A renewed look at offline Multiplayer for PS3

I never achieved a circle of online friends in my console gaming. When it comes to PC Games, I achieve it rather easily. Due to the inherent user investment of time, there are many mature and fun circles of players in almost any PC game.

When it comes to multiplayer with consoles, I prefer the offline kind. In my earlier years, it was important for me to have games like Mario Kart or Road Rash 2. Later I got away from that kind of stuff when I went hardcore into RPG's. Goldeneye and WCW/NWO Revenge brought my friends together again for 4x multiplayer. After that it was rare I enjoyed anything. Wii Bowling was good for a few days, Guitar Hero came and went.

When I got my PS3, I found myself with a room full of family members of many ages during our holidays and grill outs. When I had somewhere along the line of 20 game demos, it was Little Big Planet that stood out. I soon got the game and now had a new outlet for people of any age. It was also really great single player when no one was around.

Now I'm looking to expand my multiplayer capabilities. I have a few guidlines

-must have simultaneous multiplayer that is fun for a whole room to watch

-must be controller trading friendly so the room can quickly rotate in and out of the game

-must look impressive and not have sluggish framerate even in 4 player split screen

-must be fun from 12ish years up to sky is the limit on ages that can play

My first look is to Modnation Racers. This game isn't as loved as I expected it to be. Its like Little Big Planet combined with Mario Kart. Except there's no blue turtle shell BS. You can create your racer, you can create your kart. You can even create your track. I pretty much would have to limit people to choosing to either make a kart or make a character, but not both... in the interest of time.

Another I'm looking at is Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game. Its a cheaper download only game. It has 4 player fighting and it is sort of like a Double Dragon/River City Rampage game based on the comic book. I hear its very challenging even though its only 7 stages. Plus its like 15 bucks. The game is very enjoyable to watch, so I think it may fit well.

The hard thing to decide on is a multiplayer first person shooter. I do not think Goldeneye was that enjoyable to watch. We usually only had 4 people around when we played that one, so it wasn't an issue then. I hear Resistance has some good 4 screen matches, it uses more familiar WW2ish era weaponry, so nothing crazy like the RPK90. That's all I got for now, so I need to look for more.

Wrestling matches are too long these days to even bother with.
There is no interst in the group for something like Street Fighter. Fighting games are just too dependent on someone having prior experience with the game. No one would play me.
Party games are not an option, I will not "waste" my gaming on a game I'll bring out 10 times a year. I have to have something that I will play when no one's around as well.

Oh well. I'll just have to keep looking