Takeuchi: Lost Planet 2 team 'working on' couch co-op
by JC Fletcher 
{ Aug 21st 2009 at 2:30PM } 
"We are actually working on two-player splitscreen," Takeuchi told Joystiq at GamesCom. "It's not easy, but if we are confident that we can do it, we'll let you know." When asked if the Lost Planet 2 solution would be similar to the staggered picture-in-picture-style display in Resident Evil 5, Takeuchi said that the issue wasn't so much the aspect ratio of split screens, but rather hardware. "Technically, cycling between two split screens, you can actually say it took visual RAM," he said. "You still have to work with two sets of AI and physics and so forth at the same time."
So, while Takeuchi "can't guarantee yet" the existence of splitscreen in the final game, don't lose hope. Or any planets -- we've lost enough of those already.
Gallery: Lost Planet 2
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Rhamsey @ Aug 21st 2009 2:36PM
That would be awesome, I love the demo and look forward to getting my hands on the full game, and having the ability to play locally with a friend without having to system like would be sweet.
Look At This Suit @ Aug 21st 2009 2:47PM
The demo was fun, but I wish it had included more than that boss fight. Maybe a small part of a normal campaign level, killing some "normal" akrid, so to speak.
NotBrandonCrane @ Aug 21st 2009 3:14PM
I was so disappointed when the demo wasn't split-screen. If they can add this it's a day one purchase for me and my roommates. If not, I probably won't bother to buy it. When's this coming out anyway?
Look At This Suit @ Aug 21st 2009 2:41PM
Cool story, troll. I'm on my fourth xbox, and I still love it.
tenor77 @ Aug 21st 2009 2:44PM
Now go on about how it doesn't have Wi-fi and how you have to pay for Live!!!!
Levi @ Aug 21st 2009 2:48PM
I tried the RE5 co-op once and never touched it again. It was the first time I felt like my 40" LCD wasn't big enough.
Akuma FTW @ Aug 21st 2009 3:13PM
Not for nothin but RE5 is a game my wife played with me to completion. We haven't done that sine Baldurs Gate on PS2
DBuck_Eye @ Aug 21st 2009 2:54PM
Why are devs having such a hard time pulling off splitscreen anymore? I think it's bs when games like this and the Conduit blame it on lack of power. The n64 could do it so why can't the 360?
Einhanderkiller @ Aug 21st 2009 3:12PM
I'm guessing it's because the games are designed so that they max out as much of the hardware as possible, and since resolutions are higher now, compromises in graphics for split-screen would be far more apparent. Left 4 Dead split-screen on the Xbox 360 doesn't look that great and the frame rate dips from time to time. (PC split-screen looks fine, though). Halo 3's split-screen looks okay, but those compromises are still noticeable. Split-screen graphics in previous generations were more acceptable since graphics were a lot simpler -- it wasn't a huge difference if that muddy texture got a little bit muddier or that jaggy edge got a little jaggier.
Levi @ Aug 21st 2009 3:38PM
That's a good question. Like, it takes a lot more power to do split screen, but these systems have a lot more power than the N64 obviously. My guess would be that either the "power used : power available" ratio, or the "power used in single player : power used for co-op" ratio, or both, are les than that of the N64. Like, maybe these games one a lot closer to mazing out the system's power in single player than the N64 games did, so squeezing split screen out of the system is pushing it too far.
Don't forget, though, that the Expansion Pak was required for aspects of Perfect Dark. If nobody remembers it, the Expansion Pak was literally a RAM upgrade. So I guess the stock N64 couldn't handle everything they threw at it. Maybe if there was a hardware upgrade accessory for these systems, split screen wouldn't be an issue anymore.
Levi @ Aug 21st 2009 3:46PM
"Like, maybe these games one a lot closer to mazing out the system's power"
let's try that again. "Like, maybe these games are a lot closer to maxing out the system's power..." Upon closer inspection, it seems iPhone really changes "maxing" to "mazing." That one wasn't even my fault.
