Why are developers moving away from split-screen?

[ChaoZ]

There are so little games that are actually available with offline multiplayer now. This is especially true for racing games. Sometimes I just want to play something together friends or relatives when they come over. What gives?

 

[Kabob]

Really? Most of the games that I play offer split screen.

Off the top fo my head...

Halo 3
Gears of War/2
Forza 2
PGR 3/4
Unreal Tournament 3
CoD 4

 

[Queasy]

Because they are concentrating on online multiplayer. I read an interview with one developer who stated that doing split-screen + online was a real PITA. It was doable but it requires a lot of work.

The games that kabob lists above are generally from the better devs who have the knowledge and capabilities to pull it off.

 

[BoberFett]

The GRAW games are still split screen. I hope the new Timesplitters (supposed to be out in late 2009 🙁) will still have split screen as well.

 

[ChaoZ]

Originally posted by: kabob983
Really? Most of the games that I play offer split screen.

Off the top fo my head...

Halo 3
Gears of War/2
Forza 2
PGR 3/4
Unreal Tournament 3
CoD 4

Four of those games are FPS. UT3 doesn't have split-screen for PS3 which is fracking retarded. I still can't believe Burnout Paradise doesn't have it; lazy bastards. I was going to get Grid as an alternative, but that doesn't have it either.

 

[AstroManLuca]

CoD 4 has splitscreen, but only for local multiplayer. No online split screen. That means Halo 3 is one of the few games that gets played by me and my friends.

How is the online splitscreen in Gears/Gears 2? Worth picking up one of the games for? Is Gears 1 even worth it anymore or has pretty much everyone migrated to Gears 2?

 

[RedCOMET]

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
CoD 4 has splitscreen, but only for local multiplayer. No online split screen. That means Halo 3 is one of the few games that gets played by me and my friends.

How is the online splitscreen in Gears/Gears 2? Worth picking up one of the games for? Is Gears 1 even worth it anymore or has pretty much everyone migrated to Gears 2?

I play GoW2 with the GF online all the time. I also play online with my friend. The three of us each have XBL. I notice when i do some heavy gaming with my friend or GF on line, that after a while, I've noticed the frame rate drops a little and then picks up to normal. I get the impression that it is not interenet related and might the game b/c of the the amount of information on the screen. Or it could be my 360 being silly.

I enjoy horde mode with my gf online. we find it enjoyable. The learning curve isn't too bad... plus the computer doesn't cheat or play cheaply like other people online. so its fun.

 

[oznerol]

2 reasons - one simple, one a bit more complex.

Simple reason - sales. Online multiplayer means a 2 player game requires 2 copies of said game. Enough said.

Bit more complex - GPU efficiency. Netcode is much easier to deal with.

 

[Drako]

Originally posted by: RedCOMET

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
CoD 4 has splitscreen, but only for local multiplayer. No online split screen. That means Halo 3 is one of the few games that gets played by me and my friends.

How is the online splitscreen in Gears/Gears 2? Worth picking up one of the games for? Is Gears 1 even worth it anymore or has pretty much everyone migrated to Gears 2?

I play GoW2 with the GF online all the time. I also play online with my friend. The three of us each have XBL. I notice when i do some heavy gaming with my friend or GF on line, that after a while, I've noticed the frame rate drops a little and then picks up to normal. I get the impression that it is not interenet related and might the game b/c of the the amount of information on the screen. Or it could be my 360 being silly.

I enjoy horde mode with my gf online. we find it enjoyable. The learning curve isn't too bad... plus the computer doesn't cheat or play cheaply like other people online. so its fun.

Same here. GoW and GoW2 are the only games I can get my wife to play with me. Love the split screen mode. We too have been playing horde mode online with a couple of friends. Big fun!