The picture above could have been from any countless number of third-person shooters, but what makes this image important is that it's actually from the upcoming Ubisoft title Splinter Cell: Conviction. That's right folks: Split-screen co-operative play. What's that? Nobody plays split-screen anymore? Well let me tell you something, bub: I do.

Living with another gamer isn't easy. Especially when you have to share systems and playtime. When a game that includes split-screen co-op comes along, it's a wonderful thing. Particularly if both people are looking forward to the game. As I understand it, the portion of Splinter Cell that will be co-op isn't the main story of the game, but that doesn't matter to me one bit. As long as there's a gameplay mode where the two of us can get our Conviction fix together, that's all that matters.

I was already really looking forward to this game, but now that I know I'm going to be getting even more for my money, I'm really excited. I got way more out of Resident Evil 5 than I ever thought I would thanks in large part to the split-screen play, and the same could be said for Halo 3, Modern Warfare 2, and Gears of War. I hope to hear more about this feature in the coming weeks leading up to the game's release, and can't wait to jump back into the shoes of good ol' Sam Fisher.

[Source]