Death of Local Multiplayer?

Hey everybody,

I was looking up Crackdown 2 today and noticed that the local multi-player feature would most likely be null like the predecessor. It made me look back at the days I played Kirby Super Star, Super Smash Bros, Tales of Symphonia and more with much joy. It is surprising that it has lead to much agony. Where are the "couch held" laughs and corny inside jokes connected to gaming that did not require anything more extra than a simple controller? Sharing the eye contact, mood and tension of friends in the same room has been paramount to gaming. Online gaming has set a great expansion; it has not set a replacement.

Therefore, why is the local multi-player feature in gaming slowly dying off in place of required online play (for multi-player functioning)?

Do you believe that local and online should live in harmony as do I?

Would you not care in the least (or even less) if local multi-player was gone all together?

Please sound off!

Bump

My thoughts exactly! I do not know why the turn around is so sudden either! I am wondering when people will start demanding it more out of out more current games. What were some games you enjoyed with local multiplayer?

I have a few ideas on this, and I'm overall dissappointed in the lack of local multiplayer. Local multiplayer I believe gives a more fulfilling multiplayer experience over online because of the laughs you share with your mates in your room. Online I see is simply easier to do than getting your mates over to play, so rather than a last resort, people naturally go for the easier option. I kinda see it like fittness and sports, a lot of people don't have the motivation to get organized to get fit or anything, while in the short term you may feel some happiness from sitting around, you get a more fulfilling satisfaction from actually getting out there and playing sport.

So yeah, that's my analogy, I see local multiplayer vs. online similar to sitting around vs. getting active. Sitting around is easier but less fulfilling, online is easier to do but less fulfilling.

That is an insightful way of looking at things. The gaming industry may link online play (or the easier way) to the absolute future of gaming. There is no "middle man" of calling your friends or contacting each other for traveling to play together. However, it is a false notion of instant gratification and less satisfying as you were stating. For some games to have online only is inevitable, but now it is running to many mainstream titles. A little too far in my opinion.

What I miss even more is the lack of bot support in nearly all games. Playing against bots always was a great way of getting to learn the maps, and bots were excellent to spice up local multiplayer/LAN sessions.

Therefore, why is the local multi-player feature in gaming slowly dying off in place of required online play (for multi-player functioning)?Jesushazluv

You guys asked for it, and now when it's here you guys b!7ch about it. Typical.

You guys asked for it, and now when it's here you guys b!7ch about it. Typical.

VauxhalI

[QUOTE="VauxhalI"]

You guys asked for it, and now when it's here you guys b!7ch about it. Typical.

Indextic

Sales say otherwise.

[QUOTE="Indextic"][QUOTE="VauxhalI"]

You guys asked for it, and now when it's here you guys b!7ch about it. Typical.

VauxhalI

Sales say otherwise.

[QUOTE="VauxhalI"]

[QUOTE="Indextic"] Never in my life have I heard or seen someone say "Get rid of local multiplayer! We all only want online gaming! Having fun with people in the same room should be forbidden!"Indextic

Sales say otherwise.

True gamers? Is this some fantasy novel or something? "True gamers" or whatever don't matter.

Sales speak to the companies. They respond to sales. If the sales are pointing in the direction of "we should make more internet only multiplayer games because they will make us more money and people seem to be buying a lot of them" then that's the direction the companies are going to take. People still buy them up, and video games companies won't change the formula until people stop buying these terrible games in bulk.

[QUOTE="Indextic"][QUOTE="VauxhalI"]

Sales say otherwise.

VauxhalI

True gamers? Is this some fantasy novel or something? "True gamers" or whatever don't matter.

Sales speak to the companies. They respond to sales. If the sales are pointing in the direction of "we should make more internet only multiplayer games because they will make us more money and people seem to be buying a lot of them" then that's the direction the companies are going to take. People still buy them up, and video games companies won't change the formula until people stop buying these terrible games in bulk.

[QUOTE="VauxhalI"]

[QUOTE="Indextic"] Sales speak not the minds of true gamers.Indextic

True gamers? Is this some fantasy novel or something? "True gamers" or whatever don't matter.

Sales speak to the companies. They respond to sales. If the sales are pointing in the direction of "we should make more internet only multiplayer games because they will make us more money and people seem to be buying a lot of them" then that's the direction the companies are going to take. People still buy them up, and video games companies won't change the formula until people stop buying these terrible games in bulk.

Well, yeah. I agree with you for the most part, but sales are sales. It doesn't really matter what we (people who don't gobble up Call of Duty/Killzone/Halo games) want. It's really unfair, but that's how capitalism works. In truth, I'm pretty sure we are the minority in the gaming community after looking at the sales of games like Modern Warfare 2 and how well it's 15.00$ map pack sold. I guess the only thing would could do is systematically assassinate head Activision employees (disclaimer: I know it's hard for Gamespot mods to detect sarcasm, so I'll just let them know: that was sarcasm. I'm not advocating murder. Don't suspend me).

Definitely need to bring back local multiplayer. It drives me insane when I go to play a game with a friend when we're just chilling out, and we can't because it's all got to be done online, and on separate Xbox's. I think it's really anti social to not be able to play on the same console with some games, and it feels like a step backwards to me.

You guys asked for it, and now when it's here you guys b!7ch about it. Typical.

VauxhalI

Yes, because individual gamers can be directly held responsible for the behaviour of an entire market.

Right?

Disgruntled Friend:

"Aw man, I can't play Crackdown 2 with you on the couch? I'll dish a spare $50-$60 out of pocket plus Live! That'll show 'em!"

Yes, a very sound marketing technique indeed.

I absolutely hate that. I want my local multiplayer! I do not see a reason why a game should not have both.clayron

exactly, i play local multiplayer a lot with friends like COD, Modnation Racers, Rock Band 2, etc., now most games are going online multiplayer only, they need it for both to satisfy both types of gamers

I'm really disappointed with a lack of split screen multiplayer in today's modern games. Yes, I think online play is terrific, however, it should NOT replace split screen play. Me and my friends love to be able to sit down and all play a game together, without having to hook four xbox systems together. Though a game like L4D2 and borderlands only allows 2 player splitscreen, with 2 360's all four of us can play. While this isn't the same as 4 people to one console, it's still acceptable. Unfortunately, the recent trend has shown that split screen multiplayer games are on the heavy decline. However, I will still actively search for split screen multiplayer games, and greatly appreciate the developers who choose to go the extra mile.

I completely agree. Local multiplayer can even transform a very mediocre game into one of your favorites purely because you and your friends can play and compete with each other for hours.

My example is mario super strikers which isnt a good game when you play it alone but even though we all have xbox's, whenever my friends and I get together we pull out the gamecube and play that for hours.