Lovely appeal, the whole community thing. But that sort of appeal only works on people who make video games for love not money. The only way to convince the video game business to put in more local multiplayer is be showing that it's financially beneficial to do so.

I've bought a couple of games specifically because they had local multiplayer. And bugger me if I only just found out that you can play two player co-op Knack.

Yeah, I'm someone who loves local coop as well. Many of my fondest memories are with local coop, even know. Me and a few friends still enjoy the wonders of it. It's not quite like online at all, being together with friends, cheering, yelling and hating each other, and then you laugh about it when it ends xD

Luckily Ninten still keeps that around in a lot of their games.

Yeah. online play has never really got gotten much interest out of me- except when I'm playing online with people I know either personally, or at least have had a prior friendship with them outside of gaming- but I have plenty of fond couch co-op memories. Playing Halo 3 and managing a mid-leap sniper headshot from across the map in a deathmatch, drawing gasps of shock from my friends and spurring the Victory Dance of Win, which was subsequently interrupted by the Warthog Bumper of Pain as another friend ran me down in my distraction. Just doesn't feel the same if the person isn't there to shoot a smug grin as you're administering all manner of doom. >_>

If anyone is interested in a cheap, very simple but somewhat addictive competitive couch multiplayer title (keep in mind I think it's ONLY multiplayer, and I don't know if it even has an online component,) I'd recommend Nidhogg. The visuals are incredibly simple, as are the mechanics and the end goal, but the fluidity of gameplay and the back-and-forth, acrobatic Errol Flynn-ing as you try to best your opponent was just a ridiculous amount of fun for competitive tournaments. Again, let me emphasize, it's a VERY basic indie title, but it really captures the spirit of controller-clenching competition. x3

Edit: I doublechecked, appears it does have online multiplayer. I only bothered with local though. x3