"after years of intense research, we at Apple have determined that many iPhone users want the addition of a hardware keyboard. So we added a compass."
Anyway, it seems EinhanderKiller andyself just offered the same theory, we just got tied up in the internets, and our responses totally crossed refresh paths.
DeepFriedSushi @ Aug 21st 2009 4:08PM
its a growing misconception. sure n64 had several games which offered split screen but it was only used for local multiplayer. co-op split screen is infinitely more complex to render. ps1, ps2, xbox1(halo being the exception), and gamecube(shift to single player) really didnt offer that many split screen games either.
also as for consoles not being powerful enough does have to do with how our standards have gone up. in split screen goldeneye ran around ~20fps. and when things got intense in multiplayer you'd be looking at single digit framerates. Todays standards would find that completely unacceptable, rather than it being a point of criticism (thus reducing the game's score) they've elected to remove it completely.
Levi @ Aug 21st 2009 6:46PM
god call sushi. There's definitely a lot more going on during singleplayer than multiplayer usually, and co-op is single player. Add to the fact that 4 player verses just isn't really all that fun anymore, and you have no reason, or not enough power, to do any sort of split screen. Without hacking out quality, that is. With the old 4 player split screen deathmatch and what not, you'd only have to render 4 characters. That's zero AI, zero scripts, etc. Except for Perfect Dark, which you could play with more than 4 playersvia adding bots (though, as ponted out above, it needed theRAM expansion).
I remember reading that Halo 3 actually has like 630 vertical lines of resolution, and is scaled up to 720p, which was done just to support split screen co-op.
Einhanderkiller @ Aug 22nd 2009 2:22AM
I'm pretty sure Bungie lowered Halo 3's native resolution in order to use higher quality HDR.
Levi @ Aug 21st 2009 3:01PM
He doesn't use punctuation even close to correctly, why are you guys bothering...?
HighFiveJesus @ Aug 21st 2009 3:01PM
i remember when this was the only kind of co op :(
Jawmuncher @ Aug 21st 2009 3:19PM
I know what you mean, now everything has Online MP but getting splitscreen especially 4 player splitscreen is getting rarer and rarer.
Spartan [Planeteer l Power of bad weather] @ Aug 21st 2009 4:27PM
Left 4 dead local 4 player?
I would kill for that...
KILL!
Charlie_Six @ Aug 22nd 2009 3:26AM
I'm not a big fan of split-screen. I hate sharing a screen with someone else and making it all squished and crappy looking. Now if they could figure out a way to have a single console output to two separate TVs (or more), so that each player had their own screen, that'd be pretty cool. Plus it would let you play a variety of competitive games without each player knowing what the other was up to.
Charlie_Six @ Aug 22nd 2009 3:36AM
Oh, and just to elaborate my reasoning for a console that can output to multiple TVs...
Most households have more than one TV already.
Also note that many PCs are capable of outputting to multiple monitors already, so the technology is already there.
Speaking of PCs... why haven't FPS game makers for PCs tapped into the multi monitor concept yet?? It would be perfect. You could have two monitors (or more) attached to a single computer's video card. Each player would have their own monitor. One player could use the classic keyboard/mouse combo, other players could use USB gamepads.
It would be an instant LAN party, but without the mess or hassle of a LAN. Also keep in mind that many PCs are superior in graphical power than the 360 and PS3.. meaning they could handle multiple graphics screens more easily.
ahumanwolverine @ Aug 21st 2009 3:10PM
I will pre-order and buy this opening day if it has couch co-op.
If not it's getting added to my list of "buy used 2 months after release."
Sablcious @ Sep 27th 2009 1:43PM
I second that motion!
