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Graphics Games

Splitscreen Gaming Is a Culture, Not a Mode 147

Posted by timothy from the contingent-identities dept.
SlappingOysters writes: Grab It discusses the loss of splitscreen gaming to the Halo series in this article that asks developer 343 Industries to re-evaluate its position on cutting the feature. The developer has cited "increased visual and gameplay fidelity" as the reasons for cutting the series' hallmark mode. In better news for couch co-op fans, the site does confirm that Gears of War 4 will have splitscreen gameplay when it releases in 2016.
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Splitscreen Gaming Is a Culture, Not a Mode More

Splitscreen Gaming Is a Culture, Not a Mode

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  • This accusation is always throw sometime in the match ,"How did you know I was on that side of the map? You must have been looking at my screen."

    • Incidentally, peeking makes split-screen better for co-op than the alternative of buying two consoles and two copies of the game.

      • buying two consoles and two copies of the game.

        That's the real reason co-op was removed.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by skids ( 119237 )

      Bah if you have to stealth to win a duel you're doing it wrong.

  • a recent AVGN video talked about this. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 18, 2015 @09:49AM (#50338661)

    Mike and James had a play vid of the new Godzilla game on ps4, James is pretty much about old school games only and really has no clue about modern games. They wanted to play split screen 1 on 1 vs mode and....couldn't. To boot, they had to have a ps4 live account just to access the vs mode which was online only.

    In some ways games really have taken a step backward, instead of kinects and moves to bring social gaming back...maybe they should bring simple things like 2/4 split screen back.

    • Re:a recent AVGN video talked about this. (Score:4, Informative)

      by TWX ( 665546 ) on Tuesday August 18, 2015 @10:16AM (#50338873)
      I bascailly stopped gaming when so many titles became online-only. I enjoyed hunting down computer-controlled enemies to go through the level until I got to the exit door, and while I enjoyed multiplayer deathmatch, playing alone for awhile to learn the particulars of the game before coming up against experienced players made it a lot more fun to eventually play against them, as it's not fun to just be fragged and fragged and fragged.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by _merlin ( 160982 )

      In my house, gaming is a family thing. My wife and I fire up the Nintendo and have a few games with the kids (or wait until they're asleep and play a game without them). Games that require one console per player just aren't an option. It's nice that Mario Kart 8 even allows two people to play online with one console.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by SirGeek ( 120712 )

        In my house, gaming is a family thing. My wife and I fire up the Nintendo and have a few games with the kids (or wait until they're asleep and play a game without them). Games that require one console per player just aren't an option. It's nice that Mario Kart 8 even allows two people to play online with one console.

        Exactly I too am happy to have a gamer wife.

        We would LOVE it if Skyrim or DAI allowed for 2 player...

        Instead one plays and the other is playing lookout.

    • They wanted to play split screen 1 on 1 vs mode and....couldn't. To boot, they had to have a ps4 live account just to access the vs mode which was online only.

      It's not really online only, it's just that with PS3 and PS4 games each player needs either a PSN account (which allows MP profiles/stats to be tracked/saved) or be signed in as a guest. (Depends on game)

      You also need to have that PS4 activated as the Primary PS4 for the owners PSN account.

  • Splitscreen's decline can be explained (Score:4, Informative)

    by RogueyWon ( 735973 ) on Tuesday August 18, 2015 @09:53AM (#50338691) Journal

    There are a few things behind the decline in split-screen gaming on consoles.

    Demographics have changed a lot. Until the latter part of the PS2/Xbox cycle, console gaming (with a small handful of exceptions) meant getting a bunch of people into the same room at the same time. That was ok as far as it went; a huge chunk of the gaming demographic back then was the teenager and young-adult market, with ready availability of siblings or housemates to provide the players. Those players are still the most important purchasing demographic, but they're older now. Split-screen gaming for them is a "special occasions" thing now, while online gaming is there for them whenever they feel like it.

