Quantum Of Solace
James Bond Slaps 360/PS3 Split-Screen Fans In The Face
by dkpatriarch:
©2008 David Hilton:
Bloody internet. I love it, and I hate it. Not only does it allow me to whinge to more people than ever via this website about how game-makers have abandoned split-screen multiplayer fans, but it has been the very cause of the demise of the split-screen gaming I love. Some call it progress, but the focus on online gaming at the expense of local multiplayer isn’t universally supported.
I have discussed this before but now I feel the need to revisit this subject: James Bond, the guy who got me started with split-screen gaming back on the N64 with Goldeneye, has given PS3 and 360 owners who like split-screen multiplayer the middle finger.
I was already really annoyed with the excellent ATV game Pure, which would have been ideal for party-atmosphere split-screen racing, for going online only, but now the new James Bond game Quantum of Solace by Treyarch is apparently giving split-screen to the Wii console only.
I said in my original article that the Wii was partly selling well because of games like Wii Sports which got people playing together and enjoying each other’s company, much like the old board games did. Much like Goldeneye did too.
My friends and family still get together and play the Gamecube games 007 Nightfire (despite its obvious faults in multiplayer) and Timesplitters 2. Those games not only have split-screen multiplayer but bots as well. Sure, computer-controlled bots are stupid and are there just for added distraction and kills, but the main thing is still beating your mates and family and laughing together.
It feels so much more social doing it together in the same room, even when taking turns, than over a microphone with strangers or even friends in another building.
But that was then, this is now…get with the times, right? Well we still enjoy COD2, COD3, COD4 (all published by Activision, like Bond is), PD0 (which still has bots), Halo 3, GRAW and even games you’d be hard pressed to find online players for anyway like Conflict: Denied Ops.
We make up our own rules: one guy who is crap can have the best weapons. The guy who is too good for the rest of us (usually my cocky nephew) can only use the pistol or knife. We do bazookas only. Knives only. We muck around and have a ball together. And that is fun.
Online, the multiplayer gamescape has become intimidating for those who do not venture there all the time. Games like COD4 and now Quantum of Solace reward you with special gear or money to buy special upgrades if you are good…making you even better. The good players get stronger and the casuals or mediocre gamers (like me, I admit) get to be cannon fodder.
Ohhhh fun. Online there are those who train like commandos and are so ruthless you’d swear they took gaming way too seriously. Online there are people who are annoying or abusive that don’t make the gaming fun.
Sure you can shut them up with mute or try and just play with people you know online, but it isn’t the same as having people over for pizza, beer, and multiplayer. When it’s all in fun, then you don’t feel crappy for being last or near the bottom of the table or for bringing your ‘team’ down for not memorising the maps so that you know where to go right away. I remember in Gears Of War I was given a load of abuse for not properly communicating. Screw that.
I am not arguing for a return to split-screen only. I know the limitations that it can bring, but when I see COD4 or Halo 3 split screen on my big TV I don’t see a huge problem…it’s about the gameplay anyway. Sure you can screen cheat and it isn’t as clear, but it still works well enough for those of us who play for fun. By all means include killer online gameplay, but don’t abandon those who still get a kick out of multi at home with real people in the room.
And don’t just make it for the Wii! As people go to newer and newer online games the older ones will have nobody playing them anyway. What a waste of game-makers’ resources. With split-screen you can load any game up and as long as you have people who can come over, you can play right away. Even games from an older generation, like 007 Nightfire or Timesplitters.
So, to Treyarch and Activision, I’m sure I’ll enjoy the new Bond game, but for not including offline multi I give you the middle finger. Sophisticated as Bond, I know.
If you also want to voice your disgust about this to Treyarch and Activision speak up by commenting here.
©2008 David Hilton:
Filed under: Console gaming, Editorial, New Game Information, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 3rd Party Games, Xbox 360 News Tagged: | 007 nightfire, Bond 007, Ian Flemming, James Bond, quantum of solace, Split screen gaming, Timesplitters 2
This is the dumbest thing you could have ever ever ever done!!!! I understand there are people who never leave their room and call their friends to get online without any interaction. I was raised on the N64 bond. College we had games every nite in every room having fun and yelling at each other. I just bought the new one for a band bus and we can’t even sit in the same room and play!!! For someone to make the decision that multiplayer offline splitscreen should not be included in bond is just to me unconceivable. Wonderful!! just fing wonderful!!! So we won’t be playing this game as a band together. Welp, taking it back tomorrow. Whoever made that decision was only thinking of how to sell more PS3′s and more games and not at all about the consumer who buys the damn games in the first place.
I’m disgusted, I bought this game recently and was gutted it didn’t have split screen multi play – so disappointed!
Don’t forget to tell Treyarch how angry you are (without the swear words…be polite
). Next Bond game they may listen if enough people say so.
There is a link to the Bond forums at the bottom of the article or you can find their email….
