It is believed that Halo 5 will not include traditional 4-player splitscreen. With each Halo game (though the hardware has been getting better), 4-player splitscreen has degraded more and more, until H4 and H2A renders it almost unplayable due to the horrible framerate.
This thread already has a well-compiled laundry list of things that can be done to make smooth 4-player splitscreen on Halo 5 possible, but arguably the most important decision to be made is the last one in his list, so I want to draw attention to it:
Provide a complete alternate set of low-texture in-game assets that are used when the player is in splitscreen.
I know this is a difficult task, as it would take up a lot of disc space to duplicate these assets, so here’s the crazy idea:
Provide the low-texture assets through a free, optional DLC. This would prevent lots of extra disc space from being used when the game ships. Halo can not lose 4-player splitscreen without losing a fundamental part of what makes Halo Halo. It will no longer be the go-to party game that siblings, frat boys, and LAN partygoers spend hours screwing around on. The lack of optimization of 4-player splitscreen in Halo 4 (possibly excusable on the 360, but no longer excusable now that it’s on the XB1) and Halo 2 Anniversary has already damaged Halo’s spot in this niche. Please, please don’t do a disservice to Halo by taking the easy way out and limiting it to 2-player splitscreen. 343, Halo is your baby now – don’t drop it!
Though this DLC option is unprecedented in gaming (to my knowledge), there’s no reason it couldn’t work, and it is simply the best compromise between functionality and disc space conservation.
Thanks for reading.
<em>_____________________________________________</em>
++++ IMPORTANT ++++
Please Favorite and Retweet this Tweet I sent to Josh Holmes (no hate or spam please - keep it respectful) until we get a response. Be sure to type @JoshingtonState, @franklez, or any other relevant 343 employees in your Retweets as well. We can do this, guys! Let them know it’s important to us!
343 and Microsoft have the data, if they decided to not include 4 player split screen it’d only be because the small number of people who use it relative to the entire player base is outweighed by the cost of its implementation.
I’m not saying that it’s not a bummer, but I surely don’t think that they should be harshly criticized over it, it’s a rare thing for modern games to do, and really, it’s probably not an easy thing to do these days when the tech in games is so more more complex and assets themselves are so much more high fidelity.
but honestly, who knows, maybe there will be 4 player split screen after all, if not, maybe just bring over another Xbox to your friends house if it’s possible for you.
Also, I think anyone spouting about how easy it would be whilst having literally no game development background, especially not on the Halo engine is pretty hilarious, it’s funny when people try to simplify technology they don’t understand and speak in absolutes.
> 2732317809650829;2:
> 343 and Microsoft have the data, if they decided to not include 4 player split screen it’d only be because the small number of people who use it relative to the entire player base is outweighed by the cost of its implementation.
>
> I’m not saying that it’s not a bummer, but I surely don’t think that they should be harshly criticized over it, it’s a rare thing for modern games to do, and really, it’s probably not an easy thing to do these days when the tech in games is so more more complex and assets themselves are so much more high fidelity.
>
> but honestly, who knows, maybe there will be 4 player split screen after all, if not, maybe just bring over another Xbox to your friends house if it’s possible for you.
I see what you’re getting at, but there’s no way to collect accurate data on how many people are going over to their friends’ houses, bringing their consoles, and playing Halo LAN games. There’s no way to measure that.
It’s a bit of a catch-22. Think about it: 343 disincentivizes custom/LAN/splitscreen gaming by making it difficult to use (since the introduction of Halo 4). As a result, it becomes a less prominent part of Halo’s lifeblood. 343 then says, “4-player splitscreen has become less prominent for some reason – must be Xbox Live. Therefore, we don’t need to do the hard work of implementing it properly/at all moving forward”. See how that sucks for the consumers like you and me?
The idea that splitscreen gaming is no longer relevant/needed because of Xbox Live is flawed – XBL had already been out for ten years when Halo 4 came out. Even today, on the MCC, you can very frequently see parties of 3 or 4 playing online. What about all the groups playing offline? Out of sight, out of mind… I guess.
The decision to omit 4-player splitscreen is not being made in Halo’s best interest, and certainly not in the Halo community’s best interest. It’s strictly a business decision. Less players per Xbox = a family of 4 having to buy two Xboxes instead of one in order to play together (plus needing to have a minimum of two XBL Gold accounts instead of one). Combine that with the fact that implementing it properly in Halo 5 on the XB1 would indeed take work on 343’s side and you have no monetary incentive to do it. The only reason to do it is because it’s the right thing to do. But right decisions can’t be monetized, so we’re left horribly short-changed.
ave they officially confirmed it to be out by the way, I haven’t been keeping up on it to be honest.
