Infinity Ward isn't known for its co-op campaigns, and Modern Warfare 2 will be no exception. Despite lacking a co-op story, there will be a new two-player mode known as "Special Ops," which is designed to be infinitely replayable. The fact of the matter is, Infinity Ward doesn't believe in putting co-op into a main story campaign.
"We don’t do co-op in our story because we’re crafting a very specific experience and we don’t want to ruin that by cramming co-op into it," offers IW's Robert Bowling. "We take the moments that work really well with co-op, we bring them out and we put them in Special Ops.
"Story’s all about pacing. Sometimes moments get toned down because they don’t fit with the pacing of the experience you’re trying to deliver. There (in Special Ops) it’s all about fun. It’s about playing over and over again, getting a better time -- you’ll have a time at the end of it -- it’s about challenging a friend going in on co-op and trying to beat it on veteran."
Bowling also explains why Special Ops will be two-player and not four-player: "Two player seemed to be the magic number for co-op. That’s when it stayed really fun and intense without becoming a clusterf**k of things. We just found that two-players was the most fun."
On the subject of co-op in a story campaign, I definitely agree with Bowling. It's become very chic to cram co-op into everything, but when you've got a headset on or are worrying about another player's status, it becomes difficult to follow the actual story. I really hope single-player games are hear to stay, because it could seriously kill the idea of games as a storytelling medium if co-op is forced into everything.
Contest:
11:40 AM on 06.23.2009
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This is why I shouldn't pay for Xbox Live and should just stay Silver...But dammit, all the shiny gold!
Dude, what in the hell are you talking about? W@W was very fun during coop. Get off of Infinity Wards dick.
And Jim is really right too. I think the story telling is really the place, were games still have an incredible potential and could really grow in the future, if they don't all try to be the next WoW or Counter-Strike-ish.
PS: "Clusterfuck" is my favorite english word.
If it tastes like Cod4. I will have seconds.
So I'm happy single player is gonna stay single.resistance 2 co op was awesome because they treated it as a seperate entity and not a add on.
Halo 2+3, and Gears of War 1+2 did just fine (actually, much better than the COD series) in terms of a story mode.
It isn't "tacked on" if it's optional, and the second player doesn't detract from the experience in any way (an extra Master Chief, or Dom).
I can't think of a single person who would play co-op with a stranger.
And co-op works is the game lends itself to it because of the story, in this case you have a squad, co-op would work quite well.
Take a look at ODST. It's clearly meant to be a single-player, "stranded alone" story, but you can still say screw it and play the game co-op if you want. That's how it should be. Give me the choice. Don't shove your "tailored experience" down my throat.
I personally prefer single player campaigns, but I don't see how including a separate co-op mode would be a bad thing.
They're the ones making the game, so they can shove whatever the fuck they want down your throat if you buy the game.
Which you will. And so will I.
Fixed for you.
No co-op smacks of being lazy and the games linearity being incredibly scripted to all hell. Especially in a game series LOADED with cannon fodder drones that exist only to do nothing but die.
Regardless, it's still a day one purchase for multiplayer.
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