No pepperoni and cheese—that’s the biggest problem with the
next generation of consoles from Sony and Microsoft.
Sublime graphics and rich internet personas might find the
PS4 and Xbox One snatched from store shelves, but there’s an age-old feature missing,
one that reaches back to their ancestral origins.
Split-Screen Gaming.
Sony and Microsoft have tried to bridge the divide with
network gameplay, but a camera and sound system—no matter how sophisticated or
powerful—is no match for the lingo of body language.
Some of my fondest childhood memories involve staying home with a group of friends and playing an outdated version of Gran Turismo on the original PlayStation. We made a day out of it, racing each other until the buttons were imprinted on our fingers. Parents didn’t mind because the laughter and enthusiasm of children would fill the halls, and those are their favourite sounds in the whole world.
The only problem is there are few games that support split-screen
functionality. Need for Speed and Medal of Honor—two of the biggest gaming franchises—no longer support a ‘Player 2’ mode. There
is no 007 GoldenEye for today’s generation and each game developer cites screen
real-estate as the reason why.
But that’s no longer a problem. New technology from TV
companies now make it possible for two players to watch their own game action
on one full screen. They simply put on a pair of special glasses and they can
verse their friend-turn-foe without having to sacrifice any screen space.
And they can do this sitting right next to each other. The
good old way.
Sony introduced the technology with their PlayStation
television, but the real kudos goes to LG for integrating the tech into ordinary
TVs.
Thanks to this stroke of technological brilliance gaming can be social again. Friends can gather around a television and chant as though they’re at the Colosseum and two gladiators are about to give it their all. There will be trash-talk and laughter and hysterics. Memories will be born.
Thanks to this stroke of technological brilliance gaming can be social again. Friends can gather around a television and chant as though they’re at the Colosseum and two gladiators are about to give it their all. There will be trash-talk and laughter and hysterics. Memories will be born.
The winner will gloat and the loser will endure ridicule until
a rematch takes place. But until then they will break bread.
And if there's no bread they can always settle for a pepperoni and cheese pizza.