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> ave they officially confirmed it to be out by the way, I haven’t been keeping up on it to be honest.
Not officially, at least I don’t think so. But I think it’s almost a guarantee that it’s their intention.
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> > 2732317809650829;4:
> > ave they officially confirmed it to be out by the way, I haven’t been keeping up on it to be honest.
>
>
> Not officially, at least I don’t think so. But I think it’s almost a guarantee that it’s their intention.
Yes it has been: https://twitter.com/joshingtonstate/status/546126391201128448
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> > 2535415525188239;5:
> > > 2732317809650829;4:
> > > ave they officially confirmed it to be out by the way, I haven’t been keeping up on it to be honest.
> >
> >
> > Not officially, at least I don’t think so. But I think it’s almost a guarantee that it’s their intention.
>
>
> Yes it has been: https://twitter.com/joshingtonstate/status/546126391201128448
He didn’t explicitly state that the game will have no 4-player splitscreen whatsoever, just that there will only be 2-player splitscreen for co-op. But yes, it’s pretty clear what that means for splitscreen as a whole. It might as well be official.
343 really hates the core Halo experience for some reason… I like the direction they’ve taken the story, I’m really hyped for the game, more so for campaign than the multiplayer. They need to quit, Halo belongs to it’s fans, not 343…
> 2533274835513254;8:
> 343 really hates the core Halo experience for some reason… I like the direction they’ve taken the story, I’m really hyped for the game, more so for campaign than the multiplayer. They need to quit, Halo belongs to it’s fans, not 343…
I agree (mostly). Splitscreen should be going nowhere. Consider doing a Retweet to Josh Holmes – check out the section at the bottom of my OP labeled “IMPORTANT” 
thanks
> 2533274835513254;8:
> 343 really hates the core Halo experience for some reason… I like the direction they’ve taken the story, I’m really hyped for the game, more so for campaign than the multiplayer. They need to quit, Halo belongs to it’s fans, not 343…
You bipolar man? That’s one constructive art piece right there ^
Obviously there is more than the resolution of textures that impacts the framerate when 4 players are playing the game at once (particle effects, AI, shadows, draw distance, AA, etc). Not sure if this solution gets over all those other hurdles, but it’s an interesting idea.
I’m still of the belief that the hay-day of 4 player split screen is long gone, and degrading the experience to the point where it looks like Combat Evolved and barely runs at 30 FPS will only further turn people away from it. Would personally rather see them devote the resources elsewhere.
PLEASE 343
make halo 5 also on the xbox 360 !!!
> 2535454524679646;12:
> PLEASE 343
> make halo 5 also on the xbox 360 !!!
360’s hardware is now not capable of carrying FHD textures and high polygon objects
> 2535454524679646;12:
> PLEASE 343
> make halo 5 also on the xbox 360 !!!
thats like saying they should’ve made Halo 3 on the Original Xbox. How are there still people expecting games like Halo 5 a 2015 game (the year microsoft would be the end of the 360s lifespan) to be made on 360, it would be garbage.
> 2533274800197828;11:
> Obviously there is more than the resolution of textures that impacts the framerate when 4 players are playing the game at once (particle effects, AI, shadows, draw distance, AA, etc). Not sure if this solution gets over all those other hurdles, but it’s an interesting idea.
>
> I’m still of the belief that the hay-day of 4 player split screen is long gone, and degrading the experience to the point where it looks like Combat Evolved and barely runs at 30 FPS will only further turn people away from it. Would personally rather see them devote the resources elsewhere.
My opinion as well. I don’t want 343i to take a minute trying to create 4 player split screen if they can put their time towards something else. Of course, this is just my opinion. Obviously 4 player split screen is important to others, and I don’t mean to attack them.
I don’t know if what you said makes sense from a developer standpoint, but I don’t really care. 4 player splitscreen is a must have feature in every Halo game, as far as I’m concerned. Cutting it, IMO, would be just as bad as cutting Custom Games as a whole. You could kiss Halo parties goodbye, just like that.
If 343i don’t include it in the game, I have a feeling that it’s because they didn’t fight to keep it in- not because it isn’t possible. For -Yoink-'s sake, this is a next gen machine running on an updated version of the same engine that has had 4 player splitscreen since its conception. You can’t blame it being cut on how complicated games are today. 342i are a bunch of expert as on game design (that’s how they got hired to do Halo in the first place), and I’m 100% sure that if they truly care about 4 player splitscreen, they can overcome the technical challenge.
If it’s not in the game, it’s because 343i gave up- or because they just don’t care. I’d like to think it’s the former.
