As a hardcore gamer, it’s tough to get a date—that’s the embarrassing truth. Enter matchmaker John Villafrate. At 23, he’s the founder of MMODating.com, the first online dating service geared specifically toward lonely keyboard jockeys. “Being a gamer, I couldn’t see myself replying to someone whose interests were going out to a bar and clubbing every night,” he explains.

But don’t assume this new dating destination just caters to dorks. “Some people think all gamers live in their mom’s basement and only come out dressed as a wood elf, casting level 2 spells on everyone,” Villafrate laughs. “Ninety-nine percent are absolutely average people who just love the entertainment that games provide.”

With 2,300 presumably “average” people currently registered on MMODating, this single game journalist reveled in the idea of putting the service to the test via a series of three Los Angeles–centric outings. The following is an unadulterated field account…of course, the names of the lovely ladies have been changed to protect the innocent.

Date #1 Polly Morphous

Historically, people lie about their weight—but never so much as Polly. Trying to channel conversation topics while munching on a Cheesecake Factory sandwich, I couldn’t help but wonder how her dangerously swaying arm flap equated to an “athletic and toned” descriptor. Sure, she was perfectly nice, but she had an unhealthy liking of all things reality—Cops, Springer, you name it—which struck me as the perfect “check please” cue.

Date #2 Too-Tall Tina

Being 6’ 3”, it’s not often I meet a lady who can stand tall next to me—but Tina was the exception. She nearly matched my skinny-ass proportions, too, making for more of an inbred brother-sister pairing than a sexy one. But that didn’t hinder our talks about mods, her urges to toggle her joypads in the nude sometimes, and her adorably vicious Chihuahua (apparently, it bit a boy’s crotch once but then whimpered apologetically). At some point, she slipped me her number—and some tongue.

Date #3 Little Asian Annie

I wouldn’t call it a fetish, but it’s certainly difficult to broom a cute Asian girl to the curb. Luckily, Annie was much more honest in her posting than Polly—even admitting to being a “bit of a perv” (let’s not go there). At a quaint Italian joint in Burbank, we discussed burning G.I. Joes and Barbies as kids, dropping wads of cash in the electronic hubs of Tokyo, and a strange position called “The Sidewinder.” Indeed, numbers were exchanged.

After one month, MMOdating has given me at least a glimmer of hope. The only real problem left is finding more women, since the service is so new.