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Couch co-op multiplayer with multiple monitors

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Devastadus, Oct 7, 2019.

  1. Devastadus

    Devastadus

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    Today and since the SNES days there has been couch co-op slit screen, such as mario kart. and recently borderlands 3 and gears 5 . My question is with PC's with multiple monitor setups why do developers not take advantage of this? and why is split screen console only mostly? such as player 1 on one monitor and player 2 on another monitor. I know it can be done because with supported games you can span multiple monitors like with nvidia 3d vision surround. To me it seems multiple monitor setups are common enough so i don't understand why this isn't being taken advantage on in the PC. and also could i do this in unity? player 1 on one monitor and player 2 on another?

    Thanks.
     
  2. ShilohGames

    ShilohGames

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    I personally like local multiplayer gaming experiences, but most Steam gamers do not. Most PC players want a single player game or a multiplayer game with one person per PC. Some Steam gamers will even complain when developers take the time to add a local multiplayer option in games, because they often feel the developer "wasted" time on a local multiplayer feature.

    On top of that, there are some tech issues with how the engine manages sound. For example, if you have multiple monitors with one player per monitor, you still only get one sound listener. With split screen multiplayer, you can build your own solution to fake the sounds since all 2-4 players share the same screen. However, with two separate monitors, the monitors could be turned at different angles (including back to back on a table), and that would make it very challenging to build a solution to properly fake multiple sound listeners. You would need to include a setup tool to let gamers tell the game how the additional monitors where oriented in the room.

    In a split screen local multiplayer game, there are some tricks you can do with sound. For example, in Disputed Space, all local players can hear their own weapons fire, but only the primary player can hear nearby noises like other ships firing. I did it that way to preserve performance, and because there was so much blasting going on that having potentially four copies of that blasting would likely overwhelm most people.

    If I had done multiple separate monitors instead of spit screen, I would have need a different solution for the audio. Anyway, I would suggest building a few prototypes of your local multiplayer game idea. The video rendering part is easy enough. The real challenge is the audio. Unfortunately, you cannot just add an Audio Listener for each player and then direct each audio to separate speakers or headphones. You will have to come up with a custom solution using a single audio listener.
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2019
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  3. Ryiah

    Ryiah

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    For the same reason that a developer avoids any niche. Having a very limited audience means a very limited return on the cost of developing a feature. Multiple monitor configurations only seem common because enthusiasts associate largely with other enthusiasts. Once you start paying attention to the average gamer you quickly realize it's not that common.
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2019
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  4. Joe-Censored

    Joe-Censored

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    Consoles are often set up in a communal area, such as a living room, with an appropriately sized display for viewing by multiple people. Computers are typically far more personal set ups, places in locations like a corner desk, or a personal laptop not well set up for communal viewing.

    Though there are some games which do implement same computer multiplayer well (Gauntlet remake for example). Those games which implement same computer multiplayer are usually designed around controllers rather than keyboard/mouse, and don't depend on multiple screens.
     
  5. Devastadus

    Devastadus

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    If you take borderlands for instance. it's split screen on console but not on PC. Development work is done. Since it is unreal, it should be trivial to do since you already have it in for the PS4 and Xbox version. why even go through the effort of not including it?

    I've never thought of the sound issue. That's an interesting one. I can see that being a deal breaker for certain games.
     
  6. Not_Sure

    Not_Sure

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    Couch co-op died when developers realized they could sell two copies of a game instead of one if they stopped doing split screen.

    Borderlands and Diablo are fringe cases.
     
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  7. ShilohGames

    ShilohGames

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    I don't blame other developers for this. Players on Steam have largely rejected the idea of local multiplayer. And when developers do release a game on Steam with local multiplayer support, Steam gamers often complain about it. The new Steam Remote Play feature might start to change that attitude from Steam gamers, though.
     
  8. Kiwasi

    Kiwasi

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    Dual screen multiplayer does seem a bit niche.

    But I wouldn't mind better support for dual screens in single player mode. I'd really like to be able to play an RTS and just leave multiple cameras up on different screens. Or a grand strategy game and have stats windows open on other screens.
     
  9. Murgilod

    Murgilod

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    It's pretty good for arcade style setups, but past that…
     
  10. RichardKain

    RichardKain

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    As many have already stated, it is a considerably more niche use-case. It requires additional setup and equipment, that the average player isn't going to bother with. Basing a game's design around such a concept is going to naturally limit the audience.

    That said, I think there is significant potential in the concept, and it wouldn't surprise me to see it pursued more regularly in the future. The game industry has grown to the point where niche markets can be affordably catered to. This is especially true of smaller indie developers and hobbyist developers. Moreover, the tools and hardware necessary for such projects have also dropped in price. The latest Raspberry Pi (model 4) has support for multiple monitors. The arcade-style setups that Murgilod mentions are becoming more reasonable by the day.

    Having such a game become a main-stream success is unlikely. But a strong niche contender with a dedicated fan-base is entirely possible. This style of experience is one that can't be had anywhere else, making its impact on the users far greater. It is a less convenient way to play, but it is also makes a much stronger impression.
     
  11. NaBUru38

    NaBUru38

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    My upcoming videogame has split screen, dual monitor and online multiplayer - at the same time!
     
    chadfranklin47 and lyingturkey like this.