I just bought it for the ps3 and was f***ed off about not having splitsceen and the things is I HAVE A WII but im not going to waste my money on buying a great game twice because the wii would mess it up…….sure it would be split screen but that and everything else would suck as wii does not have the graphics yet and mine freezes.
Yet another game that should have splitscreen…… why treyarch why????
It would bring up fun/sales tons and yet the y say to f*** with it…. add my ps3 tag….. teh pwndzzz
I’m sorry to hear that about the Wii multi, but not surprised. It’s still beyond me that they didn’t do it for 360 and PS3.
I purchased the game for wii, and the controls are debilitating. Panning with the camera and aiming are controlled by pointing the controller at the screen, so if you go too far to the right you just spin in circles..
And you can forget about getting excited and playing, it is impossible to see. Even though the Wii has the multiplayer, no one can play it because you cant control it.
Its a shame they screwed this title up. It could have been as good as goldeneye
I Agree with this post. I can try to make an excuse for PS3/360 players getting the middle finger, but it would make me more upset… It’s almost like we are being punished for not having the Wii.
Honestly, I think because of the marketing of it being the best since Golden Eye… which was a Nintendo exclusive (because of RARE), that they could only do it justice by making something exclusive for the Wii!
Anyways… In todays gaming, somethings should just be standard… and I think most would agree…
If it has multi, it should function at best Offline, then LAN, then ONLINE w/ the meanies!… Although I am not an Xbox customer… I CAN HONESTLY SAY… HALO has set the modern standard and then-some. All other game developers should embrace that.
007 have a gamefan base because of the infamous Golden Eye… I know because, I’ve only seen 1 maybe 2 of them movies (THE OLD ONES w/ Odd Job) and those were because I was stuck in the house on punishment! But I’ve anticipated EVERY Bond game since Golden Eye (ps… my younger brother owned n64, I’d kick him off and let him play my ps1/2 saturn when I needed to play with atleast 8 of my friends… all weekend! in a crampy room… no cake!)
Mutliplayer online is standard yes for shooters, but if it is FPS, splitscreen offline should be standard… and the HALO standard of splitscreen online should be standard!
@ Jaybird
You’ll have to get Gears of War 2 (see my article on why the bots in the game rule: http://xboxoz360gamer.com/2008/11/11/gears-of-war-2-bots-of-war/). You can have a good offline multi experience with bots in that game at least, and they aren’t as dumb as you may have been used to in the past either.
Bond should have had so much more….but maybe had to cut back to fit into the film’s release schedule.
I can’t believe that Activision and Treyarch aren’t having split screen in the new 007 game. I mean, I don’t have internet on my xbox 360 because I don’t want to pay for it and I like playing with friends in person. This is so stupid! And it doesn’t have bots too! I know they’re kind of stupid and old, but it’s fun to go against them with your friends and not be all competitive.
@ Velociraptor98
I couldn’t agree more. Also the bots in Gears 2 add that old fashioned fun too. If they could do it, so could Treyarch.
I hate the fact that there are hardly any 4 player games these days. Treyarch, alot of us have REAL friends that we want to play with. What’s wrong with both online gaming and local 4 player split screen on the same game? If this is about money, you won’t lose any. More people will buy it if it has split screen. People will still play online but also local when friends come over. So what if the graphics are not as good; they are good enough. It’s kind of stupid that we can play with people living half way across the world, but not with people in the same room. TVs back then were small and we played a lot of split screen games on those. Now, they are bigger HD, so there is no reason not to include 4 player split screen.
What a joke. Are they so DENSE that they deliberately remove one of the core features of a Bond game.
The reason goldeneye is STILL played and so legendary is it’s multiplayer.
I bought the game without even questioning the whole offline multiplayer issue. It’s a bond game for goodness sake. A multiplayer should be standard!
They have the recipe for a great game and just ingnore it.. IDIOTS!!!
Couldn’t agree more with that article! How can you have a bond game without split-screen?! Its insane. By all means have online multiplayer too. Why do Treyarch assume that people with a PS3/360 have no friends? The whole fun of Goldeneye was the splitscreen. Treyarch are blabbering on about how they want to match the fun of the Goldeneye multiplayer; well they wont do that without splitscreen. Even EA didnt make this mistake. I thought Activision with the Bond rights was a good thing, maybe not….
What the hell is the point in only making split-screen for the Wii? It’s not like the PS3 or 360 are any less deserving of it because they’re not as popular…in fact thats going to lose them sales if the online is crap. I do have to say though that it depends on what game it is that determines whether split-screen would work. Developers should think along the lines of Bungie with Halo 3, in which if you have a couple of mates over you can COMBINE split-screen with multiplayer. That decision was one of the best for that game.
dont even waste your time with the demo. It lasts for 5 minutes maximum….
The PC has one. Yes all those hours spent on Goldeneye; I was really hoping this game would be good both single player and multi. Imagine a Bond game without offline split screen after Goldeneye….even From Russia With Love had it. EA didn’t even screw that decision up.
Theres a demo?!!
I played the Demo of this, and i really was not impressed with it. Ill stick with the good old N64 version for a while longer I think