Local co-op sells games that normally wouldn't even attract a second glance. I'm surprised greedy devs don't see this fact and, well... whore it! Like they do everything else that they think has money-making potential. -_-
Akuma FTW @ Aug 21st 2009 3:12PM
I have 3 Xboxes a Wii and a PS3. The Xboxes gang up on the PS3 and the Wii watches from the dust covered sidelines
Paul @ Aug 21st 2009 3:22PM
cool. I wasn't crazy about the first but I'm getting tired of sending my friends home so I can play a game with them. This is arcade-y enough to be a lot of fun with co-op
yyr @ Aug 21st 2009 4:05PM
You're doing it wrong.
Have all your friends bring their consoles and TVs/monitors over, connect them all together in a LAN, and kill kill kill. Small TVs or computer monitors work really well for this.
My buddies and I do this all the time, mostly with Gears of War 2. Obviously the game has to support system link, but the best ones usually do.
swindle2915 @ Aug 21st 2009 6:29PM
better yet live in the same house as them and their tellies are never more than a room away!
uni is awesome
Lurkero @ Aug 21st 2009 3:24PM
Splitscreen has been done hundreds of times before. Is it lost technology or something now? (the hardware should be able to handle 2 renders by now)
arrness (PSN: chsowls) @ Aug 21st 2009 3:50PM
YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Sangor @ Aug 21st 2009 4:09PM
Its good to know that some developers are still trying to work split screen into their game.
JUNG GUNS @ Aug 21st 2009 4:36PM
YES!!!!!!!! I asked you that yesterday ftw.
sirpilf @ Aug 21st 2009 4:53PM
wow, think they played shadow of the colossus much? the first one yea had giant monsters, but that flying worm is straight out of SOTC.
DeepFriedSushi @ Aug 21st 2009 5:01PM
i dont know about that they look radically different. but a flying monster isnt really something sotc can take credit for either.
as for gigantic bosses it was due to hardware limitations not because of lack of creative vision. the natural progression of games want to create more epic and bigger boss battles.
swindle2915 @ Aug 21st 2009 6:33PM
the flying worm looks like a large version of a very common enemy in the original lost plaet too me. also i don't think that sotc came up with trilobites which is what those "worm things" are based off of.
Sablcious @ Sep 27th 2009 1:37PM
I think it's the atmosphere of the boss battles that seem SotC-y... even EDF 2047-y in a way. The creatures just seem so huge yet perfectly interactable. The one that can swallow you and lets you continue the battle in it's sigmoid colon looks hella fun! : D
nriveraexpress @ Aug 21st 2009 8:16PM
demo was great and im glad some 1 at capcom has a brain
SyChO @ Aug 22nd 2009 10:53PM
I played and I am still playing the demo... I can't wait to buy this game!
Gemini Ace @ Aug 23rd 2009 6:18PM
I like how this is not being touted as a feature when it used to be standard. Developers can make all the excuses they want, but it doesn't make the lack of split-screen co-op any less of an oversight. Just because a machine hooks up to the internet doesn't mean I want to play with people online. Nor do I want to have to buy 2 copies of the game in order to play with people that live near me.
Sablcious @ Sep 27th 2009 1:33PM
It's because devs are lazy in a sense and just want to make the game LOOK great and rush it out asap. Split-screen would take a bit more production time, granted. But could still be done with relative ease with moderate resolution/draw distance sacrifices.
Laziness is the real reason. That's why gamers need to make it understood that no local co-op = no deal!
Sablcious @ Sep 27th 2009 1:53PM
@ Einhanderkiller:
--------------------------
What, so a negligible graphical compromise isn't worth the at least having the option of split-screen functionality? o_0 I mean, you don't HAVE TO use the option if you're that much of a graphics whore. -_-
Some of us have REAL friends and want to SOCIALIZE while playing. Local multiplayer is integral for this type video gaming. On-line is amusing -- yes. But with lag, random adolescent scrubs, watered down multiplayer options/modes... it's a poor substitute for 'tangible' multiplayer.