Red Steel split-screen multiplayer: "the fight will not be only on screen"
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Jul 17th 2006 at 3:30PM }
An intriguing Red Steel multiplayer detail recently surfaced during GamePro's interview with Ubisoft creative director Nicolas Eypert. When asked about the game's multiplayer, Eypert had this to say:"[You'll] have up to four players. If they play together in split screens we can only say that the fight will not be only on screen."
While the 4-player figure is underwhelming by today's standards, we're certainly curious about the off-screen activity Eypert has hinted at. Cross-room shootouts? Mock swordfights? Could be groundbreaking ... could be awful -- it will most certainly be embarrassing.
Can Ubisoft resuscitate the current state of 'couch' co-op?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jeremy @ Jul 17th 2006 3:35PM
Thanks for the props: http://digg.com/gaming_news/Wii_Multiplayer_-_You_Could_Be_Pointing_At_Each_Other!
student @ Jul 17th 2006 3:40PM
Hrm, are they implying play over the internet too as described by the big ol IF or is that just implying you could have a lan party with friends?
Nevertheless, it sounds interesting. I'm lost as to why it would be embarassing though. What do you mean? Fighting with a group of friends sounds pretty cool.
RP @ Jul 17th 2006 3:45PM
I think they're just joking about the realities of having 4 people in front of a TV waving their arms around, personally.
Jody Anthony @ Jul 17th 2006 3:50PM
"I think they're just joking about the realities of having 4 people in front of a TV waving their arms around, personally."
it doesnt make sense to me. tons of people love dance dance revolution, guitar hero, donkey konga, etc. why are those games ok when they have you moving around, but Wii isn't?
flyNN @ Jul 17th 2006 3:53PM
Seems weird to me to try to conceive of even 2 players being face-to-face in real life AND trying to watch what happens on screen at the same time. ... but looking forward to it anyway :)
RP @ Jul 17th 2006 3:54PM
"it doesnt make sense to me. tons of people love dance dance revolution, guitar hero, donkey konga, etc. why are those games ok when they have you moving around, but Wii isn't?"
Who's saying it isn't ok? It's a light-hearted comment. Get over it.
Jeremy @ Jul 17th 2006 3:55PM
http://wii.ign.com/articles/718/718946p1.html
"Interestingly, according to documentation the Wii-mote is able to act as something of an eye, measuring coordinates between 0-1023 on the X axis and 0-767 on the Y axis, which means that it is more or less seeing a megapixel image. Whether or not this data can be interpreted into visual information remains unknown"
Probot @ Jul 17th 2006 3:59PM
I agree with RP. Sounds like the developer was just making a joke, and it got lost in translation, so to speak.
Raaaaaah @ Jul 17th 2006 4:00PM
Hmm.. Maybeee.. it'll be like sword fights with your friend or something. And whatever you do, your character will act out in the game? ;O
I'd like that, dunno if it makes sense though.
Zell @ Jul 17th 2006 4:04PM
I find this exciting! I might be in the minority here, but I would have absolutely no problem looking like a complete geek, especially in the comfort of my living room. Neither would any of my friends. And I don't close the blinds.
I actually find Donkey Konga a great stress-reliever and I have a feeling a good bit of the Wii games will be as well.
Bring on the mock swordfights!
ill trooper @ Jul 17th 2006 4:05PM
Don't I remember people being concerned that the E3 build of this game didn't utilize the control the Wii can have though? That the sword fighting was not using the controller's potential and they were going back to the lab to enhance it?
I just went to a Nintendo preview thing on Friday here in NYC, and I was amazed at the subtle motions the controller was sensitive to - there was a very-controllable truck racing game that detected the pitch of the remote to the slightest twitch - if Red Steel doesn't take this power and do what seems possible (swordplay in a controllable 3D space) a LOT of people are going to be disappointed.
