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[HTupolev]

This confuses me. So the Halo games are shit enough (to you) to not bother playing them on your own, but ok enough for you (and others in this thread apparently) to share that shitness with your friends in the same room?

That's not even remotely equivalent to what the original statement was.

By changing the activity it's pretty easy to see why. For instance, suppose we're talking about hanging out at a local bar. Does not wanting to go by yourself mean it's a shitty bar?

Halo games offer an extremely strong social couch experience, such that it's not at all weird that that would be the main draw for someone.
Not wanting Halo without split-screen coop doesn't mean that the person thinks it's an individually shit experience; it just means that it's not offering what defines the Halo experience for them, and they'd rather do something else that they enjoy more than single-screen Halo (such as play a different game that offers a strong local coop experience).

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

How would the inclusion hurt the "majority"? Playing single player or online co-op would still be running at full resolution. If you dont want to splitscreen, dont splitscreen, right?

Did it somehow hurt previous Halos full-screen resolution to have a split-screen option?

Yeah. Its a part of the reason older Halo games weren't lookers in comparison to the competition that didn't have split screen.

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

Halo split screen co-op was one of the main things that brought my over from PlayStation to Xbox back in 2001. I remember playing Red Faction on PS2 and was frustrated with the lack of co-op and the jittery framerate. I then saw Halo co-op in action and blown away. It was Goldeneye levels of console FPS perfection.

RIP indeed.

Spoiler

Shame on you 343.

Yeah. Its a part of the reason older Halo games weren't lookers in comparison to the competition that didn't have split screen.

Halo: Combat Evloved was the best looking FPS on consoles when it released.

 

[CloudyTuba]

Yeah. Its a part of the reason older Halo games weren't lookers in comparison to the competition that didn't have split screen.

I dont understand. A game can still run at full resolution and full effects when played alone or online co-op. There's no downgrade.

And when you do splitscreen it just nerfs the resolution to hell and reduced the draw distance among a bunch of other things.

Couldnt they just keep reducing until they can find a solid 30fps at low res? Half the fps, fewer pixels, small amount of particles, the usuals. As far as I know it's not the original image that compromises, its the splitscreen that does the compromising. Am I wrong and where did you learn it?

 

[Vaughngief]

I can't believe they'd take out one of the franchises most definitive features. 343 is a gutter trash studio. Bungie might have been pressured to make some of the later sequels and DLC, but they had a passion for the franchise. A vast majority (if not all), loved the series they made and worked on. I don't blame them for leaving and starting new projects like Destiny, but this is a bummer. 343 has no passion. From what I can tell they think their view of the series is the "right" one and shouldn't be questioned. They are a development team who's main purpose is to make Halo games. Nothing more. It's just a job to them instead of an art.

Halo 4 was mediocre, MCC is a joke that stopped being funny months ago, and Halo 5 doesn't look to change that. In my opinion Halo 3 was the prefect ending. Everything from this point on is just bad fan fiction with a budget.

 

[JAYSIMPLE]

This is a Shame. I'm eure they have the stats fir who plays couch co op? Halo tracks everything. It probably got too cost worthy for the pay out. I'm lucky because my son has an xbone so I'm sure we can do co op over lan? Still a shame

 

[Ikon]

Are you for real? That's the only damn reason I've bought these games to begin with!

 

[Paz]

Every Halo game I have ever played was first and foremost a spit screen co-op experience with my brother, they are some of my fondest memories in gaming and it was one of the few franchises to continually push this feature in a post Perfect Dark/Timesplitters world.

Thanks 343.

 

[shrek]

When 95% of your time spent in the campaign was couch coop, it's not farfetched or unreasonable to see it as a must have feature.

What is childish is to patronize people who don't have the same priorities as yours.

The point of my comment is that for most people split-screen co-op is at a minimum not a make-or-break feature. Yes, there are people ITT who truly care about it, but there's too much hyperbolic, "LOL 3FAIL3 IDIOCY" bashing coming from people who I'm willing to bet don't even care about split-screen. I'm all for constructive criticism, but 343i isn't gonna change anything if threads about this issue turn out like this.

 

[Mononoke]

Uh, this is something I actually use. Me and my wife have played each Halo game local split screen. Fuck.

 

[TomJoadsGhost]

The only fun I actually got from halo4 was playing it splitscreen with my daughter, I don't think i'd have bothered sticking with the campaign past the first couple of levels on my own - which would have been a shame because there were a couple of fun bits in the middle.

 

[qapn]

My first Halo experience was playing Halo: CE at a friend's house in co-op mode. I had so much fun that I went halves with my brother on our own OG Xbox shortly afterwards.

