The decline of split screen
 

I was reading about Pariah, and I was a bit miffed to learn that there is no split-screen multiplayer. I had recently learned, the hard way unfortunately, the same thing about Doom 3. Rainbow Six 3 didn't have it either, although Black Arrow had a SS co-op but still no competitive multiplater.

Personally, I don't get how a developer can make a console shooter with multiplayer and not include split screen. I don't think online play has usurped the fun of kicking the crap out of a buddy that is sitting right next to you. The popularity of the original Halo multiplayer should be ample proof of that.

What's more, it's usually misleading because a game might say on the package "players: 1-16" or something, but then have an online-only multiplayer.

I remember writing a review for something, I don't remember what, where I saw this oversight for the first time and said that I hope this doesn't become a trend. But it IS becoming a trend. I'm all for taking more games online, but I don't want developers to forget about the basics in the process.

Re: The decline of split screen
 

indeed
I would prefer games to mayb reduce the graphics so that we can play splitscreen
co-op is one of the coolest ways to play a game
too bad there aren't really a lot of good co-op splitscreen games

Re: The decline of split screen
 

I suppose if I had a different living situation and lived with friends or siblings who I gamed with, I would care, but I've always loathed split-screen play. Even on big tv's it seemed like more of an annoyance to me than anything else. There's something so bothersome about trying to focus on a 10x10 square instead of the full screen.

One thing to consider though is that splitscreen isn't really being replaced by online play as much, as much as it is by System Link. The notion of gathering multiple consoles and tv's together seems a bit extravagant (at the least a PITA) but apparently it's very popular and definitely the way to go if you're going to have a gaming party.

Fortunately, most sports games and racing games still do feature 2-player modes and there are plenty of games out there that don't even need to rely on splitscreen to pull it off (Baldur's Gate for example, Culdcept, etc.).

Re: The decline of split screen
 

I was recently burned by Doom 3 - rented it solely to try the co-op mode, and was disturbed to find that it wasn't splitscreen.

I am, however, a huge fan of system link, and am happy to see more games including it - I find it inexcuseable that Resident Evil Outbreak didn't include the option, guaranteeing that the game will be all but unplayable a year after release.

Re: The decline of split screen
 

Thank God Chaos Theory came with split screen. If it wasn't for that, I probably would have a hard time experiencing that excellent mode. I lost my mic, and I also suck at coop, so I often get booted out of coop games online.

If anyone has the patience to run through the coop missions with me, please add JackMerridew117. :P

Although the split screen way makes things super hard to see. But it's also fun seeing yourself in the other screen.

Re: The decline of split screen
 

Walter's right. Any cell phone or portable phone is compatible with Live. I actually used my Live headset for everything until it broke on me.

Re: The decline of split screen
 

Hey doc, while its difficult to determine which games support splitscreen and for which modes, I've done an extensive amount of research for these features for my adhock Xbox Lan Party and I can say I don't think its a trend to do away with split-screen. Most promising is Ghost Recon 2 which supports the full four-player split like Halo for all its modes. So it appears that Ubisoft took your recommendation. Other games like Star Wars Battlefront, Spikeout and Timesplitters, Mech Assault 2 have not done away with the split as well. One of the reasons being is that it lends itself so well to the system link. You can double or even quadruple your players with the same amount of TV sets.

Here's a site that tells you which games support split in which modes:
http://www.mrbass.org/games/xbox/

Chi

Re: The decline of split screen
 

wow cool I have been looking for a similar list for a long time
nice

btw Deathrow also has 4 player splitscreen if I'm not mistaken

Re: The decline of split screen
 

I don't miss split-screen one bit. I consider it a dinosaur whose time has past.

If two or more players need their own unique view of the environment, they should be on separate screens. Otherwise each player can easily see what their opponent is doing. That reduces the challenge.

Two players should be working from the same physical screen only if the gameplay is turn-based, or if they actually have to share the same view of events, as in Gauntlet Legends.

Split-screen, in my view, has been a mutliplayer workaround for people without networks. And - Littledoc - I mean no disrespect to you by writing that. I only mean to say that now that I have my two XBoxes, and two big-screen tvs, and my wireless network, I could never go back to split-screen gaming. It is just weak by comparison.

What does irritate me is any XBox game that supports XBox Live but not System Link. Why? If the game has built-in multiplayer support, why am I forced to buy XBox Live - for each XBox console - when I could have had System Link gaming for free?

That seems indefensible.

- jdingo

Re: The decline of split screen
 

Split screen is more of a shared experience. Seperate screens is more of a game you're playing and someone else is playing too.

Once we're on seperate screens, I don't want to play videogames with other people anymore. I want to do something else that's a shared experience, like go for a walk, or talk, or play a game face to face.

Not that other people can't feel differently, but split screen allows you to play the game _together_, and that's a definite advantage.

Re: The decline of split screen
 

Electronic Arts seems to be the worst offender of this. I was shocked to realize that NFS Underground 2 did not support system link. Then I turned and realized that none of the EA games supported it.

My worst pet peeve is when support system link, but not split-screen within system link. I'm dealing with a 3 TV setup for our Lan Parties and if the game doesn't support splitscreen system link, that limits us to only 3 players. Having the split gives us the option to go as high as 6. That makes a huge difference.

When playing Halo 2, few people have complained about a two person split. Its the 4 person split that I personally feel is archaic and no longer relevant.

Chi

Re: The decline of split screen
 

I totally disagree that split-screen is a dinosaur, and I also disagree that four-way split screen is out of date. I've played countless four-player matches of Unreal and Halo on my Xbox. There's nothing like getting a bunch of friends together and eating junk food and drinking beer while you blow each other's brains out. Doing over a headset is not the same.

Neglecting split screen is just a cop-out. Everyone I know who has an Xbox plays four-way at some point. So what, we're supposed to buy another Xbox, another copy of the game and a system link cable or another Xbox Live subscription because the developer was too lazy to implement a feature that IMO should be ubiquitous?