What Will the White Button Do?

Section: 

50 meters an hour. That's the fastest I can crawl, elbow over elbow, without making the AC duct creak. The sweat stings my eyes a little behind my night-vision goggles, but I dare not blink. I'm deep in the enemy HQ. 10 more meters now. I can see the light coming in through the grate. I push my goggles up on to my forehead and allow myself to wipe a gloved hand across my cheeks. The air creeps in and out of my lungs to keep the noise down. My chest burns from the need to breathe.

I slither the last few inches up to the mesh opening of the duct and start to snake my fiber optic camera between the metal slats. The hallway below is well lit but deserted. There is a little creak from the grate as I pull it open, then I'm on the floor. The room is warm after the constant cold blast of the air conditioner. I crouch and break into a run to get to the retinal scanner in front of me. I have to be fast. People are depending on me.

Cable in, hacking program started. Come on, come on.

Something clinks behind me and my head snaps around.

"Chip?" I ask. "Why are you in the kitchen?"

"Who said that? Come out where I can see you," the T.V. demands.

Chip looks at me with an odd, uncomprehending expression. "Because I'm making a sandwich. Mute your headset."

I mute the microphone on my communicator and turn back to Chip. "I meant why aren't you in Korea?"

Chip looks up from his sandwich and wrinkles his face as if to say "What?"

"Korea." I look at him. "With me, in Splinter Cell. Double Agent comes out in October and we have to practice." I sigh in relief as recognition returns to Chip's face. Then I frown when it is instantly replaced with apathy.

Chip shrugs and takes a big bite of his sandwich. "Why bother?"

"What do you mean why bother?" I angrily shoot back.

"Oh God," Chip says as the color runs from his face. "No one has told you." He sets his plate down and starts to walk over to me slowly.

"Told me what Chip? What has happened?" I look up as he stands next to the couch.

"Well, little buddy, I don't really know how to break this to you, but," he has to close his eyes. The words are too painful. "Cooperative play isn't going to be in Double Agent."

I drop my controller and can feel my heart swelling in my throat. "What? What do you mean? Oh, God, I was just playing co-op. It seemed fine. How did this happen?"

"These things just happen, bud. It isn't anyone's fault. These things just happen." Chip says as he pats me on the shoulder.

"No, that doesn't sound right." I say through my tears. "I think it's the developer's fault."

"Shhhhhh. Don't try to figure it out, little buddy, it's all for a purpose." Chip's breath smells like tuna. That's when it really hits me that this is all happening and the reality is too much to bear.

"Oh God Co Co! Co Co why did you have to leave!" I blubber into my hands as I collapse back on to the couch.

Chip is right there with me, starting to tear up a little himself. The wound is still fresh for him too. "It's ok, little soldier, it's ok. CoOp is in a better place now. A happy place. She's up there with Passcode and Highscore. They will take good care of each other."

I sniff up the snot as my tears lessen and eventually stop. "Really? CoOp's got friends where it is? Promise?"

Chip smiles and wipes away his tear with his thumb, smearing tuna on his face. "I promise. So let's not cry, ok? After all, CoOp always wanted us to be happy, didn't it? We just have to remember all the great times we had."

"It was only, like, 4 goddamned missions." I snort and cough a little, staring up at his tuna covered face.

Chip raises his hand. "Shhhhh. Just the good stuff, champ. Remember when you farted so loud the communicator picked it up and the terrorists, alerted by the sounds, opened fire on our position?"

I can't help but laugh. Chip always knows how to cheer me up, and he's right. I just have to think about the good times that CoOp and I had. We were only together for a short time but I'll remember it for the rest of my life.

So long, cooperative multiplayer mode. You will be missed.

Comments

CoOp is in a better place now. A happy place. She's up there with Passcode and Highscore.

I feel your pain man. And Chip's.

Wow, I've barely touched the Splinter Cell games, but the sound of the Co-Op makes me want to give them another shot. Which Splinter Cell(s) had CoOp and for what platform?

Ah. A bit of light relief. Needed, I think.

