New Website Dedicated to Co-op Gaming

Just noticed that BAPenguin of Evil Avatar Fame has launched a new website focused on co-op gaming called Co-Optiumus. From the press release:

With virtually no other websites dedicated to co-op games, gamers are having a hard time finding the information they need for their co-op experience. Co-Optimus.com fills this void by providing an extensive database of games that feature a co-op mode across nine platforms including the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii. The site also features user reviews, ratings, and matchmaking as well as discussion forums to help find a buddy for all your co-op needs.

I think it’s a great idea, and encourage you all to visit! My hope is the site evolves over time and allows you to drill down into a library of co-op games by the way you like to play them. For example, sometimes I like partnering up with a friend and blazing through a rich, scripted, full-story single-player experience with full co-op support (Halo, Gears of War, and Eternal Sonata are good examples). Other times I might like to play something with less plot but still a fun co-op experience (a side-scrolling arcade shooter perhaps). And other times I might be looking for a "co-op light" or "date night" (to coin a few phrases) sort of game, where there’s a primary player, and others can interact in a light-weight way (Zack and Wiki’s secondary pointer support is one example, or even just playing a story-based MMO like Final Fantasy where your partner is enjoying the plot/visuals, making suggestions, but not having to pick up the controller herself).

One other thought might be to track the level co-op support is built into a game, and whether obvious integration opportunities are skipped/cut (and hence potentially frustrating to a gamer). Eternal Sonata jumps to mind here again – the game allows players to control other characters in combat (while a single player acts as primary driver through the overland). Unfortunately, that co-op support doesn’t extend to online.

Related posts:

1. [Edit] The Co-op Gaming Bill of Rights
2. Great Article on Asynchronous Gaming…
3. Your Thoughts on the Future of Casual Gaming?
4. Asynchronous Games: Future of Casual Gaming?
5. Valve Steps Into Casual Gaming (In A Sense)