    Gamers are also a lot more intolerant of poor framerates than was the case in the past. Split-screen gaming usually involves a big hit to framerate and many classic split-screen games (including the early Halo titles) made enormous compromises in this area. Ever since the Call of Duty series started making a big selling point out of its 60fps gaming, there's been a lot more focus on framerates. For those about to cry "graphical snobbery!" - the difference in responsiveness and feel between a console shooter running at a steady 60fps and one running at either a steady 30fps or, worse still, a variable framerate is huge. PC gamers might not appreciate this, since they're used to having a lot more control in this area. But one of the big reasons why the Call of Duty series made it so big on consoles (despite seeming tame and unambitious to PC gamers) is that it just feels so much more responsive than the competition. With split-screen shooters often having provided a sub-20fps experience, the market for them now is likely much diminished.

    There's also the point that more multiplayer games these days make a big point out of persistent stats systems. Look at a modern online shooter and you will often find a bewildering array of level-up systems, perks, bounties and other meta-game components. Those are geared towards online players putting in dozens of hours, not to quick-blast couch-parties.

    So basically, while there is a small but vocal community that desperately wants split-screen gaming, there are understandable business reasons that have led to it being sidelined and gradually eliminated.

    • Split-screen gaming usually involves a big hit to framerate and many classic split-screen games (including the early Halo titles) made enormous compromises in this area.

      True, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for Sega Genesis would slow down a lot more in its split-screen mode that put Sonic on top and Tails on bottom. But Super Mario Kart never slowed down. Take that, "Blast Processing". So if Halo 5 can't keep up with rendering two views, this only means Halo 5 is broken [wikipedia.org].

      Plus shared doesn't always mean split. Because Bomberman, Smash TV, and Smash Bros. take place in one room at a time, they don't need to split the screen to fit all players on.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by _merlin ( 160982 )

        Mario Kart 8 drops to 30fps for 3- or 4-player (from 60fps in 1- or 2-player). The gameplay doesn't slow down though. "Blast processing" was just Sega bullshit for only checking collisions every few frames. That made it really easy to glitch the Sonic games and get stuck in places that were supposed to be inaccessible.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by JazzLad ( 935151 )
        Also games like Drawful [steampowered.com] use a shared screen while each player uses their own device/screen. I see potential for more games like this, fun at family gatherings.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by flitty ( 981864 )
      All of my Halo friends now have kids, and used the Halo series to play video games with their kids. It was one of the few cross-generational games that both groups truly enjoyed (you can only play so many Lego games before they're all the same). Now, they're all skipping Halo 5 because that tradition of split-screen coop has been killed. Visual fidelity and lighting effects don't mean squat if you can't play games with your kids anymore.

      Halo's trying after the COD fanbase (see multiplayer changes that f

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by mackil ( 668039 )
        That is spot on. My kids and I play Lego games specifically because of the split screen local co-op. That's one of the biggest reasons why it's so much fun. Couch co-op is not dead.

  • Consoles and couches (Score:3, Interesting)

    by DingerX ( 847589 ) on Tuesday August 18, 2015 @09:55AM (#50338717) Journal
    Let's get the obligatory stuff out of the way: the author there seems to think that Halo is some sort of masterpiece. It ain't.
    Even in terms of mechanics, consoles are lousy for FPSs: controller vs. K+M; the mouse always wins. From a PC-superiority perspective, the best way to do an FPS is therefore Keyboard and Mouse, which means one player sitting in front of a screen. Consoles can't beat PCs on technical specs.
    The result, someone who wants a "serious FPS" is going to do it alone in a darkened room in front of the same device that delivers pornography.

    Consoles, on the other hand, are hooked up to huge screens and are played on couches. There are often other people around, which is what can drive sales. So, yeah, split screen makes more than sense, it makes sales.

    Of course, the way all consoles are selling now, their target demographic is fast becoming married men who only get to play for an hour or two late at night after the spouse and kids have gone to bed.

