couch co-op
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'Fortnite' adds split-screen multiplayer on PS4 and Xbox One
Fortnite players on PS4 and Xbox One might not have to yell at their teammates through a headset anymore -- they could just complain (or give props) to their buddies IRL while they play on the same screen. Following Epic's latest update for the battle royale behemoth, you can team up with friends for split-screen action in duo or squad games. Sure, you'll have a little less screen real estate than if you were playing solo, but Fortnite joining the ranks of couch co-op titles is a great move for friends who like to hang out and play games together.
Couch co-op games to keep you warm this winter
Winter is upon us, and now's a great time to cuddle up with your significant other or a close buddy for some couch co-op. It's not just a great way to grow closer to the ones you love - add a blanket to the mix and it's a cost-effective way to stave off the cold. Many of 2014's games are better experienced with a co-op partner, and we're featuring a dozen of this year's best right here in the pages ahead. For the purposes of this feature, we're highlighting games that only offer local co-op, with no option for online cooperative play. This year saw the release of several exceptional games that feature online co-op in addition to local multiplayer (including Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, Earth Defense Force 2025, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection), but these particular games require a friend in close proximity in order to enjoy their co-op features. Online or not, what are your favorite co-op games released this year? Drop us a comment and let us know! >>Couch Co-op Games Perfect for the Winter<< [Image: Miramax]
Couch co-op gives way to internet teamplay
Co-op mode in video games is often a very popular feature, probably because of the added intensity of competing with A.I. in partnership with a friend. Games like Halo and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory become entirely different (and better) games when played in co-operative mode. Of course, the early innovator was Contra, which, without a co-op mode, would have been just another side scrolling shooter. With the greats of the co-op gaming genre in mind, Vic over at Bits & bytes & pixels & sprites has written up a feature calling for a next-generation renaissance in co-operative games. Couch co-op has never been an assured feature with games, especially recently. Since 2000, developers on the PC platform have clearly ignored the co-op mode in favor of dedicated multiplayer modes with big name first person shooters like Half-Life 2, Doom 3 and Quake 4 skipping on the mode. Games with teamplay orientated multiplayer modes like Counter-Strike and Call of Duty have picked up the fundamentals of co-op based games and thanks to their easy accessibility over the internet, have become wildly popular as a result (especially in comparison to the limit of 2-4 players in a usual co-op game). There will always be developers that include couch co-op modes in their games (Bungie, Blizzard and Ubisoft come to mind), but there's unlikely to be a massive resurgence in the number of couch co-op games mainly due to an internet based takeover of team based gameplay. [Thanks, Daniel Zuccarelli]
