For the Love of Split-screen
The current social state of gaming can be seen as a contemporary metaphor on the choice of socialising these days. Once upon a time it used to be popular to invite over a few pals, crack upon a few cans, watch a few films and casually rejoice in all the good and bad, today it's a more regular occurrence to coil up on the sofa or shackle yourself to the computer chair and social network. The way I describe such an activity might imply a dislikeable attitude to such act, I wont disclose, but what I will say is that in effort of making life more convenient this regular form of social connection is only going to become more virtual. Disconnecting ourselves from the controversial debate of computerised sociology, gaming hasnt totally become this seemingly isolated social activity, in actuality its the contrary, with the likes of the Wii, Kinect and even the PlayStation Move which are devices designed to bring people together. But if we narrow it down to just the core games the outcome mirrors the likes of the wider social spectrum. Nearly every core game has to have multiplayer but whatever happened to the couch co-op days of the console? This little piece looks out to inspire and then in turn rekindle that once burning need for split-screen; the days of inviting a few pals, cracking a few cans and playing a few games.