343 Explains Why Halo 5 Won't Have Split-Screen

[Vigormortis]

"To move Halo's gameplay forward and deliver a true next-gen experience, tough choices had to be made."

343 states that the decision to remove split-screen from Halo 5 was "driven by a desire for scale, fidelity, and focus," and that many of their goals for the game would be compromised in a split-screen setting."

Which is PR code for, "The console we're building our game for is woefully underpowered."

This is them basically being too afraid to openly admit this (making their "tough choices" line hilarious) and looking for a roundabout way of saying it.

 

[Eyes of Avo]

Cool, sounds good to me. Even back in the day I refused to play single player co-op. I hated the hit the graphics took so my brother and I both bought Xbox's and loved system link co-op. Honestly I have to think that anyone who says this is a big deal is just looking for stuff to nitpick. Who was actually going to use this?

*Puts hand up*
Couch Co-Op is literally the only reason I got into Halo. Back when my brother and I could finally afford a console, the original Xbox and Halo:CE were the standard for it. In fact I'd say that most of console gaming's history goes back to couch co-op, what with Mario kart/Party, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and other sport franchise games on a wide selection of platforms, FORZA, Gran Turismo, etc.

Couch Co-op really is a huge niche of gaming, which is why it's seen a happy resurgence on steam with titles like Crawl and Nuclear Throne. Not everyone can actually afford to have two of the same console AND the same game in their house (current-gen consoles are still running $800-$1000 for the console/1 game/1 controller package here). I remember being so fucking keen to play Wipeout on PS1 with my friend but then discovered we could only do that with a system link, which pretty much resulted in that game not leaving the case again.

What 343 have done here is kinda like if WB decided to remove, say, Joker from their Batman franchise films. Sure, not everyone's gonna be pissed off by that, maybe not even most people, but a very, VERY large slice of the pie will drop off completely, because the part they actually enjoyed is gone.

No offense, but I think you are over estimating the size of that slice of pie. You guys are not in the majority....not even close I would guess. As harsh it sounds it's a good business decision. Sometimes you have to leave the few to give a quality product to the many....anyways I will love playing, sorry that you can't say the same.

 

[Trillovinum]

Well, they have lost a customer in me on many more fields than they probably realise.
You see I am more of a PC gamer anyway and so I buy all my singleplayer and online multiplayer experiences for that platform.
The only reason I bothered with consoles was for the local coop because that was one of the only things consoles did better than pc.

I can say with 100% confidence that certain companies made money (my money) exclusively by having splitscreen included in their games. The best examples would be that of Call of Duty Blackops and the Halo games.

Blackops sold me all of its DLC that I would have otherwise never bought because it had local coop against zombies and complete access to all the online multiplayer from local splitscreen.
While Halo made me buy an entirely new console for just a handful of games. (I had a PS3 before and purchased an Xbox 360 just for Halo) I did indeed play the singleplayer campaign of each, as I do with every game I buy, but most of the hours I put into it were done in splitscreen. In fact, the hours spent on halo reach alone nearly justified the purchase of the entire console. I even bought Halo CE anniversary exclusively for the splitscreen campaign coop (because I already had Halo CE for pc)

There are many other examples of console games I bought just for the splitscreen and even of franchises I followed because of it but those two are the most significant.

So with that said, I fear the trend of dropping splitscreen modes for console games (a trend that has been going on for a while already I feel) is going to kill my consumption of said games and the platforms on which they run. I was going to wait with buying a next-gen console until the prices dropped a bit and their libraries expanded anyway but with less and less local splitscreen available, I find myself hard pressed o justify the cost.

 

[elvor0]

Ahh see, if you just developed on PC and maybe PS4 instead, you wouldn't have to comprimise for your extra shiny space sparkle graphics truly next-gen experience now, would you?

Yeah lets not lump those two together. I'm don't really dump on console power ever, but lets not pretend that the PS4 is that much more powerful than the Xbone that it gets to sit next to the PC. Compared to a decent gaming rig, they're still liabilities in terms of power. There would /still/ be compromise. That and 343/Halo are owned my Microsoft, developing for the PS4 is a completely moot point.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Behold: NEXT GEN CONSOLE GAMING.

"To move Halo's gameplay forward and deliver a true next-gen experience, tough choices had to be made."

"We are telling a story at a truly galactic scale with Halo 5's campaign. A story big enough to fill the worlds we've created for it. This is a campaign that has been designed from the ground up to support co-operative play with an ensemble cast of characters, and is supported by the gameplay mechanics, scale, features and technology required to make it sing. We're really pleased with the way it's shaping up and we can't wait for you guys to try it, and hopefully enjoy it as much as we are."

Translation: "We made the game co-op, but this time we want you and your friends to each buy a new console, a copy of the game and Xbox Live Gold subscription to enjoy it. Now bend over gullible consumer sheep!"

"Game development is a balancing act of resources, time and technology, and in this case we made the tough decision to sacrifice something that's been near and dear to us all."

