Innovations in Co-Op Gaming

Not since the age of Arcades, standing shoulder to shoulder in a local mall or shop, has co-op been so popular. With the arcade generation gamers growing up and moving away from each other, co-op went into a bit of hiatus. Now new innovations in co-op technology are bringing these gamers back together, and bringing co-op back into the spotlight. In this article we will take a look at ten things we think that have helped propel co-op gaming back to the forefront. Above and beyond that, these are things every co-op gamer needs or wants in their experience.

That's what friends are for.

The ability to complement, encourage, or otherwise interact with your teammates in game has become increasingly entertaining. While Resident Evil 5 gives one the ability to “call” to their teammates, if you hit the call button at the right moment, you hear “Great shot!” "Thanks!" or “Nice job!” There may even be an achievement in it for you.

Negativity is becoming entirely too common in games and otherwise. So, I would like to recommend that everyone take a moment and give a “High-five” in Army of Two, thank your partner for a heal in Resident Evil 5, or make sure you fist bump at the right moment when sitting next to your local co-op buddy. (If used improperly, a fist bump may be mistaken for a punch, which may not have the desired effect.)

Show your support:
Army Of Two (PlayStation 3)
Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

Or, you could try humorously abusing your co-op buddy:
Little Big Planet(Playstation 3)

"Why don't you check what's in the bushes?"

RTS's often make the mistake of advertising co-op and only delivering custom comp-stomp matches, rather than true storyline co-op. This has been changed recently with games like Battleforge, Red Alert 3 and Halo Wars. Giving gamers a campaign to play through, enjoying the story together, and actually playing something fulfilling rather than a skirmish is a much more rewarding experience.

What's even greater is the approach and way each of these games present co-op to you. Halo Wars has a shared base with separate armies, Red Alert uses two individual commanders, and Dawn of War 2 breaks it down to a tactial RPG.

This is how Co-op is supposed to look:
Battleforge (PC)
Halo Wars (Xbox 360)
Dawn Of War 2 (PC)

"I'm gonna have to help yo ass again, aren't I?"

It's a well known fact many of us are impatient, or enjoy the challenge of cranking the difficulty to the max. This often leads to dying, leaving us very frustrated, especially if there isn't anyway for our co-op partner to help. Being able to heal or revive one another has become very important feature in co-op games! Healing or resurrecting your partner's character will keep from having to restart a check point, keeping blood pressures low, and friends can still be friends.

Reach out and touch someone:
Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360, Playstation 3)
50 Cent: Blood On The Sand (Xbox 360, Playstation 3)
Gears Of War 2 (Xbox 360)

There's a bug on your armor, hold still.

Anyone who has played a game online knows how annoying being shot by your teammates can be, especially when in the heat of battle. You die, only to find out it was your own teammate that put the killing blow into your cranium. Years ago with the Ninja Turtles arcade game, there were two modes: one with friendly fire on, so you could beat the snot out of your buddy as much as you wanted, and another mode that turns that aspect off.

It would be nice to see this as an option more often, but at the very least it's nice to play Gears of War 2: Horde Mode, and not have to worry about that friend that always runs in front of your shot.

Don't worry what you shoot or stab in these games:
Gears Of War (Xbox 360)
Armored Core: For Answer (Xbox 360, Playstation 3)
Too Human (Xbox360)

Look ma! No wires!

With the advent of wireless controllers, four player couch co-op is no longer a lesson in remember your boyscout training in untying knots that make no logical sense in how they got there. There's more room to spread out and less of a chance of being hit by someone when you accidentally pull a Leeeeroy Jenkings moment.

Rata-ta-ta-ta is the sound a keyboard makes, and it's one you'll no longer be distracted with thanks to voice technology. No online co-op session is complete without a headset, so connect to someone in a more personal way with voice chat using a wireless headset!

HDTVs allow split screen players to sit a safe distance from the viewing device - no longer are CRT beams being pulsated directly onto your retina as your four man squad has to sit 6 inches from a 13 inch television. Now with your 52 inch plasma, everyone has their own 13 inch screen to view!

