I just watched the quick look and it seemed like the multiplayer is made up of leaderboards and competitions with the people on your friends list. Is there any multiplayer beyond that? I mean can I match up with a bunch of strangers and race against them?

I could be wrong, but from what I've read there is no actual racing at the same time sort of multiplayer...which is a bit of a bummer. As you mentioned I think it's just leader boards.

@MightyDuck: yeah I suppose the only issue is when you race against someone there's the off chance you will win and feel you are the best whereas with leaderboards the cold hard statistics will make it very clear what your place is xD

I could've sworn they mention "real" multiplayer in the quick look. I'll have to check it again.

EDIT: Never mind, they were referring to World Tour, which was a single-player mode in the rest of the series :(

@VisariLoyalist: Yeah that pretty much explains why I don't like leaderboards. It's a shame because the game looks good, but if that's all there is for the multiplayer, then I probably won't get it.

Wait so there's no "real" multiplayer at all? Even between friends?

C'mon guys, SSX 3 had online multiplayer on the freaking PS2, almost 10 years ago!!!

You seriously think a game like SSX wouldn't have online multiplayer on the 360, in 2012?!

They put online multiplayer in fuckin' everything these days, even (especially) games that don't need it, why would you think a game like SSX wouldn't have it?!

C'mon...

What you guys are talkin' about, is what they talk about in this first video:

The proper Online Multiplayer, is what they talk about in this 2nd video:

I don't know about you, but they not only have online multiplayer, but have gone way beyond just that, and created something unique.

Can not wait!!!

I love the games of chinese whispers people play before games come out "i heard it you cant stop on the mountain" leads to "i heard its not even a snowboarding games"

Can we all just take a breath and calm down please?

@VinLieger: YOU CAN'T STOP ON THE MOUNTAIN?!

Hehe. Yeah it's all really silly.

They haven't show off Global Events yet. I think that's the real multiplayer.

Depends on what you consider MULTIPLAYER.

If you are the type looking to setup a lobby with friends, pick a track and then all sit in a starting gate together racing down the run then SSX does NOT have that. What I would call classic "head to head" or "versus" multiplayer.

The "Global Events" are SSX's multiplayer. There are public and private events but no lobbies. You setup an event for a block of time - say 30 minutes. Anyone is free to join the event at any point during that 30 minutes and post the best time/score. At the end of 30 minutes the winner is crowned! So it sounds kind of like a 'hot lap', yeah? For the most part it IS hot lapping. The twist is that you can see other players make their run IF you are dropping in at the same time as them. You won't ever be able to bump them - they are just ghosts of live players - and you will never be lined up in a gate for a 3-2-1-GO! However if they happen to be jumping out of the helicopter onto the run at the same time as you - well, then you will see them.

To me it sounds like EA can be much more laxed on netcode when dealing with hot laps and ghosts. They don't have worry about lag or deal with physics when two players 'bump'. Its a cheap way out and while it maybe fun in its own right, EA needs to stop spinning it and acting like they invented some great new MP system.

You can set up a private event that only your friends can join. You can then wait at the top of the run for everyone to join and then go. It's simple.

Looks like the multiplayer will be like Trackmania where every other player is a ghost and you keep playing the track until time runs out. I'm cool with that.

You can race head to head, create your own lobby but because you can rewind but the 'server' will be open for however long you create it to. But yeah no collision because you can rewind.

Very trackmania like in some ways.

You can race head to head, create your own lobby but because you can rewind but the 'server' will be open for however long you create it to. But yeah no collision because you can rewind.

Very trackmania like in some ways.

@boshjoyer said:

@Dany

You can race head to head, create your own lobby but because you can rewind but the 'server' will be open for however long you create it to. But yeah no collision because you can rewind.

Very trackmania like in some ways.

Pretty much. I will miss the shoving of riders during the start of races and jockeying for position around turns.

I don't think I will miss the physicality. Going to enjoy a nice clean run.

@RiotBananas said:

@Lnin0 said:

Depends on what you consider MULTIPLAYER.

If you are the type looking to setup a lobby with friends, pick a track and then all sit in a starting gate together racing down the run then SSX does NOT have that. What I would call classic "head to head" or "versus" multiplayer.

The "Global Events" are SSX's multiplayer. There are public and private events but no lobbies. You setup an event for a block of time - say 30 minutes. Anyone is free to join the event at any point during that 30 minutes and post the best time/score. At the end of 30 minutes the winner is crowned! So it sounds kind of like a 'hot lap', yeah? For the most part it IS hot lapping. The twist is that you can see other players make their run IF you are dropping in at the same time as them. You won't ever be able to bump them - they are just ghosts of live players - and you will never be lined up in a gate for a 3-2-1-GO! However if they happen to be jumping out of the helicopter onto the run at the same time as you - well, then you will see them.