    • Let's get the obligatory stuff out of the way: the author there seems to think that Halo is some sort of masterpiece. It ain't.

      I am a well-known Microsoft-hater, but the Halo series and even the first game with its repetitive later levels in particular is one of the all-time great video games. It will go down in video game history not just as a great FPS, but as a ground breaker.

      Go back and try to play it now and if you've been keeping up with games since there's little point, but it really was sort of t groundbreaking that you could meaningfully play it with a controller (even if you'd get your ass handed to you by a competitor wi

      • Didn't I just read that game consoles are going to be eclipsed by tablets in the next couple of years, in terms of horsepower? Aren't those people just playing games on their PC or on a tablet?

        A tablet's input device is a flat sheet of glass. It's fine for games that would have otherwise used a mouse, such as a space shooter like AirAttack HD. It's also good for what are essentially racing games that use only one button, like Rayman Jungle Run. But for games originally designed for a gamepad, there's no way to tell where your thumbs are relative to the on-screen controls at the side while you are looking at the action in the center. It's even worse than the widely panned Turbo Touch 360 [ign.com], which at

        • Or are people actually buying external gamepads like MOGA for use with their tablets and phones?

          I don't know if they are but I do know that they can. They can also use various PS3 controllers (DS3, Sixaxis) if they don't need to use any other bluetooth devices at the same time... on some devices. Yeah, not a perfect solution, but the point is if it works you can do it for very little money and the app to find out if it will work is free. I'm looking forward to picking up the keyboard/dock for my TF201, which is supposedly waiting at the post office right now. It's got a USB port, and I'll be able to s

          • Or are people actually buying external gamepads like MOGA for use with their tablets and phones?

            I don't know if they are but I do know that they can.

            Except in practice, "can" doesn't matter quite as much as "are". If only one person owns a particular peripheral, it's not economically viable for a for-profit game developer to add support for that peripheral even to an existing game, let alone develop games from the ground up for that device.

            They can also use various PS3 controllers (DS3, Sixaxis) if they don't need to use any other bluetooth devices at the same time... on some devices. Yeah, not a perfect solution, but the point is if it works you can do it for very little money and the app to find out if it will work is free.

            For someone who doesn't already own a PS3, where might he find a working DS3 or Sixaxis controller with which to try the Sixaxis Compatibility Checker [google.com] app? I imagine video game stores' return policies don't cover inco

            • For someone who doesn't already own a PS3, where might he find a working DS3 or Sixaxis controller with which to try the Sixaxis Compatibility Checker app?

              My suggestion would be go to into a Gamestop and ask them if they will open the bag and let you try it out, and if it works, you'll buy it. I have used this technique in a variety of retail establishments, and only very rarely been rebuffed.

              Besides, the app's description states that root access is required, and at least on the device I own, rooting would require a factory reset.

              The world isn't perfect, so you can't just go buying Android devices willy-nilly any more than anything else and just expect them to work. If you don't plan to exert full control over your device, you may have a bad time. Nobody should ever buy any device they can't root

              • you can't just go buying Android devices willy-nilly any more than anything else and just expect them to work.

                Consoles are easier than tablets. With a console, you can buy the console, the controller, and the games, and be sure that compatibility is warranted just from what is printed on the box. With a tablet, you cannot, as the packaging does not list support for rooting or the Sixaxis Controller app. Therefore, people who remain rationally ignorant [wikipedia.org] because they are busy with other things to do in the day are likely to continue to choose consoles.

                Or is there an up-to-date list of which phones and tablets are comp

                • Oh, I don't actually propose that anyone buy a tablet because they have a PS3 (or whatever) controller. I propose that people who already have one try to use it, because they can find out for free if it'll work.

            • For someone who doesn't already own a PS3,

              If you want to design console games, it would be best to be familiar with modern console gaming dont you think?

              where might he find a working DS3 or Sixaxis controller with which to try the Sixaxis Compatibility Checker app?

