Spencer: People play Co-Op via Xbox Live, that may be the reason for no Split Screen Co-Op in Halo 5

[binary solo]

LudicrousSpeed said:

DonFerrari said:

LudicrousSpeed said:

He said people don't play Halo local as much according according to data. Doesn't mean anything in relation to MP in general or VR.

We obviously don't know for machines that don't connect, but yeah. When you look at where most of the multiplayer happens in games, Live (is the place) just because it's so easy. I don't have to have somebody at my house. I love the nostalgia of the couch co-op of what Halo did in the past, but I also know in the realities of the day with people's busy lives, it's not as easy to get everybody in the same physical place. It's one of the advantages that Xbox Live obviously offers."

This don't seem exclusive to Halo does it?

Uh.. yes? I mean, he even mentions Halo by name right there in the quote you posted?

Couch co-op in Halo has been replaced by online co-op. 343i drops couch co-op from Halo 5. Phil Spencer says he does not want VR to become the norm in gaming because it will eliminate local social play.

You understand Microsoft still offers other games that have local split screen play?

There are still plenty of couch co-op/MP games you can play right now and in the future. Phil thinks VR would ruin that. Halo has already been "ruined" in that aspect even without help from VR. This is simple stuff, the reach is laughable. I am done.

Halo is just the proximate example of what he claims is a generally dying trend. My guess though is perhaps it is true for Halo. Halo is a franchise that is not really attracting new, younger gamers who are more likely to want to co-op with their friends, just like all "older" gamers here describe their Halo CE experiences when they were poor teenagers with just one Xbox between 4 mates. So because Halo's audience is skewing older because it's mostly original Xbox owners buying Halo, co-op for Halo specifically is becomming less relevant, perhaps at a greater rate than the general trend of gamers becoming older on average and hence local co-op becoming less relevant (albeit more slowly). So it is a trend in gaming preference that is happening faster with Halo, perhaps.