Is split screen or single console multiplayer going away?

[Edward1]

I remember the first time I was introduced to a game with no split screen multiplayer.  I rented 50 cent Blood in the Sand years ago for Xbox 360. I know it sounds like a stupid game. However, the reviews made it sound like a great arcade style coop shooter.  I could care less about 50 cent or rap. I just wanted a decent coop shooter to play. I'd probably just put the music on mute. I rented it to play with my buddy.  When I got home, I couldn't find the coop mode, outside of online.  I actually looked up on a computer how to play coop on it, and it turned out the only way to play the game on coop was online. In other words, you needed 2 xbox 360s, two tvs, two copies of the games,  and two xbox live accounts to play coop. Thats stupid, when with a split screen mode, you don't need any of that.  None of the reviews I read mentioned that its multiplayer was online only. Why? My guess is the reviewers got paid not to mention that.

I've noticed more games started doing this. I recently purchased the Xbox one. It came with Titanfall, which has no split screen of any kind. That's unfortunate, because I think 2 on 2 mech battles with friends in the living room would be a lot of fun. However the worst crime is Halo Spartan Assault for Xbox one. This is a halo side game, that's downloadable for about $10. Its a twin stick shooter in the mold of Smash TV in the Halo Universe. That sounds awesome. But then i read online, its multiplayer is online only. WHY? This is the perfect kind of game for coop at home. It can actually be single screen multiplayer, not split screen, if done right.  What were they thinking not making this have local coop? I honestly can't understand the justification. My guess is a marketing guy forced that decision on the game. Anyways, I probably wont be buying it now.

This trend of split screen going away really sucks. Do game developers think we don't have friends in real life anymore? My guess is its an excuse to sell more copies of the games, xbox live accounts, etc by inconveniencing gamers. Either way, it sucks.

I'm getting a Wii U for my graduation gift, and I can't wait. In a way, I'm actually happy that its online system is so far behind the times. It means developers concentrate on couch based multiplayer instead of 2000 miles apart from each other multiplayer.  I know Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash bros are coming out for it soon, and should make for some great local coop.  I hope Nintendo keeps staying behind the times, because I love those kinds of games.

[Vexer1]

Lucky for me i'm not big on multiplayer period, but I still can't see the reason for not allowing split-screen MP.

[Segatarious1]

I think you will enjoy the Wii U because it is loaded with local multiplayer, very fun times.

This really is a 'brand' issue, in this case, because MS really pushes that online subscription, and the big publishers like to leverage that pay extra multiplayer as well.

Also, the gamepad screen adds another layer to local multiplayer - Nintendoland uses it, Tank Tank Tank, Mario World U, Castlestorm........

[Rev1]

I think this is a rather stupid thing to do away with as 1. not everyone plays online and 2. leaving multiplayer as online only means that the multiplayer aspects of a game are on a timer from the time they are released. It can't take too much effort to throw in a split screen mode but yeah, fewer and fewer games are including this option.

[Wallyworld1]

Say what you want about Call of Duty games but at least they all offer split screen multiplayer.

It's pretty funny that most games have gotten away from that because now TV's are finally big enough where half the screen is actually a good size.

[Astrosmasher1]

Sorry Ed split screen is dead for the most part.  Though I hear it is alive and well on some of the few multiplayer games it has to offer.  That is on Gamestick.

[Segatarious1]

[QUOTE=Wallyworld]Say what you want about Call of Duty games but at least they all offer split screen multiplayer.

It's pretty funny that most games have gotten away from that because now TV's are finally big enough where half the screen is actually a good size.[/QUOTE]

That is a great point. Irony.

[VideoGameCritic]

I feel your pain Ed!

This is yet another one of the most-negative side-effects of the advent of on-line gaming.  The game companies want to hook you on to on-line play in the hopes that you will keep paying those fees and drop some extra dough on the DLC.

I also think that the game magazines have not been very forthcoming in terms of differentiated on-line modes from off-line.  It's as though they are under the assumption that every one has their machines connected to high speed internet, so we shouldn't even care.

What's most infuriating about the on-line coop, is that if you have a friend over, you can't play with him.  He would have to GO HOME for you to play coop, which is ridiculous.

Still, split-screen is not completely gone.  The Wii U games still cater to it, and I'd be floored if the new Mario Kart didn't have it.  And as Wallyworld mentioned, Call of Duty does have terrific local multiplayer modes.  

[Sudz1]

While primarily a single-player kind of gamer, on those rare occasions I do what to play a game with someone else it's invariably a friend or family member.  This trend towards "online only" (remote) multiplayer gaming is what has convinced me to stay away from the new offerings from Microsoft and Playstation.  I still may have picked up a Playstation 4, but their conversion from free online service to the subscription-based garbage that Microsoft does has my throwing my hands up in resignation.  If anything, I'll get a Wii U but more likely than not I'll just using my current consoles and hope that the NEXT generation gets it right.

[ActRaiser1]

Personally, I think it has to do with making the games "look" better.  If you look at Crisis on the 360 it looks better than anything produced under the Halo franchise.  

The one difference though is that the Halo games support co-op campaign and split screen gaming.  Something has to give.

Either the graphics improve or you can continue to do split screen gaming.  Unfortunately, you can't do both.

I wish they'd implement a scaling graphic architecture that if need be makes everything look like crap but then provides butter like framerates with no lag.

I can handle crap resolution and low textures, but when frame rates skip so bad that it affects your play there's no point in playing it.

Halo 4 improved the graphics but in split screen gaming the frame rates were terrible.  They tried to visually improve it too much but on 7 year old hardware you're going to hit a wall.

The other thing that I'm going to miss, LAN gaming.  I really, really hope the next game in the Halo series supports it.  If not, well, that's that.  I wonder if Destiny (by Bungie) will?