              For one, don't even think about a pre-DS3 Sixaxis, just get the DS3. As for where to get one, how about your local pawnshop or a store that carries used games/controllers?

              I imagine video game stores' return policies don't cover incompatibility with non-PS3 game systems as a valid reason.

              Probably not, but why return it, you can always use the DS3/DS4 with a PC.

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by tepples ( 727027 )

                If you want to design console games, it would be best to be familiar with modern console gaming dont you think?

                "Modern" in general or Sony in particular?

                As for where to get one, how about your local pawnshop or a store that carries used games/controllers?

                That's where I got my Xbox 360 wired controller a couple years ago, and I use it with my PC. But the wireless version of that controller uses proprietary RF communications, not Bluetooth, and for some reason, I didn't seem to find a lot of DS3s when I hit nearby pawn shops this past spring.

                • "Modern" in general or Sony in particular?

                  Modern in general, though I personally prefer Sony to Microsoft.

                  and for some reason, I didn't seem to find a lot of DS3s when I hit nearby pawn shops this past spring.

                  That's strange, they're common around here, DS4's too. You could always pick up a new one too. They're Bluetooth, work well in Linux too.

        • Or are people actually buying external gamepads like MOGA for use with their tablets and phones?

          Do you see people using them on public transportation, or when waiting? Then no.

          But you knew that already. If you want to design a game that's played best with physical controls, any phone/tablet version is not going to be the primary platform.

          And as a game player, if I'm going to buy a game that would be played best with physical controls, I'm not going to buy it for a phone/tablet, that's what the Vita is for.

          • [Context: drinkypoo's claim that split-screen is irrelevant because tablets have replaced consoles despite a touch screen's unsuitability for certain genres]

            Or are people actually buying external gamepads like MOGA for use with their tablets and phones?

            Do you see people using them on public transportation, or when waiting? Then no.
            [...]
            if I'm going to buy a game that would be played best with physical controls, [...] that's what the Vita is for.

            In the three years that the PlayStation Vita has been out, I haven't seen one of those on public transportation either.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mrops ( 927562 )

      What halo provides is a level playing field where average Jor can turn on and start playing, no fiddling with PC configuration, no over clocking, just simply powering up of an appliance.

      PCs with K+M provide better gaming experience much in the same way as a personal helicopter commute would be so much better compared to public transit or cars.

      • What halo provides is a level playing field where average Jor can turn on and start playing, no fiddling with PC configuration, no over clocking, just simply powering up of an appliance.

        I don't do any of that. I game on a PC. My PC cost less than the PS4. Games cost less too.

    • Of course point and click shooting always wins, it eliminates the pesky aiming and replaces it with positioning a cursor.

    • Even in terms of mechanics, consoles are lousy for FPSs: controller vs. K+M; the mouse always wins.

      Even in terms of mechanics, PC's are ALSO lousy for FPS's, for intuitive movement, analog stick always wins. And need I remind you that the players of the first FPS games without mouse aiming, considering FPS games with mouse aiming to be easy-mode games for casuals.

      What would work best is analog stick for movement, but mouse for aiming. This is sometimes called hybrid-mode by some PC and console gamers who prefer it. It works VERY well.

      Besides, there are games other than FPS's. Unless, of course, you'

      • What would work best is analog stick for movement, but mouse for aiming. This is sometimes called hybrid-mode by some PC and console gamers who prefer it. It works VERY well.

        I could see this working well. I am looking forward to the Steam Controller just for this reason. I joined the early order for that and in a couple of months I will be able to tell if it works as well as I hope. The fact that you can configure the touch pads to be either joystick or mouse style movement looks good to me. Left will be joystick movement for walking or if the game does not support that it will be 4 way direction keys with the right pad being mouse style movement where you don't need to recente

        • I could see this working well.

          It does work well, people have been using this method for years. It's my preferred method of playing an FPS on a console and it annoys me to no end that the Orange Box on the PS3 doesn't support it when Half-Life on the PS2 did.

