Not in every way, I think. There is huge satisfaction from seeing the fear on your friend's face when he hears his doom coming. But after looking at all the Pros and Cons, I think the multiplayer experience today is superior.

Breathing oxygen and eating food is from the dark ages also but if you were denied those things I bet you would miss them. :P

Breathing oxygen and eating food has not been replaced by anything superior.

I think it's superior in some ways. It's better for people who like the competitive "hone your skills" sort of multiplayer, and it's better for the sort of experience that requires a ton of people (EVE Online, Battlefield, etc). But splitscreen and local play provide a much more social-driven experience, and it delivers a certain sort of fun that you can't get from online play. And I personally find it far more entertaining. Which is why I don't think you should dismiss it as just something from the "dark ages."

Those pills that make you full have to be coming pretty soon in the future I would think.

That reminds me of Blur. I've used tunngle to play Blur online, but it was only the Local Online option that was available and not the full server based mode with level progression and unlockable cars etc. To me, that game is a perfect example why I don't want games to be designed with excellent multiplayer being the primary focus, followed by decent single player and a stripped down local multiplayer.
Blur is excellent but it pisses me off that the best experience with it (when you're not playing hackers) is no longer available.

You also have to remember how much of a pain in the ass it was to set up those local offline multiplayer games, especially if you and your friends were very busy. And imagine how hard it was for people who didn't have gamer friends?
But those pills will offer people no pleasure from eating.

I think that's perfectly fine for games like MMO's - but not everyone wants to play with thousands of players for every multiplayer experience. Sometimes you just want to play with a couple of your friends. Not everyone feels like they need to have an online social presence either. At 30 years old, I just don't see the need or have the urge to have an online social life, really - I use a couple of forums for various things (I don't exactly have a lot of friends that I can discuss physics with, for example), but that's about it. I haven't ever used Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc.

Maybe it's just more common for the younger generations, who are spending more time indoors tethered to technology, that want every gaming experience to be some kind of massive online social event. Anyone else remember playing outside until it got dark out and your parents called you to come in? This was before cell phones existed, of course. Maybe that's the difference between those who prefer always-online, and those who don't. I really don't know.

I'm currently majoring in physics and computer science, and I enjoy technology, so don't get the impression that I'm just resisting change - I just don't see the need to convert my social life into a digital format.

I guess it all depends on what kind of friends and acquaintances, you have. For me, none of my friends and acquaintances are gamers so going back to local offline multiplayer would be like going to the dark ages. I guess if you have a lot of nice friends and acquaintances to play with, then a local offline multiplayer experience is just as enjoyable and conveniant as anything else offered today.

Yeah, that's true. I only have a couple of friends that play games but it's enough. Games like Borderlands only require a couple of people to have fun with (which actually does have LAN support thankfully). I played MMO's a few years ago, and I enjoyed them for a time. But I think I've had my fill of them, which is why I get so pissed when I see brain dead CEO's of giant companies like Blizzard saying that every game should basically be an MMO - No, no it definitely should not, lol.

Some of my favorite gaming moments of all time were 4 player couch co-op Goldeneye or Smash Bros. That said, those days are long gone for way more reasons than lack of publisher support. It would be hard for me to get 4 gaming interested men in my friendship circle now-a-days, let alone all of them at my house at the same time with no responsibilities.

Couch co-op is definitely a 22 and younger thing.

I do find it sad that today's teens don't get that experience. Yet another way the mighty internet, which connects us all, actually alienates us.

Wrong, it's a family thing. There are reasons why the Wii is known as the gaming console for all the family.

That's a good point actually, and I could see my future children playing games with my girl and I. My family was never into such things though, so I don't have that experience myself.

Offline gaming is just an outdated gimmick to appeal to casual gamers. Hardcore gamers, real gamers play online only.

I guess that makes me a casual then.