guy’s pixelated heart.



Get a Clue



We’re not asking you to love Call of Duty but it’d be nice if you had some idea of what the hell we’re talking about when we use words like gamertag, matchmaking or teabagging (you could probably guess the last one). As much as we like your confused-pouty-face, it’d be cool not to feel like we’re in Groundhog Day every time we tell you we just “pwnd n00bs.”



Play



Chances are there are some video games you already like, just take a look at your iPhone. There’s a huge audience for casual console games and some of them offer fun multiplayer options where you and your boyfriend/hubby can team up instead of squaring off (or worse, ignore each other). Mention you’re down to play and he’ll keep it in mind during his next visit to Gamestop.



Have Some Perspective



Gaming keeps us in the house and relatively subdued. Think of the alternative: We could be spending 12 hours every weekend out on the golf course or in bars getting shitfaced with our buddies. Resenting us for spending $60 and 40 hours with Mass Effect 3 is understandishable but also temporary. Obsession with golf lasts forever and costs a helluva lot more.



Cosplay



Guys like it when girls put on sexy outfits for them and gamers like it when girls put on sexy outfits from games they like. Airtight logic, right? Right. Cosplay=Costume Play and it’s such a big deal that they gave it a Brangelina mashup name. Check his gaming stack for his favorite titles and then Google said title with the word cosplay tacked on for some instant sexytime inspiration.



Mix it up



Game soundtracks suck and, even if they don’t suck, they will suck after you’ve heard the same 30 songs over and over again for weeks. Xbox and PS3 both have options for playing your own soundtrack in a game so taking 100 of his favorite songs and throwing them onto a thumb drive to sub in for the tired rock generica is a cool idea. Just don’t do something shitty like stick Lisa Loeb’s “Stay” on there. We get the hint and we don’t appreciate it.



Gamer Gifts (In Game)



Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 have their own online dashboards. PC gamers have Steam. All of these platforms let you load up your account with credits that’ll buy you anything from a light saber for your avatar to full game downloads. He’ll like even the littlest token on Xbox Live much more than literally any article of clothing you buy for him...unless that article of clothing is something skimpy for you to wear (See #4: Cosplay)



Gamer Gifts (In Life)



Gaming hardware can be really expensive. The cheapest Xbox you’ll come across is $200 and Gaming PC’s can run well into four figures but there’s a plethora of accessories to choose from like controllers, headsets and games. If you know he’s waiting for the next Grand Theft Auto, throw down a deposit on a pre-order (you can drop anywhere from $5 to $60) and then let him know you did. He’ll love that you took time to supporting his pastime, unproductive as it may be. Of course, headphones might be a better way to go if you hate the sound of explosions at 3am.



Virtual Roadhead



This is a risky and could backfire but, overall, a safer maneuver than actual roadhead. Have your guy fire up his copy of Gran Turismo or Forza, wait for the starting light and then go to town. You definitely won’t be helping him focus on the race and he’ll probably wind up in last place but it won’t matter because this is the pinnacle of awesome in his head and makes you awesome for doing it. Warning: Don’t do this during ANY kind of deathmatch. When we don’t focus, we lose and when we lose, we slam down the controller. See the problem?