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Ubisoft Talks Splitscreen and the Division

Posted by timothy on from the what-are-you-looking-at? dept.

SlappingOysters writes: Ubisoft's next entry in the Tom Clancy series is pushing at the boundaries of three genres, mixing the RPG, the squad-based shooter and the MMO into The Division. The game features drop-in, drop-out co-op in a near-future, post-pandemic New York that seamlessly allows players to transition from PvE to PvP environments without any menus or lobbies. However, despite its co-op gameplay, The Division does not support splitscreen. Finder.com.au recently ran an extensive hands-on with the game, as well as an interview with Ubisoft Massive's creative director Magnus Jansén regarding the decision to forgo splitscreen co-op.

12 of 55 comments (clear)

  1. Explanation sounded reasonable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    While I don't really buy the line:

    One of the biggest reasons why there is nothing like that in The Division is because of the progression nature of the game.

    The other comments seemed reasonable. Sounds like current generation consoles are simply not powerful enough to do it. Many development companies are struggling to hit the 60FPS/1080p target, let alone doing it split screen.

    1. Re:Explanation sounded reasonable by SlappingOysters · · Score: 2

      I had the same feeling to that line. What about Borderlands?

    2. Re:Explanation sounded reasonable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Power of the platform is largely irrelevant to split screen or not to split screen. Designers and artists will always find a way to consume more resources than are available. Supporting any target faithfully be it split screen, 1080p/60fps, VR, etc. requires a design, mindset and commitment from the beginning.

  2. This gen console hardware sucks by TechnoCore · · Score: 2, Informative

    That's why split screen is hard to be found nowadays, it would drastically reduce the quality of the game.

    1. Re:This gen console hardware sucks by GuB-42 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I don't think it will drastically reduce the graphics quality. Correct me if I am wrong but with all these new deferred rendering and complex shader stuff, more and more things are done per-pixel rather than on the geometry. It should make the penalty proportionally less. We are also to the point where graphical improvements are becoming subtle : enough for people to feel the difference but not enough for most of them to say exactly why.
      This should actually make split screen easier. Other parts of the game such as physics can be done once for all players.

      But as I've seen somewhere, split screen is not just a feature, it is a way of life. Split screen or single screen multiplayer in general is a totally different experience from network and solo play. Reducing a very different way of enjoying a game to a question of detail in a 3D renderer is rather silly IMHO.

    2. Re:This gen console hardware sucks by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      Consoles are cheap and, let's not forget that, very, very portable compared to PC rigs. What did you have to do to get your console over to a friend's house? Move the console and the controllers. He had a TV. And that's something you can put in a backpack.

      Consoles and playing console games with 4 or even more people were the staple of geek parties. Hell, Nintendo pretty much built the Wii around the idea of being a party gimmick when you look at it and its library of games. Every other game has some sort of multiplayer mode and is supposed to be easy to pick up with little to no training time required to play along sensibly.

      Sorry, but saying that "pretty much everyone who wants a console nowadays has one" is not going to nullify this argument. Yes, many people today own a console. This isn't so different from the past, though. Consoles didn't just get cheap in that last decade since it became the norm for game developers to axe a local multiplayer mode. And you may remember that the first console generation pretty much REQUIRED you to have someone playing with you. Pong is only so much fun if there's no other player playing that ball back.

      The last console I got (a Wii, incidentally) I got for the sole (!) purpose of having a party gaming console at hand. I have no use for consoles that don't cater to this necessity.

      I have a PC for my other gaming needs.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  3. Let's cut to the important bits by Opportunist · · Score: 2

    Always-on copy protection that keeps the honest player from playing for the first month or two while it doesn't bother those copying it illegally again? Or something sane for a change.

    Cut to the important parts that decide whether or not someone with half a brain even ponders looking at what the game is like before he dismisses it as "do not want".

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  4. Meh, not getting it.... by Lumpy · · Score: 2

    I played the betas, It's just Destiny in modern new york except the dark zone is the land of assholes that makes COD online feel civilized.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  5. Loss of Couch CoOp by orlanz · · Score: 2

    I really miss couch coop. I would give up a lot of today's graphic details to gain that back. That and good unique stories; rather than movie rehashes. Even if the story is a generic rehash. I am not really interested in creating clans, leader boards, who wasted a weekend doing what, etc. I just want a simple, fun game that when a friend comes over we can just start up and play. Having network capability and all is a plus, but can't be the core value.

    I think the whole "fun" aspect of gaming has long died and I miss it. The last POS I bought was Destiny. CoD, Resistance 3, Crisis, MoH, etc are ok games. But I just can't get the feeling out of my head that I had more fun 8 years ago. The last fun games I played were Lost Planet 2, Army of Two, and Gears of War.

    I guess I am an old fart and clearly not today's gaming demographic. It feels like today, all the game needs is a good marketing campaign. Maybe I will buy a PS4 this Christmas if this year's games live up to half their shiny.... but probably not. Certainly not falling for any pre-order bullshit.

    1. Re:Loss of Couch CoOp by SlappingOysters · · Score: 2

      Sounds like Gears of War 4 is keeping it - source

  6. Three things by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    1. Split-screen really only works on consoles.
    2. No split-screen means every player needs to buy a copy.
    3. As a matter of general principle, fuck Ubisoft.

  7. Re:Meh, not getting it.... by Opportunist · · Score: 2

    An strange game. The only winning move is not to play it.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.