Liver&Onions

quick look? that's 2/3 the time it takes to play a game!

Kedrix

Here, here. Orrrrrrr you have a job that likes to block sites like xbox.com where you can't even put in the code. I'm glad there are contests but unless I'm home sick with something and at my computer, I'll never win.

PixyJunket

I watched a few random ten second clips from that video and heard "Castlevania version of Four Swords" and now I'm extremely excited.

Wait, wait, wait, is this shit online only? No local?

Decker

Yup. Online only.

superfro

The way the screen scales and as small as it is in parts I'm not sure how they would've been able to do it splitscreen.

PixyJunket

Fuck "next-gen."

xmiyux

From what I have read much of the research game companies are doing indicated that split-screen isn't used nearly as much as online co-op. I know I have played split screen for Lego games and Rock Band. Both family or party games. I imagine this is how the entire industry is going because it is dumb to invest money in split-screen stuff (making smooth frame rates while pushing the same graphics you push in the single player) when it is hardly used compared to the online.

Decker

Plus, of course, the more people that MS gets to play online-only MP games, the more Live subscriptions they sell, right?

PixyJunket

Good for them, I bet the same "research" shows Call of Duty is more popular than Sin & Punishment. Doesn't mean there's not room for both.

PixyJunket

Really?

REALLY?

Decker

The counter to that argument is this that there are a lot of XBLA games that do have local co-op. And no game demonstrates the XBLA's "something for everyone" policy than this new Castlevania game which is far from the commercially appealing new Castlevania game we had all anticipated and is pretty different from everything else on the Marketplace.

PixyJunket

I'm not really contesting that, but you'd be foolish to think this game has some kind of benefit or restriction where "online-only" makes any sense.

superfro

Yes really. Play the demo and look for yourself.

pinata242

You got it already. It's the "next-gen" mentality and the fact is from a developer's viewpoint local co-op has a negative growth trend.

Reality is that we don't go over to our friends' houses anymore to play games on the same couch because we don't have to. We don't need to see each other in person because we have social networking in Facebook and Twitter. We're never out-of-touch with each other and we, as a whole, don't go out of our way to see each other.

Also, the people that buy these games are buying them mostly for themselves as opposed to 20 years ago when our parents didn't play. We are the "parents" now and we have other responsibilities day-to-day that prevent us from leaving the comfort of our own home and timeframe.

Knowing that fewer and fewer people play on the same set means they don't need to take the time to, as miyu said, worry about that during the development and testing cycles. And, maybe there's some truth to Decker's conspiracy theory.

Or you can call it "chicken and egg" but the truth is it's a dying facet of gaming and if it's really that big of a deal, it's not much more difficult to take your system and display along with your ass to a friends house, hook into their router, and play dual-head.

PixyJunket

I'll probably try the demo.. but I guarantee there's nothing the game does that would prevent it from working in split-screen.

superfro

OR...maybe it's because the thing gets so fucking small.

Are we talking in generalities here or specifically about Castlevania: HD? Hydro Thunder came out last week and allows 4 player split-screen. And you can all 4 go online and play with more folks. Next-Gen indeed.

pinata242

I guess I'm dumb but I haven't played it either. But from what I heard is that when it zooms out and everything becomes small, why would you need the screen to split anyway? Wouldn't both/all players be visible on the same field? You'd only have to split when zoomed in. Sort of the way LEGO HP works, but reversed.

superfro

Because needing to see the map on that level of display is situational. Not everyone is going to want to be on that same viewing level at any given time. Seriously guys. Play the demo. I had to play Chapter 3 last night on the final boss with the entire thing pulled out when actually fighting the boss and pulled in closer when moving around. Let me know how that would work with multiple people on a split-screen or even without.

PixyJunket

Well, I will have to play the demo to know for sure, obviously, but really, regardless of what the game does there's certainly several ways to work whatever it is that's so critically CPU and resolution intensive to get those graphics that were originally meant for a 256x192 resolution to split four ways with 1280x720 or 1920x1080 to work with.

superfro

The fully pulled out map size is this-



That thing with the bars in the bottom left corner is your character.

xmiyux

Except that I can make a pretty good guess at how many development houses would rather have their game become a "CoD" style success rather than a "S&P" style success. It's the nature of market really. I love roguelike games but I don't expect to have companies putting out some big awesome new version of Nethack.

And stuff like that is still out there. roguelikefiction.com has a new game that is free to play online. They are an indie game developer and are just starting up. The game is cool - but I can't imagine they aren't hoping to have some kind of success and would absolutely be ecstatic if they had a CoD.

Again, why focus and spend development time on a feature that does not appeal to the bulk of your audience? For the majority of folks splitscreen co-op is simply another bullet point on the box that doesn't make a sale.

But if it is something you want then I understand being upset. I played Hydro Thunder with my wife in the arcade all the time back in the day and wanted it to have split-screen on the new release.

superfro

It does though right?

PixyJunket

Why focus and spend development time on a feature that will die out in a single week with Xbox's "Game of the Week" mentality? Implementing online co-op is likely more developmentally and monetarily costly that adding a split-screen feature and the split-screen feature will live on forever. The online community will not exist a week from now. For the majority of folks, online co-op is simply another bullet point on the box that doesn't make a sale.

Edit: Granted, the online feature will still exist if you setup a time with someone else and do it, but you get what I'm saying hopefully.

xmiyux

Pretty sure it does. I actually haven't bought it yet due to wanting to find a deal on points.

Alright, how about we just wait a year or two and see which option is more popular and leads to more sales? You are right, split-screen will always have multiplayer possibilities if you can get friends to come sit on your couch and share a screen. Personally, I hate sharing the screen. I want the entire screen and to be able to see everything. Unless it is a party game or drinking is involved I do not really do splitscreen stuff. I can also count on one hand the number of times in a given year when I can get my adult employed friends together in one spot to try to get some games in. And when that does happen - we play board games. Mostly because video games we can play every weekend together online.

superfro

When you say "majority of folks" do you mean you? Cause I would say that's completely reversed. I'm not saying what you're stating isn't true about the online community turn around outside of a handful of titles, but I don't think the majority of folks think in those terms when they're buying the next greatest thing. I think without a doubt online co-op and multiplayer is a HUGE selling point for the majority of consumers.