Why have so many games in the past just dropped their split-screen modes and gone off to online multiplayer only? I mean I can see this for the more graphiicly demanding games, but racing games? Seriously, when I buy a racing game, I want o invite a few friends over, and play together. I don't want to sit at home, and play online, without any of the fun of having those friends over. Online works for some games, but some really should have it, and the lack of it is a massive loss. Give your opinions on why this has happened and games that still have it.

Discounting the fact that they are making games that push consoles to the limit, and such that having split-screen is simply not technically possible without loss of quality;
It is more profitable to make people buy 1 console per person.

A lot of games still have this feature. I would say that the number of games that do have it compared to the number that do not is similar as it ever was.

I don't know about that, look at Need for Speed:Hot Pursuit. A racing game with good graphics, but not anything that couldn't be handled with two screens. They chose to only do online multiplayer, even having the power to have split-screen. Many people won't buy a racing game if it doesn't support split-screen. Racing games are normally party games. Without split-screen, you lose that.

EDIT: Look at Gran Turismo 5, massive amount of content, amazing visuals, and they still could include splitscreen.

If people don't buy racers without split, then there is no problem. Soon enough they will add it in then.

The only reason not to include splitscreen is that it is technically too difficult.

I can see that being a problem, but for a company who have made this massive game, O don't think split-screen would be too hard. It could be a problem of lazyness, but I agree with what you previously stated, that more copies of a game=more revenue.

Have your friend bring his console over, you use your TV and he uses your computer monitor.
Problem solved.

I don't think having the console "pushed to the limit" by the graphics it has to output has anything to do with not having split-screen.
For example, the game GT5 has graphics that are somewhat better than a game like Split/Second. However Split/Second contains superfluous explosions and water effects (graphically demanding stuff) which GT5 does not.
Split/Second has split-screen play, GT5 does not. Something doesn't add up here.

What I think is that game companies have taken to being greedy and as such have opted not to include split-screen play in their games because this nets more money. If you have a friend who wants to play the game with you, they can't just come over to your place and play split-screen, they have to go buy the game themselves, netting the retailer extra cash. This also benefits microsoft if it's an Xbox360 game because you have to pay for Xbox live to play online with that friend who just went and bought the game to play it with you.

Explosions and water effects are processor demanding, the additional load needed to calculate it for split-screen is negligible. Think about it like this, if there is an explosion displayed twice, then the explosion need only be simulated once, which is the heavy load part of the action. Compared to celshading, which would require processing from 2 points, which would require near complete recalculation.

It would be valid to think that GT5 used graphics or other effects that were GPU heavy, and thus the details would have to be calculated twice, nearly doubling the load.

Another explanation would be that GT5 is intended to be played single player and online, but not locally. This could be a purely gameplay choice.

Yeah.. I don't think thats the point you shouldn't have to faff about just to play a game together in the same room, I see ur point, poor poor split screen is dying.

More people paying for online features such as Xbox Live is a great way to make money...

Ѓ4.50 a month in a year this will be Ѓ54, and if 12 million people have Xbox Live and are paying in a year this will be Ѓ648,000,000.

To them its the smarter option.

Come to think of it Gorman, i'm not sure I entirely agree with you. Split/Second must use GPU heavy stuff too, and it looks almost as good as GT5. Unless having split-screen in Split/Second is actually pushing the console to hypothetical breaking point, then having the slightly more detailed features in GT5 shouldn't pose a problem for split-screening.
I still think either the companies are being greedy, but you could be right about it being a gameplay decision.

(Also i've just noticed i've been putting the slashes the wrong way around :P)