I have just recently noticed an issue with modern video games. Developers are relying too much on new technology that they are forgetting to include the features that helped progress gaming to where it is today. Several of the latest titles that are reported to include cooperative multiplayer fail to allow local coop in favor of online-only coop.
It’s not like cooperative multiplayer is a brand new mode that developers are still trying to get used to. Halo: Combat Evolved, a game released in 2001, allowed gamers to play through the campaign either alone or with a friend. The entire Halo trilogy will be remembered by me as the series where I always had a partner helping me defeat the convenant up to the point where we must escape in our warhogs all before I had a chance to attempt it on my own. The reason my Halo cooperative campaign experiences were so memorable is because I actually knew my partners in real life and they (all three of them) were sitting right next to me.
I understand that not all people have the luxury of experiencing games with a friend, which is why it is nice to have the option to play cooperatively with other gamers online. However, many of the latest titles no longer allow me to experience the cooperative campaign like I did with the Halo trilogy. Instead, I must team up with a random person I’ve never met if I want to play cooperative mode in Transformers: War for Cybertron and Crackdown 2. Both of these games are brand new so there should be no reason for not having local coop.
Typically, games sell for $60. If gamers want to get what they pay for, developers are going to have to quit cutting out features that should, without a question, be included with the game. Hopefully we don’t keep getting ripped off with these purchases and we see more developers aiming to deliver the ultimate trifecta that I experienced with Halo: single-player campaign, online and offline cooperative multiplayer and competitive multiplayer. Until that time comes, I must say that games developers, namely the creators of Transformers: War for Cybertron and Crackdown 2, are lacking at trying to please their audience to the full extent. </rant>
Read this article and more written by Ernie Miller at http://www.pixeljumpers.com
actually Greed corp has local MP up to 4 people and also Deathspank has local multiplayer. Sacred 2 has Local MP ... Castle Crashers Has local multiplayer .... Just have to look for the games and yes I realized I only said one disc based game, but honestly I enjoy these Download games over all the other disc games ...
I bet they're doing it to get you to pay for subscription-based online services such as Xbox Live.
You just now noticed that there is a lack of local co op, didn't the editor and chief of egm (who now runs this site) and shane bettenhausen do an article on this very topic like two years ago?
Toby, I've been noticing downloadable game more lately.I want to try Deathspank and I'm really looking forward to Necromachina for its four player coop
Jason, I wouldn't doubt if more developers started charging a fee to play online. The new UFC 2010 requires you to download the online mode. Although it's free, it might give someone the idea to charge money to download online multiplayer modes.
Kurtis, I never knew Shoe wrote an article on this issue and I did just notice the problem. Until recently, I never really had the desire to play co op games and now after actually trying to find one I get to feeling they might be rare.
As rare as they might be, I will definitely think about checking out some of those downloadable titles.