The Metroid demo had a lot of super-cool nunchuck-and-remote twist and pull moves, very physical. I was impressed. I'm looking forward to this system.
And yes, it did look like a GameCube game, graphically.
CLShortFuse @ Jul 17th 2006 4:18PM
because, nintendo's last secret, is that the WiiMote's black sensors also emits a beam.... a lightsaber, beamsword... vraaaaaaaah!
Etheo @ Jul 17th 2006 4:21PM
"I think they're just joking about the realities of having 4 people in front of a TV waving their arms around, personally."
I also agree with RP's comment. If you imagine 4 people using the wii-mote in front of a tv, playing against each other on split screen, what would happen? I see them bumping into each other and squeezing to get their space.
However, I don't doubt the possibility that they're making something offscreen actually. That's less likely, but here's to hoping ;D
corwin @ Jul 17th 2006 4:32PM
Is nintendo still not doing online play? even after all the crap they got?
corwin @ Jul 17th 2006 4:35PM
I think im done with Red Steel.
crono141 @ Jul 17th 2006 4:38PM
Difficult to See. Always in motion, the future is.
georgedakota @ Jul 17th 2006 5:14PM
red steel is not going to be a good game mark my words, put it in the newspaper write it down whatever. I am not being negative either but from my experience anytime a game gets delayed to completely overhaul anything about it thats not a good sign. This game was to be a launch title then didnt make it. Sure you can say they are taking their time to make it great but the truth is more like it sucked the first time lets try this again. I dont plan on buying a wii because it just doesnt look impressive, just innovative. Now if nintendo made it impressive like 360 and innovative like it is then we have something possibly if it got third party support which it wont. But for all you over 18 year olds who plan on buying this. Hide it when your girlfriends come over cause if she sees you with this thing your not getting laid for a good 5 years
georgedakota @ Jul 17th 2006 5:22PM
the wii is going to make you wiidiculous. like a wiiner, or weetarted, ...... I am out of them, so if anyone wants to help join in.
Danny O'B @ Jul 17th 2006 5:25PM
weetarted spelt correctly....?
wait, you're playing on the words...oh i get ya...nice one! :D ;D
Azrael @ Jul 17th 2006 5:27PM
Hmm.. I also think he was kidding (IMO not a good idea, after all the bad press Red Steel has had) it is true though, If 4 players started waving their "sword" around they most probably will hit each other. (maybe he means they are having online multiplayer instead? its not farfetched, since it is an FPS after all)
However it does open a question, is it (technically) possible to play mock up swords with the Wii? if it is, developers are standing in a gold mine and havent noticed.
Sean DL @ Jul 17th 2006 5:30PM
Nicely done, corwin. Dismiss a game you haven't played. Oh and spectulate and say something stupid that'll be turbn in to fact, even though that this blog, and many other websites already said otherwise months ago.
Yes the Wii will have online play, but this article isn't about tthat ,it's about playing together in your own home in a uiqure way. Which is one of the major advantages the Wii will have over the other two:
The ability to get people to play togther in one house, even those who never palyed a game in a very long time or never.
Online play isn't gonig to do that...it's still too hardcore...
Ace Harding @ Jul 17th 2006 5:43PM
Looking forward to an unexagerated yet realistic blood fest that would cater to the hardcore gamers that wish to see an end to Nintendo's kiddy image.
Disposable Hero @ Jul 17th 2006 5:46PM
Whats embarrassing about four friends standing in front of a tv and looking at the tv intently but swinging the controllers around and hitting each other with them? Sounds dangerous... dangerous but fun.
wodeh @ Jul 17th 2006 6:52PM
georgedakota, I can't see my girlfriend playing with my Wii for a solid 5 years but I wouldn't put it past her. Such greats as Pikmin keep her occupied for hours but she hardly goes near the 360.
Both consoles have their merits, and both are quite impressive pieces of kit, the 360 graphics capabilities are still floored by those of PCs though- but it has the benefit of being cheaper than one of the graphics cards required to top it.