Along with co-op they seem to be stripping sweet character models and replacing them with dirty bald men with laser tag kit. Hopefully the gameplay changes will be nice though.

The jolly candy-like button!

wet my pants.

Very nice, Chiggie.

Wait... Is this true? They've cut Co-op play!?

Tobyus wrote:

Which Splinter Cell(s) had CoOp and for what platform? :)

While there's been multiplayer since Pandora Tomorrow, Chaos Theory is the only one with co-op, and that, as noted, was for "only, like, 4 goddamned missions." As far as I know, those missions were available across all platforms.

Good, less rubbish to load on my rig. If the game (or part of) is not story driven - its a waste of bytes. Online play not driven by story. I'd gladly cut out MP from all the SP games that have MP component. Useless, unless youre quake/unreal fan, that i'm not

Bring on "Full Throttle II"...

I feel that I cannot be the only one here that hasn't a clue what "the white button" has to do with this article. Does it have something to do with a console game controller? My sole Splinter Cell gaming experience is on the PC, and usually those buttons are all ivory or grey colored.

Thanks, from one of the console-impaired. (Although it's not like I'd refuse the grand prize from this year's donation drive!)

Stylez wrote:

Wait... Is this true? They've cut Co-op play!?

Oh God, nobody's told you.

threedee wrote:

Good, less rubbish to load on my rig. If the game (or part of) is not story driven - its a waste of bytes. Online play not driven by story. I'd gladly cut out MP from all the SP games that have MP component. Useless, unless youre quake/unreal fan, that i'm not

Bring on "Full Throttle II"...

He doesn't know what he's saying. He's drunk.

croaker wrote:

I feel that I cannot be the only one here that hasn't a clue what "the white button" has to do with this article. Does it have something to do with a console game controller? My sole Splinter Cell gaming experience is on the PC, and usually those buttons are all ivory or grey colored.

Thanks, from one of the console-impaired. (Although it's not like I'd refuse the grand prize from this year's donation drive!)

The white button was the "cooperative action button" on the Xbox controller. I can't remember if it switched between black and white when you went from Coop to adversarial mode, but, I liked the sound of white button better.

WRRRRYYYYY!!!!

Co-op was the best part of Chaos Theory, and the best thing to happen to Splinter Cell since dynamic lighting!

And FOR YOUR INFORMATION, mister Full Throttle 2, the Co-op missions were tied into the single player campaign. So you are missing out on 6 missions of super-awsome fun.

We'll always have the U.N.

Chip?

Danjo Olivaw wrote:

Chip?

Chip can't hear you, Danjo. He's made up.

I want to throw in my 2 cents and agree that Splinter Cell is the valhalla of gaming co-op.

I loved the voice communication stuff in Chaos Theory. Sanjuro and I were playing SC:CT Coop right after it was released. We were on the second mission, in an area where we were going to drop down behind a scientist and sneak to the next room. We were silent, like a shadow sliding across the floor, so quiet we made Ninja seem like elephants. I'm standing at the grate, Sanj behind me, and I drop down behind the scientist.

Nothing moves. I look around and find the exit.

"Coast is clear, man!" I shout, because in my head Sanjuro is above and behind me. Of course, he's not. But the scientist in front of me thinks the guards would love to speak with us. All hell promptly breaks loose.

Coop in Splinter Cell was so much fun. It will be missed.

Nice job, Chiggie.

I didnt realize the voice communicator was tied into co-op that way, cause I'd only tried it splitscreen. That IS cool.

Oh what.. was.. I mean That WAS cool.

Well, i wasnt drunk

But if you say, that SC:CT coop ties in, i definitely must give it a go.
Mostly i'm unhappy with games like Q3 and UT2004, that are completely online. Also Doom3, even if being complete crap (ok, techdemo), it still has a lot of space wasted for MP.

Also PainKiller, great game, loads of online rubbish...

Ack. useless to discuss online/offline. Its like debate "is there god" ir "what is life" topics. Usefulness is in a mind of beholder. I'm all for story. I'll leave "sports" for sportsmen.

Coop sneaking, this I gotta do! Tnx for the tip.