Local Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer is a type of multiplayer that does not utilize an Internet connection; it is played offline and is limited to one console or computer. Despite this limitation, its inclusion in a certain game is often requested by those who give feedback to a developer. Local multiplayer is a feature that has been present early into the development and popularization of video games. This service provided multiple people the ability to play games from a single console without having to purchase another console or copy of the game- a concept that became required with the rise and spread of online multiplayer. Nowadays local multiplayer is being replaced with online multiplayer, but luckily there are some game franchises dedicated to keeping the feature alive (e.g. Halo, Gears of War). Co-operative multiplayer is also played using this method, in which two or more players can play through the game's Story Mode or PvE modes.

Splitscreen
The most common and universal method of enabling local multiplayer is the use of splitscreen. Splitscreen is a photographic technique which takes a screen and divides it into smaller subsections. In terms of videogames, this is used to allow multiple people to play a game at once. When using splitscreen, the screen is either halved, divided into three sections, or quartered- this allows two, three, or four players respectively to simultaneously play a game. Although splitscreen is occasionally criticized for the abundance of "screen cheating" and degradation of the graphics and framerate while the screen is divided, its inclusion in a game often garners widespread praise.