I have been observing this for some time now but lately I feel the need to vent. The trend in games recently has been to deliver a multi-player experience that will give a game some replayability and some longevity. I'm fine with this. I am also fine with the fact that most of the options for multi-player are focused around playing online with, in the case of Microsoft and the Xbox360, XboxLive.

Now, I start out by saying that I do enjoy XboxLive games (please don't flame me, Fanboys, I have nothing against the Playstation3 - except for the price - just that I have not played it, so I choose not to refer to it) and I own or have played quite a few in recent times. That being said, I present the readers with my query: Why is it that game makers/producers/distributors (whomever), have all chosen to take out one aspect of the multi-player experience--actually playing with a friend or friends in the same room?

I know an obvious response to this question, "Who wants to play on one TV with a bunch of small screens?" But I would like to rebuttal, I am willing to as are many other people I have spoken to. One argument I have on this is that not everyone has a console, has the same console, has that particular game, or has XboxLive. I am the only one in my family that has one of the current Gen consoles and so I frequently have my brothers over for some multi-player mayhem. This led to the incarnation of utilizing the consoles system-link capability. While playing with three other people is fun, adding four more in another room, strategizing against them out of ears reach, and destroying them while shouting obscenities and debasing them.

I know, I know, "You can do that all online." And this is true. My problem with playing games online is that, for one, I don't really like people. :P Ok, I don't really like people I don't know, especially 12 year old little kids that are swearing, shouting racial slurs, and singing or whistling into the mic. I would expect this playing Animal Crossing or some other kid-centric game, but when I'm playing a game that has violence and blood and most times is at least rated T for Teen, my annoyance levels go through the roof. That leads into why parents would let their child play such a violent game that is clearly labelled for someone much older, but that's another subject altogether. And I know that the Xbox has the option for friend or team chat only, but there are times when the annoying kid is on your team. But I digress.

My real reason for writing this little rant of mine is that I am perplexed as to why game makers have chosen to exclude FULL system-link. I emphasize "full" system-link because although many games still leave the option to play a game with system-link, it's usually limited to one or two players per console. What happened to being able to have a LAN party of 4 on 4 or more? I don't always want to hear a bunch of snivelling little kids trying to be thug. I don't always want to have my *** handed to me by some 10 year old kid (come on, I know I'm not the only one). Sometimes I just want to play with my actual REAL friends, in the same house, yelling things at them.

It has been some time since I have played a game that allows for 4 on 4 system-link. When we get together we are left to play the older games that still allow it. A few games come to mind: Call of Duty 3, the Halo games, and there are very few others that aren't older than the hills. At the very least, if the game allows for 2 on 2, you can play with a smaller group of friends. But no! Games lately have only implemented the system-link to simulate the XboxLive experience, that is, playing the same game with a friend, together, on your own TV. And here is where I place my blame on Micro$oft.

I believe that it has been practiced that games be geared toward being XboxLive accessible ONLY! It requires players that want to play games together to have an active subscription to XboxLive, directing the flow of more money toward Micro$oft. I take into respect the fact that the game makers may also have wanted their games to be this way but I think that the Colossus of the problem is still Micro$oft.

I plead: Please bring back the ability for group play locally and not just online:(

Am I the only one? Are we all destined to talk to our "friends" online instead of face-to-face? Do we only know our friends from a list and from their voices?