I've been a gamer my whole life, but I wasn't introduced into multiplayer gaming till I had a revolutionary time slaughtering bots with 4 buddies on Golden Eye, and Perfect Dark. Back then I was in middle school and we were playing on my buddies 13" TV that we each had 1/4th of. Now televisions are giant, so huge in fact that we can each have our own slice of the television that's as big or bigger then the 13" TV we used to split 4 ways.
But what's happening? Game developers are no longer including the option for 4 player split screen. Of all the games on my 360 to come out within the last year none support 4 player split. Halo 3 does because that's how halo always was, halo wouldn't have been nearly as successful without the original having 4 player split screen, and they had to continue that tradition. Think back to 360 launch games though. COD2, Farcry:IP, Perfect Dark: Zero, they all had 4 player split screen. Now it seems we only get 2 players on screen, sometimes not even that (COD4). Gears 1/2 , Resistance 2 , Call of Duty: World at War, even Left 4 Dead (if a game ever needed 4 player split screen that's the one) all only 2 player split screen.
So why do I own 4 controllers then? Is it just for castle crashers? (not that game's not great and all) The amount of fun to be had by 8 people having a Xbox party is far greater then that to be had by 4. only 4 players worked for n64 games because of bots, and most new games don't include those either (I realize gears 2 does) So why is it that games stopped supporting 4 player split screen? Is it because the consoles can't support 4 players at once from a technical stand point? Are the graphics too system intensive? If that's all then turn off settings for 4-players and let us resume our 8 person parties. Or is there some other motivation? Is it to sell more consoles and games or Xbox live subscriptions? While it might promote the sale of more games I doubt it promotes the sale of many consoles. I don't know about you but I don't have 4 televisions in my house for an 8 person party. And then I have to find 3 friends with 360's that can come over for a party, surprisingly enough that's not as easy as it sounds.
What do you guys think? Is there some $$ motivation or is there really a reason it can't be done. Or am I overreacting and should just play online more often. Or do I have a point in thinking that online play isn't really a substitute for 8 friends in a room playing against each other.
In my opinion, one experiences a special tingling kind of fun when playing with buddies in the same living room, something that cannot be felt while playing online. I too think it's sad that this "party mood" is becoming less frequent because game devs seem to push forward their game's online component. "Couch multiplayer" and online multiplayer should never be mutually exclusive, especially since each has its own different merits... shouldn't local play be easier to program, too? O_o
Split screen died with online play. It's lame, people think "why physically go somewhere when I can sit on my ass here and do the same thing" lazy bastards. I miss the dynamic of playing with actual people.
I'm sure there are hardware limitations from running the game smoothly with split screen. I know that's the reason why Burnout Paradise didn't have split screen anyways. But with the way Sony and MS keep boasting how powerful their consoles are, it really shouldn't be a problem. I guess it really depends on how tightly the developer makes their game's code.
Now I'm finding even just 2 player split screen is becoming difficult to play. There is just so much happening at once and so much detail that as soon as you drop down to a smaller resolution for split screen it becomes difficult to make out what's happening on screen. It's not like Golden Eye where there was just rooms and halls of nothing but the same wall and floor texture and nothing really else. Or my eyes could just be going bad >_>
Plus I've gotten way too good at being cheap by peeking at my friends' screens haha.
4 player split screen is the greatest thing ever. I can't see a reason to not include it into a game other then laziness on the developers part. Me and my friends played 4 player split screen every day on as many games as possible, and now the only things we can play as a group are Wii games, because no one has enough room for 4 tv's and 4 360's and 4 people in one room.
This is really a product of the demand for cutting edge visuals in every game that we see now. Developers seem to be pushing their engines/hardware to the point where they can't support 4 players on one screen (hell, half of them can't even support a steady fram rate any more).
In games like Halo, where players are running around small, enclosed areas it isn't too taxing to throw 4 3 extra players in there (the areas are already rendered, all you need to do is add the guns to their POV).
In a larger, more open worlds however, things are generally rendered 'on the fly' with textures being streamed in and out as necessary, in these cases it simply isn't possible to add the option for local multiplayer due to the demands it places on the hardware. Could you see even the mightiest PC being able to cope with rendering half of Liberty City, Paradise City or Stilwater at once, along with all the mayhem, because the players are at opposite ends?
That's why in Gears of War and Fable 2 (the only things I've played in co-op lately) you are tethered to player one, it really is a hardware capability thing in most cases. Obviously there are some cases of developers simply not bothering though, but a lot of the time it's about feasability.
I miss local 4 player too, it used to make a great Friday night once upon a time.
As I get older I find myself having friends over less and less, so the 4 player split screen thing doesn't interest me that much anymore. Now, when I get together with friends we go out drinking at bars and shit, you know meet women and all that. We don't hang out at home playing video games when we all have time to hang out. But I still think it would be nice if it was included. But personally I don't need it anymore.
my apologies, COD:4 does have 4 player local, Cod 5 only has only 2 player according to every website i can find info about it. I don't know why i thought cod:4 was only 2, i've actually played it 4 player split before. But still games are getting more and more rare that contain this.
it upsets me that now instead of playing with your homies, one must play online. I remember we used to goto my brothers Tattoo shop and set up 4 x-boxes together and play rounds of 16 person Halo in the middle of the night. Awesome experience. I never really got into the halos on x-box live...