To me it sounds like EA can be much more laxed on netcode when dealing with hot laps and ghosts. They don't have worry about lag or deal with physics when two players 'bump'. Its a cheap way out and while it maybe fun in its own right, EA needs to stop spinning it and acting like they invented some great new MP system.

You're sort of wrong here dude, they've said that it's possible to set up races or trick events or whatever with friends and go "Versus" as you put it. Seems like you've twisted that to make it anti-EA.

I am not the one TWISTING it - EA is the one twisting it.

I clearly said you can setup private events and clearly said if you and all of your friends happen to wait together in the chopper you would theoretically be able to race at the same time as others providing nobody jumps early (or rewinds).

I never said this Global Mode wouldn't be 'fun' - I just said it isn't true versus MP and I wish EA would stop trying to sell it like it was something new and great. It boils down to them being too lazy and cheap to write netcode for a true online VS mode where we sit in a gate with the game synching our start and run together and allowing for collisions.

Would you buy COD if you were just shooting your friends recorded ghost running around the map from three hours ago? Or SSFIV - where you just air combo and air block and then the game throws your recorded ghost at someone ten minutes later to fight. It is just about as silly as you pimping EAs bullcrap story for them.

@Lnin0 said:

@RiotBananas said:

@Lnin0 said:

Depends on what you consider MULTIPLAYER.

If you are the type looking to setup a lobby with friends, pick a track and then all sit in a starting gate together racing down the run then SSX does NOT have that. What I would call classic "head to head" or "versus" multiplayer.

The "Global Events" are SSX's multiplayer. There are public and private events but no lobbies. You setup an event for a block of time - say 30 minutes. Anyone is free to join the event at any point during that 30 minutes and post the best time/score. At the end of 30 minutes the winner is crowned! So it sounds kind of like a 'hot lap', yeah? For the most part it IS hot lapping. The twist is that you can see other players make their run IF you are dropping in at the same time as them. You won't ever be able to bump them - they are just ghosts of live players - and you will never be lined up in a gate for a 3-2-1-GO! However if they happen to be jumping out of the helicopter onto the run at the same time as you - well, then you will see them.

To me it sounds like EA can be much more laxed on netcode when dealing with hot laps and ghosts. They don't have worry about lag or deal with physics when two players 'bump'. Its a cheap way out and while it maybe fun in its own right, EA needs to stop spinning it and acting like they invented some great new MP system.

You're sort of wrong here dude, they've said that it's possible to set up races or trick events or whatever with friends and go "Versus" as you put it. Seems like you've twisted that to make it anti-EA.

I am not the one TWISTING it - EA is the one twisting it.

I clearly said you can setup private events and clearly said if you and all of your friends happen to wait together in the chopper you would theoretically be able to race at the same time as others providing nobody jumps early (or rewinds).

I never said this Global Mode wouldn't be 'fun' - I just said it isn't true versus MP and I wish EA would stop trying to sell it like it was something new and great. It boils down to them being too lazy and cheap to write netcode for a true online VS mode where we sit in a gate with the game synching our start and run together and allowing for collisions.

Would you buy COD if you were just shooting your friends recorded ghost running around the map from three hours ago? Or SSFIV - where you just air combo and air block and then the game throws your recorded ghost at someone ten minutes later to fight. It is just about as silly as you pimping EAs bullcrap story for them.

COD and SF are two useless anaolgies to make for this. No games except racing games have ever used ghosts and like it or not SSX is a RACING game so trying to compare it to those games is pointless. And who are you or anyone to decide what "true" MP is? Thats like saying COD isnt a true Shooter cus its completely linear unlike games that came before it.

Game design is fluid and forever changing, and no genre or gameplay framwork can be tied down as being the "right" or "true" way to do it, which is fantastic and i wouldnt want it any other way

@Lnin0: Sorry dude. While I get what you're saying, and I agree with you 100%, it seems that people are going to jump through flaming hoops of mental gymnastics to deliberately misinterpret what you mean. Either that or they haven't watched a single second of multiplayer footage released for this game and/or they've never played any realtime multiplayer racing games (which I find hard to believe, but then you never know).

I would give up this discussion now, because I'm throwing up my hands going "WTF??!!" on your behalf already, and I can only see it getting weirder from here.

Accept that you understand the situation entirely, which you obviously do, and choose to either buy and enjoy this game despite it's shortcomings (which is my plan, personally), or not. Making sense of the responses to you in this thread so far is a lost cause, IMHO.