Local Multiplayer

[Jumbie]

I'm getting back into gaming, so I went to buy games online.

 

Gaming for me is often social, with the shit-talk flying and the 'loser gives up the control' merit system determining who has to fix the drinks.

 

I see pics of Hondonians gathering to play guitar hero and what not and I think, living room versus gaming si alive and well. I've been playing Soul Calibur 4 for a month now with cousins, so everything seemed normal, but I've decided that since my cousins only have the one game, I'm gonna buy some more.

 

So I get some decent rpg stuff that works for single player but when I go looking for the racing games and the sports games I want multiplayer.

 

I find game after game with online multiplayer or box link multi but no split screen or even single screen multi.

 

WTF? Is this some strategy to make you have to buy more copies of the game?

 

Don't get me wrong, I'd be upset if creators weren't putting online gaming standard on their stuff too, but why so little lviing room multiplayer? Is gaming not a social activity anymore or is online play that much more preferable? Or am I experiencing a statistical anomaly and there ARE good sports and racing (and shooter) games out there with split screen multiplayer?

[The NZA]

you're not alone here; newt & i have had to search a bit this gen to find good local multi-player/co-op. its less common since the online thing this gen and there's been less demand for it, apparently, so devs havent put time into it.

 

the wii, like the gamecube, kinda owns for this; since they didnt really bother much with online, its great for local co-op (smash bros, wario ware, soon to be NBA Jam etc). newt & i have gone from Earth Defense Force 2017 (?) to Borderlands on the 360, there's other titles of questionable quality (Kane & Lynch, Army of Two etc)...what format are you looking for? PC or wha? we can look around for you.

[Jumbie]

360

 

I'm looking for games that can be good competition for 2 or more players to engage each other in. So like Soul Calibur or Gran Turismo or Goldeneye or choo choo rocket back when we used to do something similar.

 

I've more recently played Halo plus some racing games like Rallisport for Xbox, and assorted Skateboard/ bike riding etc games.

 

The problem isn't that I don't know where to look, though, it's that there doesn't seem to BE that much of it produced anymore.

 

I thought the sony and microsoft people would have learned soemthing from rock band and the Wii games? Or have they decided to leave that market to nintendo?

[Panch]

Red Dead Redemption. Buy it.

[The NZA]

well, again, there's a lot more push for online play (even in games that dont belong online...) than local multi, so with rising production costs, that's been the focus this gen. again, i agree its a shame, but there it is.

 

all fighting games still do local vs, there's a lotta greats you'd dig on XBL Arcade - Soul Calibur, Samurai Showdown, even Perfect Dark (N64 shooter after Goldeneye, includes a number of 007's maps!), etc. are you online? there's Castle Crashers...wait, im not sure if there's a vs mode there. Logan'd have a lotta answers here as well, but yeah, im struggling to think of 3-4 player vs games with local play, tragically.

 

and if you are online, post your gamertag, whore

[Mr. Sexy Hat]

Jay and I spent hours last night having sex looking for split screen first person shooters with bots but we coundn't find anything this gen or last.

 

We ended up playing Thrasher: Skate and Destroy with fun results, after the 1 hour we spent figuring out how to grind

[Keth]

if it doesn't matter if it's from last gen go and find Timesplitters: Future Perfect. I really hope something incredible happens and they decide to resurrect this awesome series.

[Visitant]

I hate to say it but I've really been enjoying army of two. It's stupid, stupid fun that is best while drinking. That being said there are very few split screen games anymore, something about people bitching about frame rate. I think they are all liars. My roomates are constantly looking for new split screen games to play so they have been playing things like Ultimate Alliance, Borderlands, Gears of War etc.

[Jumbie]

there's been less demand for it, apparently, so devs havent put time into it.

 

So, the market demand is the reason for this? How can they just let people make any crap just because consumers will buy it?

 

What this country needs is a law making it compulsory to have local multiplayer standard on every game. Developers will never truly serve the interests of the players unless we force them to stop chasing profits and understand what's good for the industry.

 

And no shitty multiplayer either! Quality! We need a govt agency to oversee the gaming industry and make sure that each game has well-thought out multiplayer for living room play. There should be standards set up, like how many maps/ tracks should be available and how many playable characters/vehicles/costumes etc should be available and making sure that different button set-ups are easily changeable on the fly, etc.

 

Of course, the gaming industry is going to fight these common sense regulations and launch some kind of lobbying effort against it. We need to make sure that donations from gamer companies are not allowed into political campaigns and that senators with links to the gaming-industrial complex declare their conflicts of interest.

