LONG BLOG
What Happened to Splitscreen?!
Online multiplayer is pretty sweet. You can frag total strangers and get stuck in with massive battles; you can also hook up with friends far away for some semi-cooperative-fragging. But one area of the multiplayer department is relatively overlooked: splitscreen, God of all Multiplayer.
I couldn't even find a screencap of splitscreen! WTF?!
Maybe I'm predisposed, because splitscreen was the bread and butter of my early gaming life. I played Halo CE with my friend, owning Covenant and him equally. Once we got up to four controllers, the action really started.
I enjoy online play too, but it's not the same at all. You can't pound it, you can't coordinate your tactics (or screencheat, depending), you can't give a high five, a punch, see them in the eye, communication is difficult. Everything is more distant.
But hey, Halo offers simultaneous online and splitscreen, so everything is awesome! My question is - why can't more games have that? I just pre-ordered Killzone 3 (for my brand new ps3!), and was happy to learn that it has local co-op. I guess I kind of assumed that I could go splitscreen-online, but that is not the case. MAG, another title I'm interested in, is in the same boat. I don't buy this crap about it causing lag. Halo has four player split-online, and MAG is all about online gaming. They could have done it. Why didn't they? Or am I the only one who cares?
*Note: Something I heard was that the reason was for people to buy more consoles. If you can play at a friend's, you won't buy one. Thoughts?
I couldn't even find a screencap of splitscreen! WTF?!
Maybe I'm predisposed, because splitscreen was the bread and butter of my early gaming life. I played Halo CE with my friend, owning Covenant and him equally. Once we got up to four controllers, the action really started.
I enjoy online play too, but it's not the same at all. You can't pound it, you can't coordinate your tactics (or screencheat, depending), you can't give a high five, a punch, see them in the eye, communication is difficult. Everything is more distant.
But hey, Halo offers simultaneous online and splitscreen, so everything is awesome! My question is - why can't more games have that? I just pre-ordered Killzone 3 (for my brand new ps3!), and was happy to learn that it has local co-op. I guess I kind of assumed that I could go splitscreen-online, but that is not the case. MAG, another title I'm interested in, is in the same boat. I don't buy this crap about it causing lag. Halo has four player split-online, and MAG is all about online gaming. They could have done it. Why didn't they? Or am I the only one who cares?
*Note: Something I heard was that the reason was for people to buy more consoles. If you can play at a friend's, you won't buy one. Thoughts?
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About The Samaone of us since 7:56 PM on 11.08.2010
NOTE: I will most likely reply to any comments on my blog. People keep asking questions, I answer, but no indication that they expected an answer and therefor no indication that they looked for one.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO PUT HERE.
I like Halo, Dead Space and Homeworld.
I am an artist, writer and coder.
I am working on some games for the XBLIG channel.
I like discussing all kinds of game-related stuff, as well as politics and other strange subjects. Hit me up. I have no good Dtoid friends! Maybe because the interface sucks.
I really can't think of anything. I hate bios. Just read my globs (that was a typo but I'll leave it).
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO PUT HERE.
I like Halo, Dead Space and Homeworld.
I am an artist, writer and coder.
I am working on some games for the XBLIG channel.
I like discussing all kinds of game-related stuff, as well as politics and other strange subjects. Hit me up. I have no good Dtoid friends! Maybe because the interface sucks.
I really can't think of anything. I hate bios. Just read my globs (that was a typo but I'll leave it).