4-Player Splitscreen

[Et3rnalLegend64]

another thing that does my head in is people who complain so much about playing on a smaller screen.

Beat me to it. Is it really that bad? I think being able to have a little party makes up for it.

I never did hang out with my friends enough to use 4 player split. However, I enjoyed it when we did.

 

[Kagim]

Seriously... I can't find any game that supports Four players on a couch. This is confusing because the PS3 can support what is it.. Seven players or something?

This does bug me. Mostly because i see so many games that could work great if my girlfriend could just pick up a controller and play.

Take Eternal Sonata. While the game itself is a wee bit irritating it got it right. In battle all three characters can be controlled by other LIVE people in the room. So when i played it my girlfriend could pick up her controller during fights and beat up monsters with me. We ended up playing as though she was following behind me giving her two cents. That little bit pulled her into the game and it was incredibly fun. I may have had the controller that let us explore the over world but i wasn't the only one making the decisions. Its why i played the game so much in the end. The simple fact that my girlfriend could participate in it made a game i normally would have returned something that i played through, twice. That's why FFXIII has pissed me off. There is NO reason why another player can't pick up the controller in battle and play with you. Hell the game seems designed for that very purpose.

Aside: I wouldn't mind four player split screen sizes. My tv is more then big enough now.

I'm pretty sure that the seven-controllers-supported thing was a bit of pre-launch hype by Sony that didn't make it into the final PS3. It supports only 4 controllers, as is evidenced by the number of indicator LEDs on the controller. This is just a personal opinion but I think FF13 works best as a single player game. Maybe that's just because when my friends are over on weekends we usually don't have a lot of time to play games between the different things that we need to do. A lot of people prefer faster-paced, pick-up-and-play games for multiplayer because of this. Again just my opinion.

About the seven controller thingy. If you go into controller setting you can assign controller 1-a and 1-b as separate controllers and stuff. Unless that got patched out. I have never had to go over controller 2 so...

What i mean about multiplayer for FFXIII is just to allow the option of player two controlling one of the other characters during combat. Just during combat. Kinda Like in Eternal Sonata. How it worked in that game is lets say your friend comes over and wants to play with you. You just open the options menu and select "Character two controlled by Controller two" your friend leaves and you just open the options menu and turn it off. Nothing permanent. It was nice. You weren't stuck on two player mode and could freely turn it on and off in game.

 

[WolfThomas]

I agree, especially seeing as big tvs are getting cheaper and gamers are getting older (and hopefully paid more), I have a good 42 inch LCD I got for under around $900AUD, split screen coop is awesome on it. Four player split screen would be quite acceptable.

I can remember playing 4 player goldeneye on a tiny CRT tv.

 

[drisky]

I really do miss it, sure some people don't like small screens, but why can't we have the option. I want to play with my real friends developers just want to sell more games. One of the ones that pisses me off the most is Froza Motor Sport, a huge expansive multiplayer on line, only one-on-one races locally, its like a spit in the face when they only allow 2 player split screen.

 

[The Last Parade]

Yes yes oh god yes, I miss both, the way my friends would tear me to shreds, and then the way I would train up against bots till I tore them to shreds.... such fond memories (wipes tear from eye)

 

[Aussie Legend]

I've said this for a long time now.

I don't know what splitscreen did to be hated by so many people (people which don't have friends around much).

I mean, my childhood memories were filled with 4 player splitscreen gaming (Perfect Dark for the epic win).

And on the screen size, I was having too much fun to give a shit. Fun > Size.

I think Capcom said that Lost Planet 2 is gonna have 4 player splitscreen, which should be interesting.

 

[King of the Sandbox]

I miss it.

I mean, I have a big enough TV, so I don't have the problem with the 'can't see' thing, and I have such fond memories of running around like madmen on Perfect Dark, trying to out N-bomb each other.

Fun times.

Yes, bring back 4 player splitscreen, and while you're at it, bring back fucking bots!

I tell ya, kids these days....

Agree.

Especially with TV's being high def and so huge nowadays, 4-player split screen could totally be a viable thing again.

As for screen-cheating, it's part of the fun. It's ok, really, cause everyone can do it, so it's not really an advantage.

 

[joshthor]

i agree. 4 player split screen needs to make a new rise. playing with freinds in different houses isnt nearly as fun as actually being there with them; and not everyone can afford two xboxs and two tvs.

 

[Insanum]

2 Player Splitscreen, fine.
4 Player Splitscreen?

HELL NO!

Tiny windows in which you barely can see anything.

Oh, and:

Spoiler: Welcome speech, now taking up less space in your threads

Welcome to the Escapist!
We'll make sure you enjoy your stay.
Just don't go into the basement.
Never go into the basement.
And if you want to help us in the war against the Channers; join us!

Spoiler: The picture is clickable!

[http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/The-Escapist-Faction]

Also, for guidelines, check this video:

Spoiler

with thanks to insanum, He's amazing and i want his babies.

Fixed your welcoming speech.

