Co-Optimus Anniversary: Is Co-Op On the Rise for 2009? - Page 2

Building a Global Community

The proliferation of the Internet has certainly lead to a great many things, like Wikipedia, youtube, and, of course, Co-Optimus.  The greatest achievement of all has been the ability we all have to instantly connect with people from all over the world.  Co-Optimus’ own Owner and Managing Editor, Nicholas “bapenguin” Puleo, Army of Two’s Associate Producer Mark Turner, Red Alert 3’s Xbox 360 Producer Greg Kasavin, and Saint’s Row 2’s Lead Designer James Tsai all credit this rise in human interconnectivity to the rise in co-op gaming.

Nick

I definitely think we can thank the popularity of online services and faster internet connections for more co-op experiences.  Combine that with local options and your player base for a co-op game greatly expands to more than it has ever been.  Growing up my best friend and I used to play Golden Axe and Streets of Rage on the Sega Genesis in Co-Op.  Now that he lives in Colorado, we still can thanks to Xbox Live.  Even better, we can also play Gears of War, Army of Two, Rainbow Six and just about any of the other great new next-gen co-op games.

Matt Turner, Associate Producer on Army of Two

I would have to say the advent of on-line console gaming and its increasing accessibility and versatility. It brings co-op to a whole new level. It makes it easier because you no longer have to be in the same room and it makes it more fun as you have your whole screen…you don’t have to share a split screen, which in comparison, is far worse.

Greg Kasavin, Xbox 360 Producer for Red Alert 3

Co-op play has been around for ages and it's always been great.  Classic arcade games like Gauntlet and Double Dragon were designed around player collaboration and they've long since proved how fun and intense it could be.  Video arcades aren't what they used to be anymore but social gaming is stronger than ever thanks to the Internet.  Services like Xbox LIVE and Valve's Steam do an excellent job of letting people communicate around the games they like, and get into games together.  As a result, co-op play is back in fashion as one of the most exciting ways of playing just about any action-oriented experience.

James Tsai, Lead Designer for Saint’s Row 2

Co-op is growing because as a community, gaming is growing.  As gamers, we’re becoming increasingly social about our passions and are looking for more ways to share our experiences.  Co-op has flourished the same way fan sites, forums, video sharing, trophies, achievements, on-line names, and gaming news sites flourish.  It taps into the fundamental truth we all know: games are too fucking cool to not share with others.

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