          I am looking forward to the Steam Controller just for this reason. I joined the early order for that and in a couple of months I will be able to tell if it works as well as I hope.

          No need to wait for a steam controller, because you can do it now. Basically all you need is a game pad and mouse. Use the mouse like you normally do but configure the gamepad for movement and any other functions you want. You can also use Playstation Move Navigation controller to

  • Some of the most fun I've had playing video games was sitting on the couch with three other friends and playing Goldeneye, Mario Kart 64, Super Smash Bros, Halo, Timespliters, Fusion Frenzy... etc. Never mind the complaints about screen peeking, or the super-low-def TVs of the era, these were deep, rich gaming experiences that combined all the best parts of teamwork and cutthroat competition. I'm especially fond of the Halo 2 system link LAN parties we had, where we had two teams of eight in two different r

    • The value proposition was obvious: play multiplayer all the time, without having to actually get them over to your house (a non-trivial problem if you're too young to drive, or live in a rural area, or just don't have many friends).

      I don't see how online helps in a rural area, as rural areas are generally slower to get wired broadband, and latency over cell or sat is too high for real-time games.

      Clearly, the era of split screen was dead - only Nintendo caries the torch on. It's a frustrating loss.

      If indie game developers were willing to make PC games designed from the ground up for sharing a screen, would you be willing to buy/build a gaming PC for the living room?

      • I don't see how online helps in a rural area, as rural areas are generally slower to get wired broadband

        Depends on how you #define rural. If you mean people out on country roads in farmland that's one thing, but if you mean small towns that's another.

        If indie game developers were willing to make PC games designed from the ground up for sharing a screen, would you be willing to buy/build a gaming PC for the living room?

        Why do you ask a question you already know the answer to? As a demographic, PC gamers have VERY LITTLE interest in the type of same-screen multiplayer games you want to design even if they have a PC in the living room.

        The type of gamers who DO have that interest are console gamers, and even amongst those, same-screen multi is a niche market. Sure you can make

    • The value proposition was obvious

      I think the obvious value proposition is for the developer/manufacturer: if you want to play with a friend, they need to buy another console and another game copy. In-person co-op (even vs.) just represents lost sales to them.

      Some of the most fun I've had playing video games was sitting on the couch with three other friends and playing Goldeneye, Mario Kart 64, Super Smash Bros, Halo, Timespliters, Fusion Frenzy... etc.

      Me too...if you had a Gameshark you could even play co-op in Goldeneye, which was great.

  • How about developers supporting 3d? (Score:3)

    by Lumpy ( 12016 ) on Tuesday August 18, 2015 @10:17AM (#50338879) Homepage

    3d LEFT to the player 1 and 3d Right to player 2 is the killer feature of the 3d tv sets. Why the hell dont these developers support it?

    Although asking them to enable 3D in games is falling on deaf ears, so I'm guessing it will never happen.

    • In 3D, the two cameras are 60 to 65 mm apart (one IPD [wikipedia.org]). This means the two views can share a lot of the visible set calculation and texture caching. Two cameras with half the map between them can't benefit quite as much from that.

    • Because TV manufacturers would have to support it first, or at the very least someone would have to make left/right switchable glasses. And 3d's bad enough, flickering between eyes, but at least it doesn't block your whole view of the screen at any one moment.

      • Because TV manufacturers would have to support it first, or at the very least someone would have to make left/right switchable glasses.

        I would have thought that left-only and right-only modes would be more popular to support people who get headaches while watching 3D movies but want to enjoy a movie in 2D with someone else who does enjoy 3D movies. A quick Google search for 2D glasses turns up products compatible with certain 3D technologies.

      • It is already supported. You can even buy glasses [lg.com] at a rather low price for this exact feature.