--

OT: Im sick of screen lookers - Lan is the way forward. Or 4 player on one screen, Not 4 player Splitscreen.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

People think that getting rid of splitscreen will sell more games, There were plenty of games I didn't buy because they didn't/don't have 4 player splitscreen and plenty that I went halves/quarters with mates just to play four players.

this. gears of war 1 & 2 are the only games that i have actually kept kept, for more than a year (still have them both) as they are the last of a dying breed of good games with amazing co op and splitscreens WITH bots

good god....i can't tell you how many fun times i have had with a couple of friends over playing those games

also, even older memories on the n64...playing freakin mario kart or goldeneye or even star fox...man those were the days playin splitscreen 4 player

 

[Capachinola]

Gamers have progressively lost all they're friends since the 90's. The N64 was the last guy to get away with 4 player split screen without complaint, everyone else would be taking crap from someone about it. People always complain, developers need to aim at what more people want, so they rake in the big bucks and all.

 

[Outright Villainy]

Oh I do indeed miss it. Course you all need to get really close to the t.v. but hell, 4 player goldeneye is the very defintion of fun! Smash bros was the last great local multiplayer game I played. Disappointing these days how it's featured less and less, while it's usually the most fun if you can set it up. Also, games that have online but not even 2 player splitscreen?
NOT FUCKING COOL.

Edit: with the rising popularity of the wii, it's hopeful that local multiplayer will make a comeback; more people into games, the more social they become, and the greater importance of playing in the same room is back. So if the wii has one good thing about it's legacy, it better as hell be this.

 

[Awexsome]

Small screens are annoying but it's better than not playing at all.

I've got two cousins that like to come over sometimes and play Halo all the time since they only have a PS3 (and I mooch their MGS4 sometimes so it's all good). We pretty much play nothing else but Halo and sometimes a local 3-4 player game like Castle crashers because no one wants to be the odd man out. Heck most games online nowadays don't even allow guests into matchmaking. It's by yourself or not at all.

 

[Daveman]

THIS IS WHY TIMESPLITTERS WAS INFINITELY BETTER THAN HALO.

Excessive use of caps ftw (also obviously it's just my opinion, douches)

But yes, I loved a bit of 4-way (oy oy!) with all my friends. I used to do it every birthday and at every possible get together. It has led to the only games me and my friends can play together being Rockband and SSBB.

While I'll agree Timesplitters is infinitely cooler than Halo, you do realise Halo has 4 player splitscreen.

... no, but then I'm an ignorant fanboy.

But seriously, does it? I didn't think it did. Meh, you learn something new every day. I'd still say that Timesplitters had better local multiplayer though.

 

[Georgie_Leech]

*cough*
Wii's and DS's are awesome. They have transcended splitscreen.

 

[asdasdasdasda]

Split-screen is awful. It's completely ridiculous trying to play with more then the one screen, of course, this is why I always played ssbm with my friends.

I say good riddance.

 

[Hashime]

Seriously... I can't find any game that supports Four players on a couch. This is confusing because the PS3 can support what is it.. Seven players or something?

This does bug me. Mostly because i see so many games that could work great if my girlfriend could just pick up a controller and play.

Take Eternal Sonata. While the game itself is a wee bit irritating it got it right. In battle all three characters can be controlled by other LIVE people in the room. So when i played it my girlfriend could pick up her controller during fights and beat up monsters with me. We ended up playing as though she was following behind me giving her two cents. That little bit pulled her into the game and it was incredibly fun. I may have had the controller that let us explore the over world but i wasn't the only one making the decisions. Its why i played the game so much in the end. The simple fact that my girlfriend could participate in it made a game i normally would have returned something that i played through, twice. That's why FFXIII has pissed me off. There is NO reason why another player can't pick up the controller in battle and play with you. Hell the game seems designed for that very purpose.

Aside: I wouldn't mind four player split screen sizes. My tv is more then big enough now.

I'm pretty sure that the seven-controllers-supported thing was a bit of pre-launch hype by Sony that didn't make it into the final PS3. It supports only 4 controllers, as is evidenced by the number of indicator LEDs on the controller. This is just a personal opinion but I think FF13 works best as a single player game. Maybe that's just because when my friends are over on weekends we usually don't have a lot of time to play games between the different things that we need to do. A lot of people prefer faster-paced, pick-up-and-play games for multiplayer because of this. Again just my opinion.

I agree, and 7 controlled support did make it in. When I have my rockband stuff connected, my other controllers are 5, 6, 7.

 

[Treblaine]

Well because even if games can easily handle 4-way-split it is not necessarily ideal:
-screen peeking (can be benefit for co-op though)
-Each player can have unworkable low resolution and small screen size. Even with a 32 inch HDTV each person only gets a 360p slice with 16 inch diameter.
-4 people crowding around the same screen while getting close enough to see the detail and with adequate screen angle as well.

This wouldn't be a problem for games like Castle Crashers as all 4 players can use the same viewpoint.

I'm somewhat of an elitist (Noo! Really?) and split-screen or share-screen has always seemed an inelegant compromise to me. I'd much rather have individual machines and screens connected with a dedicated host machine when it comes to multiplayer. See with everyone with their own screen+machine they can have the ideal systems for their own preference and viewing comfort.

I'd only really settle for a peer-hosted system with a very-low player number of 2 or 3... 4 players at a stretch and I'd only really like split/share screen with very casual type games and then I'd only have preference for 2-player.

So I don't really miss split-screen... though I'm more used to PC multiplayer which never really had it.

 

[xDHxD148L0]

It sad that some games don't have local multi-player at all, having friends over and not being able to play games because they don't have split-screen at all sucks.

 

[Jughead]

This brings back the old days of 4 player split screen golden eye on N64.