Enjoy Beautiful Pictures and Wireless Tech in:
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii
HDTV
Headsets/Bluetooth Headsets

Get used to this screen at parties.

Everybody wants to be a rock and roll star at some point in their life, and thanks to the advent of plastic instrument controllers, most of us can pretend to be. Gamers have become rockers in a band with instruments like Guitar, Bass, Vocals and Drums. Sure you make look like an oversized 7 year old with toy instruments, but damn it to hell if you don't feel cool.

There's simply nothing better when the band hits everything just right.

Rock Out with your Controller Out in these games:
Rock Band 2 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2)
Guitar Hero World Tour (360, PS3, Wii)
Sing Star (PS3, PS2)

"Hold still, I want to show you something."

Every mode in a game has to have some draw. The story mode gives your characters and a basic story to follow, arcade modes generally have a score to rack up, and a customizing mode allows you to be the creator. So, what then makes co-op much more attractive than simple single player gaming? Aside from the basic ability to share an experience, co-op can give players power boosts and special attacks. These combined bonuses add another level to the game's experience, one not seen in single player.

It's always more fun if you have to do something specific to work together. Games like Marvel Ultimate Alliance add power attacks for two characters attacking the same target, and it's sequel will be solely focusing on the Fused powers! Aegis Wing takes R-type to a new playground, when players can “link” ships for boosted power attacks against enemies, as well as the attached ships being able to shoot in any direction.

Get your super-powers on with these games:
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (Xbox 360, Playstation 3)
Aegis Wing (Xbox Live Arcade)
FLOCK!(Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, PC)

Sharin pills, somewhat safer than needles.

Time to share a little co-op story. When a friend and I were playing Gears of War on Insane difficulty, ammo was generally scarce to add to the difficulty. We were moving on to the next area with no ammo boxes in site and my friend asked if it was possible to trade ammo. After the initial disappointment of telling him the game doesn't offer a way to do that, we then began to joke about shooting one another, and digging out the bullets to reuse. If Rambo can do it, these muscle heads could do it too, right? Since most games don't work on the “Basic Properties of Rambo”, the simple ability to hand off ammo seems strange to overlook.

Luckily, someone paid attention to that whole sharing lesson in kindergarten, and the ability to trade off weapons, ammo, items, and even ally units is standard in many games. And while RE5's inventory management may get you killed in the middle of a horde of baddies, it's a welcome blessing when you run out of ammo.

Sharing is caring:
Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360, PC)
Halo Wars (Xbox 360)

Look out below!

It may have existed since the dawn of the arcade, but drop-in/drop-out is crucial in today's modern co-op games. Say you see some buddies playing a game, but have a limited amount of time to play with them. Instead of having to interrupt the game in progress, the ability to simply join a game, or leave early without messing the whole thing up, is an important modern convenience.

Why more games don't offer this solution is beyond us, it's quite possibly the most commonly asked question when a new co-op game is announced - "Does it have drop-in/drop-out?" If there's one game that exemplifies this it's Left 4 Dead, not only can you drop-in and out and have a bot take over, you can "step away" and go idle and a bot will pick up your slack.

Insert coin and press start (no coin required):
Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360, PC)
Crackdown (Xbox 360)
Resistance 2 (Playstation 3)

Admit it, you all used AOL at one time in your life.

Many people lead very busy lives, so finding time to actually hang out one-on-one can be difficult. Sometimes jobs or family take us clear across the country, and then what do you do for gaming time with friends? Online co-op was born on PCs in the mid 90's with the advent of many online services, friends now miles apart could game together at the push of a button, no travelling required.

The PS2 generation tried an online system, but without proper voice chat and a standard keyboard, it was a wasted effort. Being able to communicate with teammates to put together strategies is all too important when co-op gaming. Fortunately, this generation utilizes voice chats very well.

This one may not be an obvious “innovation” in the co-op world, but it's certainly one of the most important!

Connect with someone:
Xbox Live
Steam
PlayStation Network

What innovations would you like to have seen on the list?  Obviously we can't cover ALL of them.