WHAT HAPPENED TO SPLIT SCREEN?

[Calendor1]

Yeah, one of the main reasons I wanted Transformers: WFC, was that I thought it would have split screen co-op story mode, but it was only online co-op. Why split screen so hard to find now?

 

[Infinatex]

Apparently the new GoldenEye remake will have it as a tribute to the glory days! Of course having four players split screen on the Wii will probably ass-fuck the frame rate so hard that you may as well be watching 4 screenshots intermittently flickering on screen.

 

[Timbydude]

Eh, split screen mainly existed because there was no other way to play multiplayer games. Now that we have online play, we get our screens back.

This is why I'm thankful for Super Smash Bros. It will always carry "split-screen" (the same idea, at least) because there's absolutely no reason for it not to do so.

 

[Indiscrimi]

it's stupid?

it cuts the screen till you have practically zero visibility and makes the game overly difficult.

Agreed. Also, developers have realized that getting their consumers to pressure their friends into buying the game so that they can play co-op is more profitable.

 

[CpnBeef]

I spent absolutly ages waiting for a racing game with split screen, the main reason i'd play racing games would be with friends so i ended up sticking to Mario Kart due to dissapointment that Burnout Paradise didn't have the option.

Problem solved with Split Second and Blur coming out within a week of eachother, superb!

 

[CobraX]

Yeah! WTF man! I want my 4 player split screen back!

Agreed.
I demand TF2 on the consoles gets an update that adds in split screen

 

[cheese_wizington]

Someone invented the internet.

Also, Halo 3 is an amazing Hybrid of 4 Player Splitscreen w/ Xbox Live.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

It's all online multiplayer, which is a shame because I happen to have several real life friends who I'd like to play games with where I can see them in real life.

I demand TF2 on the consoles gets an update that adds in split screen

Are you insane? Team Fortress 2 is hectic enough with only one screen full of action.

 

[Miles Tormani]

Its sad to see it go. Borderlands and Left 4 Dead 1+2 really could use it. Its a damn shame Saints Row 2 didn't have some form of split-screen

As a sandbox game, I can understand it not being in Saints Row 2 (too much crap to render multiple times over). Furthermore, with Left 4 Dead, you at least have the capacity to have split-screen and online combined. So the issue is helped somewhat. I'm pretty sure the reason 4 player split-screen didn't happen is because it would kill the frame rate.

Another thing to keep in mind is that even back in the glory days, splitscreen wasn't as good as people thought it was. Many of the Mario Kart games literally took out objects (and some of the item boxes, even!), to compensate when split-screen was enabled. Some particularly aggravating cases removed the music as soon as the third player got involved. Mario Kart 64, I'm looking directly at you.

A lot of people bring up Halo 3 as a counterpoint in favor of splitscreen, but keep in mind that even it only allowed two local players for Campaign, and in ODST's case, Firefight. Simply because there was too much for the Xbox to render 4 times over.

Borderlands had no excuse, though. Only 2 players locally, and no online play? WTF fix your game Gearbox.

 

[Irridium]

Simple, online play happened. Specifically Xbox Live/Halo 2 was the start, but the Halo series have always had 4-player splitscreen.

Its sad to see it go. Borderlands and Left 4 Dead 1+2 really could use it.

Ah well, I still have Timesplitters. Timesplitters is awesome.

Actually, Left4dead 2 has Split Screen Co-op.

I was talking basically about 4 player split screen.

Simple, online play happened. Specifically Xbox Live/Halo 2 was the start, but the Halo series have always had 4-player splitscreen.

Its sad to see it go. Borderlands and Left 4 Dead 1+2 really could use it.

Ah well, I still have Timesplitters. Timesplitters is awesome.

Left 4 Dead in particular takes a massive hit in performance with 2-player split. 4 players would be asking for trouble.

Luckily, to compensate for the processing troubles, most games now support system-link. It's not optimal, but it's not like companies are ditching same-room gaming, merely working with what they've got.

What they've got are very powerful systems to work with.
All throughout the last generation almost every multiplayer game had 4 player split-screen. I know split-screen has a big performance hit, but we have much stronger consoles.

 

[CobraX]

It's all online multiplayer, which is a shame because I happen to have several real life friends who I'd like to play games with where I can see them in real life.

I demand TF2 on the consoles gets an update that adds in split screen

Are you insane? Team Fortress 2 is hectic enough with only one screen full of action.

NEH NEH NEH,I"M NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOT INSANE>>>>>


I think it would work fine.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

NEH NEH NEH,I"M NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOT INSANE>>>>>


I think it would work fine.

Maybe it's because I'm easily distracted by stuff like that but there is no way I could focus on my screen in a game as fast paced as TF2.

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

Sigh, agreed. And multiplayer bots that can be played solo. Dammit I miss Timesplitters!

As for mine, I really think that it's criminal that Saints Row 2 didn't have local co-op.

Oh god i miss Timesplitters to... speaking of which my Timesplitters: Future Perfect is sitting around somewhere.

 

[MoNKeyYy]

I would love to see Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood to have split screen multiplayer, but alas and alack, I fear it won't.

Wouldn't plit screen kill a game where the point of multiplayer is to stealthily assassinate your opponants? It doesn't work if you can see yourself on the other person's screen. And don't anyone lie and say they've never looked at another person's screen to cheat in split screen.

 

[Sgt AssHead]

I can't really say that I miss split-screen, but I do have some really fond memories playing Time Splitters and Halo with my buddies. It's just a different feeling sitting on a couch with friends when compared to sitting by yourself and playing with friends 50 miles away.

 

[Nouw]

And thats why Halo is still awesome. Every FPS should have it. Its simple and easy.

 

[mrdude2010]

it's stupid?

it cuts the screen till you have practically zero visibility and makes the game overly difficult.

i know this sounds stupid, but i become about 300 times better at halo when im playing split screen as opposed to when i have the whole screen to myself

 

[jamesj223]

just got a ps3, was going to buy a second controller when i realised NONE of my games had local multiplayer... kinda of disappointing really..

bring back split screen.. local multiplayer is the shit!