Through OG Xbox to 360, Halo co-op was always a great thing to play with friends and family when they came over. It was a great showcase of the game and the console.

Co-op with my brother became somewhat of a tradition - I still have fond memories of us borrowing a data projector from my dad's work, and playing through The Maw, finishing Halo: CE for the first time together.

I can't understand this decision at all. Halo co-op introduced so many people to the series and the Xbox platform, its inclusion should have been a priority and a non-negotiable. PC games have no problems scaling down quality for different hardware - it's unclear to me why they couldn't have just toggled shaders and effects, maybe dropped the resolution slightly (900p?) in co-op mode, if they needed to preserve 60fps.

I really hope 343i reconsiders.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

That's just sad. Hopefully this doesn't set some sort of standard. Splitscreen is still used way more heavily than people who exclusively play online seem to think.

 

[-Snooze-]

Oh well it won't be a good game anyway, 343 are poor devs

 

[krang]

I like how people say "now I have zero interest"..."ZERO". As if local splitscreen co-op was the one, single redeeming feature in Halo. Especially given the awesome bombs dropped yesterday.

It's disappointing, yes, but have a little perspective.

 

[sugarman]

I was born in 1980. I grew up on split screen. But I grew up. I refuse to split my screen now. How is it fun obscuring your view of a game so badly?

Also, I still play games with friends on couches.

Sports games, fighting games, scrolling beat em ups, puzzle games. These don't require I give up screen real estate and game performance to play locally with friends.

Yea but none of those are Halo

 

[Alchemy]

I like how people say "now I have zero interest"..."ZERO". As if local splitscreen co-op was the one, single redeeming feature in Halo. Especially given the awesome bombs dropped yesterday.

It's disappointing, yes, but have a little perspective.

I do have perspective, local co-op was probably the only way I was going to play the game.

 

[BabyFaceKillah]

Hyperbole... such a beautiful and destructive thing

 

[ferrasvansen]

I played all the earlier games with my nephew this way was a blast, such a shame we cannot do it that way again. I guess they have there reasons but pity they have not continued the same mode.

 

[IHaveIce]

the series has to move on technological wise, it would be either splitscreen or a stable framerate, better graphics and bigger environments.

And I prefer the latter. There were lots of great news about Halo 5 that it shows that it is dumb to get worked up because of such a minor understandable thing.

I wonder what the Halo playtimes of the people who are so angry are.

 

[munroe]

So many posts like, oh I had fond memories of playing halo ce Co-op, yeah 14 years ago! I have fond memories 14 years ago but times change, ditch the nostalgia goggles. I for one don't care in the slightest, there's still online Co-op and it just means effort can be put into other areas rather than on focusing on a feature which, probably, the majority could do without.

 

[Kalliban]

I was born in 1980. I grew up on split screen. But I grew up. I refuse to split my screen now. How is it fun obscuring your view of a game so badly?

I was also born during the eightees and love split screen. I still look for it in every game I'm interested in. When I was a kid we would split a 28" TV and it was awesome. Nowadays the TVs are so big that I can play 4 player split screen and still have more screen than I had when I played by myleft when I was a kid. Sure, I can appriciate playing online, but nothing beats drinking a few beers with a friend and shooting things in co-op. That's why I love borderlands and that's why I have played the earlier Halos. I don't care for multiplayer matches, so for me this is a big dissapointment. I will probably still buy it if it looks like a nice single-player FPS game though, but it just falled of my "must have"-list.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

I am blown away by the replies in here. I haven't heard anyone talk about split screen Halo with such passion ever. Only when it's been announced as removed (at roughly the same time as amazing news about the game is released) does anyone spring into action to say it was the best feature of the game and without it, the game is worthless.

I can't believe everyone in this thread really cares about split screen co op. Sure, some people do but this reaction just doesn't add up. Given the way that I have heard people talk about Halo online multiplayer, you'd think dedicated servers and free maps would be the headlines that absolutely everyone would be celebrating.

I can't believe anything but the tiniest minority of Halo players values split screen co op over dedicated servers and free maps. As far as I can tell 343 are preparing to release the best online Halo ever, not killing the series. Of course, for those who do love split screen, I do sympathise, but if that's the cost for all the other amazing things 343 are implementing it's hard to feel like it won't be worth it.

Hype level: High (unchanged).