    • Along with what other posters have mentioned, I think rendering may be an issue. Most of these games play around 30FPS at full resolution, split screen didn't crush performance too much because it didn't increase the rendering space/detail level, where using 3d to 'duplicate' the screen would actually double the rendering space. If I'm thinking about this correctly, "Split Screen" 3D would either require halving the framerate for each player or cutting the detail level dramatically to maintain high enough

  • There are always a small minority that like things a certain way. So some people out there are sure to be fans of split screen. The truth is though for the most part. Split screen SUCKS!

    The performance of the game usually goes way down.

    If its an FPS or any kind of fast action type game the other players 'screen' plays hell with your peripheral vision and is a huge distraction.

    If its not a co-op situation the temptation to cheat is really strong.

    The amount of screen real estate gets to be terrible, it was

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Thruen ( 753567 )

      "Some people out there like something I don't. The truth is, that thing they like sucks!"

      You're an idiot. Just because you don't see the appeal to split-screen doesn't mean it "sucks." I know a lot of people on here are primarily PC gamers as opposed to console, I see the console hate in enough posts, but how dense do you need to be to not understand that playing in the same room with your friends is a different experience than talking to them on a headset? My friends and I for a long time got together atleast one night a week for a late night of gaming. We still get together frequently, but no

      • I know a lot of people on here are primarily PC gamers as opposed to console, I see the console hate in enough posts, but how dense do you need to be to not understand that playing in the same room with your friends is a different experience than talking to them on a headset?

        I'm basically a PC-only gamer at this point, but playing with friends in-person is still way more fun. We squeeze multiple PCs onto one desk to play Starcraft team games and various FPS games, plus stuff like Rocket League (which actually has split-screen multiplayer). Not to mention all the emulated console games you can play on PC with a couple of Xbox 360 controllers...

        • I forgot to also mention that in-person coordination is a huge advantage in a lot of competitive games, e.g. Starcraft, LoL, team FPS, CFS, etc.

    • As far as I am concerned. Good riddance to a horrible mode of play that nobody ( that isn't crazy ) really liked.

      I picked up the PSone version of Diablo in early 98. It's a decent port, but of course the PSone didn't have online connectivity. (Other than the Lightspan modem).

      So in PSone Diablo you can't spread out, and if one player has the menu open it basically pauses the game and only ONE player can access their inventory at once which slows down gameplay. I actually did play that game same-screen with another player, but knew about Battle.net and thought "I hope with the next generation of game consoles we can

    • Honestly, some of my fondest memories of slit screen gaming was with my nephews when they were quite young.

      Not everybody gives a damn about FPS games, framerate, or any of that crap.

      You thinking that only crazy people wanted split screen means you've got a very limited worldview, and are basically clueless about anybody who isn't you.

      Not everybody wants to have a LAN party.

      Honestly, the sheer number of basement dwellers who can't fathom the rest of the world around them still astounds me.

      Nobody is forcing y

  • Splitscreen Gaming Is a Culture, Not a Mode

    Next you'll be telling us that splitscreen gamers are being repressed as a people.

  • It's a plot instigated by the television/monitor manufacturers to sell more hardware.

    • It's a plot instigated by the television/monitor manufacturers to sell more hardware.

      I think there is a large grain of truth to this, though I think the conspirators are the console and game developers more than the TV manufacturers.

  • It's much better now than it was in NTSC, but if you want to game with someone in the same room, for the best experience, you'll want a dual-view display so both of you can use the entire screen. It seems like this hasn't been supported on consoles since the Xbox 360 though. I'm happy Skyping with friends while playing online so we all have our own big screens. It's nice to still be able to hang out while living in different states.

  • From the bits of preview footage we've seen the game is already having a hard time even doing single screen at a fixed rate.

    They're shooting (har) for 1080p, but they're using something called 'dynamic resolution' where various things are rendered at various resolutions depending on how important it thinks they are and what the frame rate is doing - you want it fixed at at least 30 fps, though 60 would be better. Basically a dynamic level of detail, which is a smart idea, but some things on the screen are n

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