why aren't 2 player games on 1 PC more supported?

TonyTurbo78

TonyTurbo78

TonyTurbo78

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Was just having a chin wag with the misses the other day about some games that we can play together on the PC. We used to play on xbox 360 together with two seperate accounts, but it almost seems impossible on PC. What's the tech reason why you just can't plug in a second controller and have 2 player option on the same screen playing so-op on 1 pc without system link?
 
Largely PC games are designed around keyboard and mouse use rather than controllers/gamepads which doesn't immediatly lend itself to multi-user gaming on the same system - seperate mouse input isn't very well handled by windows and requires a completely custom implementation (hardware interface and software API) to get 2 different sets of mouse readings.

Though at a technical level theres not much stopping it being done just not the demand for it - a few games used to get 3rd party mods to support it back in the day but lately a lot of games are locked down to prevent modding :|
 
I think there's just such low demand that devs don't bother adding it.

There are a few PC games where you can play 2 on 1 PC. The beat-em-ups, of course, and Nidhogg looks awesome for 2 player.
 
Roff...I totally understand that. I should have added I meant shooters and controller games, not mouse and keyboard games.

These are split screen titles we played on 1 xbox 360 together that appeared on PC also and im sure there were more.

Borderlands 1 and 2
Resident Evil 4
All the Lego Games
Portal

I cant see any reason why you couldn't do the same on PC as they all support controller...most modern games on PC do, in fact, I reckon more modern games can be played with a controller than the games that cannot.

Only reason I ask is me and the misses used to play a lot on the 360, she kinda misses out now because I invest 100% of my game time on my PC. Would never buy the outrageously overpriced and underpowered cough cough next-gen consoles this time around.
 
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Geoff Crammonds Grand Prix had the best ingame option ever ! Hot Seat ! You could specify how many players then set the amount of laps each player had. The AI would briefly take over your car at the end of your allotted laps allowing the next player to take the seat and drive his car .. worked perfectly, I miss Geoff's games :( !!
 
I play trine/Trine 2, guacamelee, Magika with my daughter using two xbox controllers on the PC. I'm sure there is more games out there.
 
Ah, the good old days of huddling around a single keyboard playing Ivan 'Ironman' Stewart's Super Off Road, Mortal Kombat 3 and Micro Machines, or split screening Hi-Octane and Re-Volt.

*feeling old*
 
You can play portal 2 split screen, I wish they had allowed borderlands 2 co-op on pc, had to buy it for Xbox :(. I agree with you though they seem to actively take it out I hope steam big picture will help this.
Few games we play split screen on PC, Lego games (currently hobbit), Rayman Legends and Sonic racing transformed.
 
eekfek said:
Geoff Crammonds Grand Prix had the best in-game option ever ! Hot Seat ! You could specify how many players then set the amount of laps each player had. The AI would briefly take over your car at the end of your allotted laps allowing the next player to take the seat and drive his car .. worked perfectly, I miss Geoff's games :( !!
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Those were the days! 4 of us sitting round a friends Atari ST, racing a few laps then the next person was on. The trick was to be the last to drive, as the AI was quite slow so it was easy to catch up and overtake.
22 years ago :eek:!
 
Left4Dead had a mod I think that let you play split screen, not sure how good it was.

I agree though would be really nice if we had more support for this especially as a reward for putting up with %^$£ console ports.
 
molinari said:
Those were the days! 4 of us sitting round a friends Atari ST, racing a few laps then the next person was on. The trick was to be the last to drive, as the AI was quite slow so it was easy to catch up and overtake.
22 years ago :eek:!
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Thanks for that!!! ;)

My only issue with this was the somewhat haphazard method of driving of one of my mates wiping the rest of us out on a corner! :p
 
molinari said:
Those were the days! 4 of us sitting round a friends Atari ST, racing a few laps then the next person was on. The trick was to be the last to drive, as the AI was quite slow so it was easy to catch up and overtake.

22 years ago :eek:!
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SHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! but yep, the A.I was probably the best I've seen in any game, it emulated your driving style and threw wobblers at places you struggled to drive round :p
 
Found a game we can both play, one of controller the other on mouse - Child Of Light. One for the misses, I'll happily play along so she can get her fix. Quite a clever game actually
 
TonyTurbo78 said:
What's the tech reason why you just can't plug in a second controller and have 2 player option on the same screen playing so-op on 1 pc without system link?
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It because PC gamers are meant to have no real life friends..so they give us Computer-controlled bots instead....:p
 
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