 

SENATOR BARNEY FRANK, DO YOU OR DO YOU NOT PLAY 'RAILROAD TYCOON' FOR FOUR HOURS A DAY UNDER THE GAMERTAG 'ROBBER BARON'?

 

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Um, actually I'm inclined to accept the 'frame rate' argument. I mean, with fighting games, your processor is generating one view, but with split screen you're taking a game that's designed to use up the limits of the hardware and then asking it to do twice as much. For some games that might be a bit much. Racing games especially.

 

Still, I think most people would be willing to accept an automatic drop in graphics quality under split screen mode. Take out all the fancier shading and detail stuff and people will hardly notice when they're trying to beat their buddy to the finish line.

 

Also, to take the market argument seriously, this thread seems to indicate there is SOME demand for local multiplayer. I guess the demand for online play is just a whole lot stronger? Couldn't they make reduced quality split screen an optional download for those who want it?

 

==================

 

I have some shitty so-called broadband right now. Not good enough for gaming. They just updated the main internet connection of the country to the rest of the world (there's only one) and are testing it. In about 4 months time I should have much faster internet.

 

At the moment I can only watch a youtube video if I let it play out on silent while I do something else and then restart it once the buffering is complete. Takes about 4 times as long.

 

What speed is required for LIVE without objectionable lag?

[Visitant]

O.k who let Jumbie into the Adderol again?

[Jumbie]

WHY DO THEY ALLOW PEOPLE TO JUST LEAVE DANGEROUS MEDICATION WHERE I CAN COME ALONG AND TAKE IT? DO *I* HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS SHIT IS SAFE FOR ME?

 

THE GOVT NEEDS TO SAFEGUARD CITIZENS LIKE ME FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF DANGEROUS CHOICES!

 

WE NEED A GOVT AGENCY TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE DON'T LEAVE THEIR MEDS LYING AROUND. THERE SHOULD BE A LAW THAT FORCES PEOPLE TO READ LABELS BEFORE TAKING MEDICATION. WE NEED TO EMPOWER THE POLICE TO ENFORCE THIS. WITH SWAT TEAMS IF NECESSARY.

 

WE NEED CHANGE. IF THIS IS ALLOWED TO CONT-

 

[the division of joy]

As far as I know, Forza Motorsport 2 has local multiplayer gaming. Don't take my word as gold on it, but its a good racing game.

[The NZA]

this thread got awesome.

jumbie - there's dozens of google-able sites that measure your up/download speeds for free; do so and post results. then again, if youre playing local (offline) fuck do you care about connection speed?

 

ps id vote for an amendment that pushes more local co-op, too. its a shame politicians never back issues that speak to me like this.

[spiffytee]

there's a lot more push for online play (even in games that dont belong online...) than local multi, so with rising production costs, that's been the focus this gen

 

I would say 2+ multiplayer local has really died off for a long time now. besides the wii, which i don't know much about, you have scene it, a handful of xbl arcade ones that are good for rentals, and halo. as for racing, you can do two player with forza 3, forza 2, and project gotham which are pretty good.. split second is looking interesting also. even the xbox had very few. fusion frenzy and halo are the only ones i can remember at the moment. most of the other systems require you to buy more accessories to play 2+ people.

 

Jumbie, you are better off going back and getting a dreamcast. you had powerstone, powerstone 2? marvel vs capcom (had 4 player tag team), quake, chu chu rocket, fur fighters, dragon warriors (sp?), etc. even then it was hard to find decent ones.

 

or another option is a modded xbox that will allow you to play the mame games. this includes a shit ton of 4 player japanese arcade games (really fun) and classics like tmnt, turtles in time, xmen... you name any arcade game.

 

 

fuck do you care about connection speed?

you asked.

 

now they do have a really fun twist in halo ODST called firefight, where you battle waves of enemies online with up to 4 people if im not mistaken. so it is somewhat co-op play. halo 3 also has online co-op as does modern warfare 2, the latter in special missions. a few allow a ground unit to be paired with a chopper gunner or an ac130, which is a gunship firing 3 types of ordnance at the ground. the power you feel is amazing. this is also available local with 2 players. so at least you have something to look forward to when you upgrade your internet

[spiffytee]

btw... you have to get ace combat 6. it is right up your alley.

[Jumbie]

Yah, I'm getting Ace Combat and Il-2 Sturmivik.

 

Nearly got HAWX but I don't think I'd have the time to get through all that plus Ultimate alliance 2, and Oblivion and the other stuff I'm ordering.

[The NZA]

 

problem solved, bro.