Translation: The Xbone is far too shitty to handle two separate renders at anything resembling decent quality.
They either sacrifice their long-standing feature, or this Halo looks even more embarrassing than Halo 4.

EDIT:

"what are LODs?"
"what is mipmapping?"
"what are framerate caps?"

-343 Industries

This made me laugh out loud. Because it's so true.

 

[Areloch]

"what are LODs?"
"what is mipmapping?"
"what are framerate caps?"

-343 Industries

"What's a 'Shader Instruction Limit' and can I eat it?"

"Of COURSE we need to use 4096 resolution textures on that beer can. It's NEXT GEN. Duh!"

 

[The Almighty Aardvark]

I feel like this is kind of indicative of the biggest issue I'm having with next gen games. Right off the bat they started messing up their promises and people freaked out over it. Games weren't running in 1080p and 60fps. Now every triple A game that comes out on them needs to justify it. Who cares how many features you need to cut to work it in there, if you don't have the 1080p and 60fps with stunning graphics you don't have shit.

 

[TP Potato]

While I rarely play split screen these days, there was a time where that was THE reason I played Halo games. Some of my favorite gaming moments were from my friends and I getting a bunch of TVs and Xbox's together to play zombies and capture the flag. I guess what I'm saying is I'm not disappointed for myself but for other people who haven't had, and now won't have, those same great experiences.

 

[sneakypenguin]

Meh not at all bothered, I can't even stand split screen and the squashed view and lesser graphics. Others might be bothered but its still a day one download for me.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

or this Halo looks even more embarrassing than Halo 4.

Halo 4 was by far one of the best looking games on the 360 if not THE BEST looking one. Halo 4 did a lot of things wrong but graphics was not one of them...

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Ahh see, if you just developed on PC and maybe PS4 instead, you wouldn't have to comprimise for your extra shiny space sparkle graphics truly next-gen experience now, would you?

Yeah lets not lump those two together. I'm don't really dump on console power ever, but lets not pretend that the PS4 is that much more powerful than the Xbone that it gets to sit next to the PC. Compared to a decent gaming rig, they're still liabilities in terms of power. There would /still/ be compromise. That and 343/Halo are owned my Microsoft, developing for the PS4 is a completely moot point.

Seems a little trivial to point out the obvious, did the proximity of the two produce uncomfortable feelings of equality? I find taking things a little less seriously, does wonders for quality of life. Now, i understand segregation is desired, so i shall place them at a fairer distance from each other for you:

PC - ---- ----- ---- - PS4 - Xbone

I tried to keep a working scale but it's difficult, please understand

 

[Tsun Tzu]

Whelp!

Sealed it.

Congratulations, 343. This is the first Halo game (aside from Wars) that I won't be buying. Yay! Fanfare!

PS4 it is.

 

[F-I-D-O]

I'd be willing to take a graphics/Framerate/other shiny bit drop for the ability to do couch co-op and competitive with a friend.
I'm still not willing to buy an Xbone for Halo, especially when it won't be at all like my other (and expected) experiences with the series.

Halo's always been a game that a friend had for me. I remember going to LAN parties, or spending the nights at a friend's house to do the new co-op campaign, or just classic 1v1 slayer. No co-op in Halo 5 means I'll probably never experience it, and this coming from someone willing to wade through MC:C's issues with a friend on the other end of the couch. Really disappointing considering how much they were pushing co-op. I've read the books and played the game, I guess I'll just watch this part of the series.

[sub][sub]climbs aboard Persona 5 hype train, all regrets left behind[/sub][/sub]

 

[Atmos Duality]

or this Halo looks even more embarrassing than Halo 4.

Halo 4 was by far one of the best looking games on the 360 if not THE BEST looking one. Halo 4 did a lot of things wrong but graphics was not one of them...

There's a lot I could comment on in regards to Halo 4's graphics and design, but I'll just say that I disagree with that assessment, and leave it at that.

 

[TristanBelmont]

Split-Screen to be day-one DLC, and the second player has to use the Kinect

 

[Kohen Keesing]

*snip*

*snip*

*snip*

*Shrugs* Maybe, but I suppose we'll find out. Since the industry has an inclination to develop in trilogies, I'm guessing whether or not Halos 7 through 9 happen will be a good indicator. I'd also be keeping an eye on how much spin-off media is made (like that blu-ray of animated shorts they had last time, or the extended lore books) because that'd probably let one make a fair guess as to how much cash the games are bringing in to the franchise.

And while couch co-oppers might not be the majority, the number of people who can't afford/don't want to buy an Xbone ARE the majority - at least here in NZ, where the import costs of current-gen consoles put their price tag well above pre-built gaming PCs (let alone self-built ones), which is why it strikes me as a really BAD business decision for most of their market: Halo 5 could have been the thing to give people a reason to want the new imperfect monolith, and it's already chopping off a limb or two coming out of the gate.

 

[Batou667]

This just in! The real reason split screen has been axed:

Spoiler

Two Xboxes cost more than one Xbox