 

[Black Mantis]

I can't believe they'd take out one of the franchises most definitive features. 343 is a gutter trash studio. Bungie might have been pressured to make some of the later sequels and DLC, but they had a passion for the franchise. A vast majority (if not all), loved the series they made and worked on. I don't blame them for leaving and starting new projects like Destiny, but this is a bummer. 343 has no passion. From what I can tell they think their view of the series is the "right" one and shouldn't be questioned. They are a development team who's main purpose is to make Halo games. Nothing more. It's just a job to them instead of an art.

Halo 4 was mediocre, MCC is a joke that stopped being funny months ago, and Halo 5 doesn't look to change that. In my opinion Halo 3 was the prefect ending. Everything from this point on is just bad fan fiction with a budget.

Listen to these, then come back and tell us 343 have no passion for Halo.

 

[FunkyDealer]

Split-screen co-op IS Halo to me. It's been that great feature you can rely on to be in, unlike other shooters. With a 60FPS target, people would be satisfied if split-screen ran at a steady 30, and the devs would have had the easiest performance target in series history. All my best Halo memories are from split-screen.

Good job 343, you killed my hype.

 

[Mashin Haters]

You guys are all going to buy the game anyway. Just bring your console over and play with two tvs. 343 hasn't ruined anything.

 

[Auto-Reply]

This is lame as hell, one of the few games I was going to play in local co-op and they decide to not integrate it?

Nice work, smh!

You guys are all going to buy the game anyway. Just bring your console over and play with two tvs. 343 hasn't ruined anything.

I don't even plan on buying an XB1, I was definitely going to play the game in co-op at a friends house as I've played every game with him in local co-op. I'm not even sure he's going to buy the game when I tell him about this. Oh well.

 

[Muzy72]

First they cut local multiplayer down from 4 to 2 players. Now they're cutting split-screen co-op altogether?

Good grief.


I'll bet my bottom dollar that whatever in-game cinematic moments they're using to justify this won't amount to anything near the worth of what was lost.


edit: wait, online co-op is still in? Then what the hell gives?

wait, local multiplayer is only 2 players??

No local co-op and nerfed local multiplayer means I'm skipping this game. Fuck your, 343. I'll be sticking to TMCC.

 

[krang]

- Good feature
- Good feature
- Great feature
- Awesome feature
- Amazing feature!!!
- Removed feature

Spoiler

needs new thread

I dunno. Just seems completely hyperbolic to me to say it was the only thing going for it.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

- Good feature
- Good feature
- Great feature
- Awesome feature
- Amazing feature!!!
- Removed feature

Spoiler

needs new thread

I dunno. Just seems completely hyperbolic to me to say it was the only thing going for it.

High five.

 

[Mesonak]

- Removed feature

Spoiler

needs new thread

To be completely fair, the map packs being free got a new thread too.

Listen, I'm as hurt by the omission of split screen as the next guy, and I understand all the frustration, but the vitriol in this thread is... something to behold.

I think all the disappointment Halo fans have endured have turned them into a very cynical and bitter bunch. It's very unfortunate.

 

[munroe]

You guys are all going to buy the game anyway. Just bring your console over and play with two tvs. 343 hasn't ruined anything.

Agreed, probably most of the people who claimed they're not purchasing it anymore, you'll probably find them playing it when the game is released and the rest were probably just commenting just for the sake of it.

 

[FunkyDealer]

- Good feature
- Good feature
- Great feature
- Awesome feature
- Amazing feature!!!
- Removed feature that defined the series for many.

FTFY

You guys are all going to buy the game anyway. Just bring your console over and play with two tvs. 343 hasn't ruined anything.

Because that's convenient.

 

[krang]

I think it's worthwhile talking about it. Hell, I'm going to miss it as well. But when there's so many great things announced for Halo 5, the focus on this one negative thing in this thread seems wildly disproportionate.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

In case you missed it:

Anyway yes, it's a bummer but 60fps had to take precedence. It's not just aesthetics- the entire simulation is built on that framerate.

Looks like reducing frame rate and assets "down a notch or two" wasn't an option here.

 

[Twilight Gap]

Ssplitscreen coop is also how i was introduced to Halo. I played the very first game on release week at a Microsoft office with my brother. It's where my fondest memories lie and it's how i played the majority of the first 4 games. I haven't splitscreened since ODST though and i probably wouldn't have for Halo 5 either.

Okay, i admit i was looking forward to playing the campaign again with my brother as well, but Halo 4 splitscreen was a terrible experience and i doubt he cares anymore anyway now that CoD has stolen him away.

As long as the online connection for coop works, i wont be too disappointed. But this is very clearly an end of an era.

 

[Bloomers]

After all of the other good news, this is pretty tragic. Couch multi was a staple of the Halo experience; it was how I got pulled into Halo, it was how I got other people into it, and it made up a large portion of my overall playtime.