Totally agree with you. i really miss split screen co-op games. makes it so much easier and fun to find a friend to complete a game with. i'd love to have a split screen sandbox game. i had hours of fun mucking about in san andreas with my sister. i'm really looking forward to Lord of the rings: conquest just to have a game that will make use of the second controller.
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about me
I'm a 20 Year old gamer. I started gaming on the PC back in 94-96ish and before that I just watched my brother. My first gaming love was Jill of the Jungle, a great platformer title from the now Über popular Epic (Megagames) thanks to Gears of war. Since then I've moved on to game on any device and every device that will play games. I'm fairly open about genre, I usually prefer single-player or co-op rather then competitive, that may be because i have ADD and never play a game hardcore more then a week before I move on to my next obsession. I try to be as knowledgeable about gaming as I can, and daily read IGN and of coarse the best gaming site ever, Destructiod!
Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press living the dream since March 16, 2006
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In my opinion, one experiences a special tingling kind of fun when playing with buddies in the same living room, something that cannot be felt while playing online. I too think it's sad that this "party mood" is becoming less frequent because game devs seem to push forward their game's online component. "Couch multiplayer" and online multiplayer should never be mutually exclusive, especially since each has its own different merits... shouldn't local play be easier to program, too? O_o
Split screen died with online play. It's lame, people think "why physically go somewhere when I can sit on my ass here and do the same thing" lazy bastards. I miss the dynamic of playing with actual people.
I'm sure there are hardware limitations from running the game smoothly with split screen. I know that's the reason why Burnout Paradise didn't have split screen anyways. But with the way Sony and MS keep boasting how powerful their consoles are, it really shouldn't be a problem. I guess it really depends on how tightly the developer makes their game's code.
Now I'm finding even just 2 player split screen is becoming difficult to play. There is just so much happening at once and so much detail that as soon as you drop down to a smaller resolution for split screen it becomes difficult to make out what's happening on screen. It's not like Golden Eye where there was just rooms and halls of nothing but the same wall and floor texture and nothing really else. Or my eyes could just be going bad >_>
Plus I've gotten way too good at being cheap by peeking at my friends' screens haha.
4 player split screen is the greatest thing ever. I can't see a reason to not include it into a game other then laziness on the developers part. Me and my friends played 4 player split screen every day on as many games as possible, and now the only things we can play as a group are Wii games, because no one has enough room for 4 tv's and 4 360's and 4 people in one room.
This is really a product of the demand for cutting edge visuals in every game that we see now. Developers seem to be pushing their engines/hardware to the point where they can't support 4 players on one screen (hell, half of them can't even support a steady fram rate any more).
In games like Halo, where players are running around small, enclosed areas it isn't too taxing to throw 4 3 extra players in there (the areas are already rendered, all you need to do is add the guns to their POV).
In a larger, more open worlds however, things are generally rendered 'on the fly' with textures being streamed in and out as necessary, in these cases it simply isn't possible to add the option for local multiplayer due to the demands it places on the hardware. Could you see even the mightiest PC being able to cope with rendering half of Liberty City, Paradise City or Stilwater at once, along with all the mayhem, because the players are at opposite ends?
That's why in Gears of War and Fable 2 (the only things I've played in co-op lately) you are tethered to player one, it really is a hardware capability thing in most cases. Obviously there are some cases of developers simply not bothering though, but a lot of the time it's about feasability.
I miss local 4 player too, it used to make a great Friday night once upon a time.
For reals dude! Only game I ever play at parties is Rock Band.
Four-player splitscreen. Mario Kart 64. No items.
Amen.
As I get older I find myself having friends over less and less, so the 4 player split screen thing doesn't interest me that much anymore. Now, when I get together with friends we go out drinking at bars and shit, you know meet women and all that. We don't hang out at home playing video games when we all have time to hang out. But I still think it would be nice if it was included. But personally I don't need it anymore.
It's slowly making a come back. It's really cool to see Valve implementing it into L4D. I CAN'T WAIT HNNNNGGGG!
On a side note I think COD World At War may have it too? Not sure. Well and of course Gears 2 has it. Either way it IS slowly coming back.
@Angels Gears 2 and Left 4 Dead only have 2 player split not 4...
@ Scsitransfer
COD4 & CODW@W have 4player Splitscreen & Motorstorm Pacific Rift too.
my apologies, COD:4 does have 4 player local, Cod 5 only has only 2 player according to every website i can find info about it. I don't know why i thought cod:4 was only 2, i've actually played it 4 player split before. But still games are getting more and more rare that contain this.
@CarlCastello
No items? Wow, I'm glad I dont game with you. That sounds incredibly boring.
No if it was smash, I would understand.
it upsets me that now instead of playing with your homies, one must play online. I remember we used to goto my brothers Tattoo shop and set up 4 x-boxes together and play rounds of 16 person Halo in the middle of the night. Awesome experience. I never really got into the halos on x-box live...
Totally agree with you. i really miss split screen co-op games. makes it so much easier and fun to find a friend to complete a game with. i'd love to have a split screen sandbox game. i had hours of fun mucking about in san andreas with my sister. i'm really looking forward to Lord of the rings: conquest just to have a game that will make use of the second controller.
True, true...