PS- For those saying “take the Xbox to your friend”… No. That doesn’t work. My friends don’t have Xbox Ones. That’s why I’m inviting them over for Halo in the first place…
Well, at least I can still 1v1 my brother.
> 2533274846978810;16:
> I don’t know if what you said makes sense from a developer standpoint, but I don’t really care. 4 player splitscreen is a must have feature in every Halo game, as far as I’m concerned. Cutting it, IMO, would be just as bad as cutting Custom Games as a whole. You could kiss Halo parties goodbye, just like that.
>
> If 343i don’t include it in the game, I have a feeling that it’s because they didn’t fight to keep it in- not because it isn’t possible. For -Yoink-'s sake, this is a next gen machine running on an updated version of the same engine that has had 4 player splitscreen since its conception. You can’t blame it being cut on how complicated games are today. 342i are a bunch of expert as on game design (that’s how they got hired to do Halo in the first place), and I’m 100% sure that if they truly care about 4 player splitscreen, they can overcome the technical challenge.
>
> If it’s not in the game, it’s because 343i gave up- or because they just don’t care. I’d like to think it’s the former.
>
> PS- For those saying “take the Xbox to your friend”… No. That doesn’t work. My friends don’t have Xbox Ones. That’s why I’m inviting them over for Halo in the first place…
>
> Well, at least I can still 1v1 my brother.
you say it must be in every Halo game yet only 2 Halo games actually had local 4 player multiplayer, Halo 3 and 4.
> 2533274816487930;17:
> > 2533274846978810;16:
> > I don’t know if what you said makes sense from a developer standpoint, but I don’t really care. 4 player splitscreen is a must have feature in every Halo game, as far as I’m concerned. Cutting it, IMO, would be just as bad as cutting Custom Games as a whole. You could kiss Halo parties goodbye, just like that.
> >
> > If 343i don’t include it in the game, I have a feeling that it’s because they didn’t fight to keep it in- not because it isn’t possible. For -Yoink-'s sake, this is a next gen machine running on an updated version of the same engine that has had 4 player splitscreen since its conception. You can’t blame it being cut on how complicated games are today. 342i are a bunch of expert as on game design (that’s how they got hired to do Halo in the first place), and I’m 100% sure that if they truly care about 4 player splitscreen, they can overcome the technical challenge.
> >
> > If it’s not in the game, it’s because 343i gave up- or because they just don’t care. I’d like to think it’s the former.
> >
> > PS- For those saying “take the Xbox to your friend”… No. That doesn’t work. My friends don’t have Xbox Ones. That’s why I’m inviting them over for Halo in the first place…
> >
> > Well, at least I can still 1v1 my brother.
>
>
> you say it must be in every Halo game yet only 2 Halo games actually had local 4 player multiplayer, Halo 3 and 4.
Umn… Halo CE and Halo 2 also have 4-player split-screen… So does Reach.
> 2535460843083983;18:
> > 2533274816487930;17:
> > > 2533274846978810;16:
> > > I don’t know if what you said makes sense from a developer standpoint, but I don’t really care. 4 player splitscreen is a must have feature in every Halo game, as far as I’m concerned. Cutting it, IMO, would be just as bad as cutting Custom Games as a whole. You could kiss Halo parties goodbye, just like that.
> > >
> > > If 343i don’t include it in the game, I have a feeling that it’s because they didn’t fight to keep it in- not because it isn’t possible. For -Yoink-'s sake, this is a next gen machine running on an updated version of the same engine that has had 4 player splitscreen since its conception. You can’t blame it being cut on how complicated games are today. 342i are a bunch of expert as on game design (that’s how they got hired to do Halo in the first place), and I’m 100% sure that if they truly care about 4 player splitscreen, they can overcome the technical challenge.
> > >
> > > If it’s not in the game, it’s because 343i gave up- or because they just don’t care. I’d like to think it’s the former.
> > >
> > > PS- For those saying “take the Xbox to your friend”… No. That doesn’t work. My friends don’t have Xbox Ones. That’s why I’m inviting them over for Halo in the first place…
> > >
> > > Well, at least I can still 1v1 my brother.
> >
> >
> > you say it must be in every Halo game yet only 2 Halo games actually had local 4 player multiplayer, Halo 3 and 4.
>
>
> Umn… Halo CE and Halo 2 also have 4-player split-screen… So does Reach.
my mistake, when seeing what was the coop max some pages said only halo 3 and 4 had 4SS
In Custom Games, in all major Halos, you can have 4 player Splitscreen multiplayer.
Campaigns are obviously, and understandably, more complicated because of the extra AI, bigger maps and the set piece moments. 2 player Splitscreen for the campaign is good enough.