I can see 4 people having a huge amount of fun in front of a Wii, more so than with a 360 which is more geared toward online play. That said; co-operative anything is a huge amount of fun with my girlfriend. Halo, PDZ, Dynasty Warriors.
What were we talking about again!?
Tony @ Jul 17th 2006 7:02PM
"While the 4-player figure is underwhelming by today's standards, we're certainly curious about the off-screen activity Eypert has hinted at."
I've not played any of these six or eight split-screen FPS games yet. Must be on the PS3.
They don't even discuss online here and their plans on it are still up in the air, it seems. The article only refers to split-screen, so I have no idea what this quote is really inferring here.
Maximoisgood @ Jul 17th 2006 7:06PM
So, wait a minute.....Invite four friends, give each a wiimote and then beat the crap out of them in real life.....Me Like it. And develop real muscles instead of thumb muscles. and about the comment about not getting laid for five years....I thought girls were into playing with WII's.
molecule @ Jul 17th 2006 8:31PM
found @ http://www.gamepro.com/news.cfm?article_id=73468
"In Red Steel, you'll have up to four players [in the multiplayer mode]. If they play together in split screens we can only say that the fight will not be only on screen (grins)."
"Grins"!? Why did you choose to omit this crucial tidbit of information? I know in your "Read" link to gamepro you get the full, unaltered representation, but still, what's the big deal about including a couple more words to a quote so as not to incur any confusion?
mike @ Jul 17th 2006 9:44PM
why are those games ok when they have you moving around, but Wii isn't?
--
the 'fight' is actually pushing your friends out of the way so you can frag them.. get it? you can't do that in DDR
Peter @ Jul 18th 2006 3:00AM
Regarding overhauling in post #17, RE4 was "overhauled" a couple of times before being released and the results were not that bad :)
Jono @ Jul 18th 2006 5:14AM
I think it will be like this......the Wiimote can understand your position, and track your position. Therefore, when battle begins, the split screen will be split down the middle, whilst battling you can push your opponent away from the screen, thus making your side of the split screen bigger, giving you an advantage and them a disadvantage.
thoughts?
Will @ Jul 18th 2006 5:39AM
In regards to #30 that would just be way to weird and for the most part probably not fun and confusing. That quote was OBVIOUSLY just referring to how when u have multiple people over to play a multiplayer game how you taunt them and nudge them and laugh at them when they do something stupid. You guys are way over analyzing this because well for the most part what the hell else could he mean? I doubt the wiimote has a laser beam that comes out and acts as a sword. The only possibilities that could be are those intertwined with absurdly hi-tech and non-consumer technology.
Rico @ Jul 18th 2006 11:03AM
Could be Nintendo floor screen!! Projector???
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6185946983584477029
Jimmay @ Jul 18th 2006 2:52PM
Maybe it means it's gonna have like laser tag, and the screen is just there to like make noise and keep points. I donno if that would work. Well, I'm sure it's possible... You would have to have like a sensor bar thing on each player. Obviously not in bar shape though. And then the controllers would have to be still connected to the Wii so the Wii could keep track of the score. Still, if you went 30 feet away from the Wii it would stop working. Unless you got like bluetooth extenders.
It's possible, but I doubt it's gonna happen. It wouldn't really be a video game. It'd just be laser tag... with a screen to keep score.
vidGuy @ Jul 24th 2006 11:43AM
I just thought of something. Since the remote doesn't use the TV to determine positioning, it could easily determine where you are firing without your target being on-screen!
Now here’s the fun part about that: say you are walking down a corridor and you have baddies in front of you and on your sides. You can take a blind shot at the ones at the side by moving the remote over there and firing! You don’t have to be looking at the baddies on screen! THAT’S what these quotes are all about!
So yeah, I'm guessing that's what the quote about Red Steel not all being on the screen was about.