It will be sorely, sorely missed.

 

[watership]

I like how people say "now I have zero interest"..."ZERO". As if local splitscreen co-op was the one, single redeeming feature in Halo. Especially given the awesome bombs dropped yesterday.

It's disappointing, yes, but have a little perspective.

343 has stats on how people played the previous games, going back to probably Halo 3. I can't imagine split-screen being a very high percentage anymore or it wouldn't have been removed. I imagine that some here are legitimately upset, but I also believe that some are just just shit-posting. Xbox game is missing x, "that was the only reason I ever played the game." then tact on, "and this game was the only reason I ever wanted an Xbox for." Every single thread.

 

[thenexus6]

I can't say I really care, I mean if i'm playing with friends is over Xbox Live not couch coop.

 

[VGA222]

I'm disappointed that there won't be any splitscreen option. I personally don't play splitscreen games much anymore, but I know that is an important feature for some people.

 

[ebullientprism]

Wow bullshit. Scale back the graphics. Or resolution. Hell tank the frame rate in split screen if you have to.

Typical 343, they still dont get the best parts of Halo.

 

[HTupolev]

I am blown away by the replies in here. I haven't heard anyone talk about split screen Halo with such passion ever. Only when it's been announced as removed (at roughly the same time as amazing news about the game is released) does anyone spring into action to say it was the best feature of the game and without it, the game is worthless.

Although it's probably true that split-screen coop doesn't get used very often by that many players, this isn't really a good argument for it. Of course people don't talk about it much; it's always been taken for granted.

I'm sure there are plenty of people who don't regularly praise their local grocery store for carrying sliced bread, but who would have a good reason to be disappointed if the store suddenly got rid of the bread isle.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Wow bullshit. Scale back the graphics. Or resolution. Hell tank the frame rate in split screen if you have to.

Typical 343, they still dont get the best parts of Halo.

You'd be happier with a worse performing product for a mode that likely not many people use?

 

[Bsigg12]

Eh, that's OK. Split screen is still in for multiplayer so that's fine.

 

[SenjutsuSage]

Well, this isn't a feature I ever used personally. I always hated dividing my screen. The only games I could ever stand split screen in were games like Mario kart or, well, racing games in general.

You'd be happier with a worse performing product for a mode that likely not many people use?

Exactly how I see it. 343i go all in and to hell with split screen in campaign. Sucks for people that liked it, but if that was the only reason for people to want the game as some are saying, then obviously this might not be the game for them. I've wanted to see split screen ditched since Halo 4.

 

[Madness]

Wow bullshit. Scale back the graphics. Or resolution. Hell tank the frame rate in split screen if you have to.

Typical 343, they still dont get the best parts of Halo.

Pretty sure it's just easier to cut split screen campaign than jump through all these hoops so a small minority used to something that is inevitably going to end in almost every major game going forward are happy.

 

[Auto-Reply]

You'd be happier with a worse performing product for a mode that likely not many people use?

The online co-op for Anniversary on 360was nigh unplayable due to horrendous lag for the joining player (not host), they had no problem putting that in there.

 

[GasProblem]

Huh. This was the thing that made me love Halo. So much fun was had playing through the game with a friend next to me. Online co op doesn't require gold though.

 

[farisr]

You said it yourself "Have split screen mode run at a lower fidelity". If thats the case, Id rather not have it at all if its sacrificing any technical fidelity with the game...I want the game to be of the highest quality that it can be on a "Next gen" console that I paid good money for, and If split screen "Lowers" any technical fidelity then get rid of it...

No, you didn't get the point at all. What I was proposing would ONLY run in lower fidelity when in splitscreen mode. Solo mode would NOT be effected at all.

Think of it like PC settings. The game in solo mode would be running at ultra setting, whereas in 2player splitrscreen would run at medium settings. Now what 343i is doing, is not bothering with offering the medium setting co-op at all, they're just offering the ultra setting solo mode. The visual fidelity in both cases for your solo mode is exactly the same. The extra option other Halo games offered is now gone.

 

[Prine]

Wow bullshit. Scale back the graphics. Or resolution. Hell tank the frame rate in split screen if you have to.

Typical 343, they still dont get the best parts of Halo.

As a Halo fan, the info released so far prove otherwise. This was a nice feature but not a defining one. Split screen co op only mattered on Xbox imo, free maps, 60fps, free co-op is far more important, and they still know the best parts of halo as they're providing split screen multi.

Roll on e3, so we can talk about the good stuff.