Leaderboards ≠ Multiplayer

There was a huge push in the last generation against local multiplayer, either couch co-op or splitscreen versus types, which really distressed me. There has been such a tremendous push occurring lately towards outright getting rid of local multiplayer altogether that I just can't seem to understand. I've heard a lot of arguments against it, and one that I hear a lot is that "it's just an added expense," which makes it sound like it's more difficult to add local multiplayer than online multiplayer. 
That just can't be right though. Personally, I've never worked on a game that was intended to be played online, so I can't really say for absolutely certain, but at least logically it can't possibly be right. If you want online play to work properly, you have to configure the internet connections properly for each person to join up with others, designate proper ports to be accessed, as well as provide servers for everyone to sync up with, unless you intend to function on peer-to-peer play. If you already had multiplayer in mind when you were designing the game then you've already gotten the balancing down at least to a functional level, so I mean, there's no real extra balancing required between online and local. Therefore, I'm reasonably certain that simply finding a way to split the screen would be much simpler and cost-effective than all of the stuff you need to do to get the game to function online.
That being said, another thing that really irks me about games nowadays is that they tout the name 'multiplayer' when really all they mean is that you can see other players' scores on a global or area-wide leaderboard. I don't understand who thought that being able to see someone's score was the same as actually playing with them, whether it was online or not. This is not multiplayer, though I suppose it does create a sense of competition with other players. 
While it's nice that there's a huge push for globalization in all forms of media nowadays, and it's amazing to be able to play against someone that lives across the country, or even across the globe from you, there's something missing that used to be there in a lot of games. I'm not saying the experience is exactly the same for everyone, but I absolutely thrive on a group getting together to play something. I love my friends, and I love having them over just to play things. Back when we were children during parties, I distinctly remember playing things on the Genesis and SNES where we would be doing a two-player game and people would line up and swap out at a character's death, this ESPECIALLY being the case with TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist & X-Men 2 on the Genesis and Turtles in Time on the SNES. That sense of camaraderie you get sitting with your friends is amazing. 
A lot of people think that gamers are solitary creatures, but we're actually some of the most sociable people on the planet. While it may be hard to get a glimpse of our world if you're looking in the window from the outside, once you're in, you're pretty much golden. It's hard to find a game that no one else in the world likes, so you're bound to make some new friends in any situation. I can't tell you how many times personally I've been able to include someone in a local multiplayer game that never would have participated otherwise. I've helped so many international students feeling alone and scared open up to people around them through video games that I feel like I should teach a class on how to make people that think they're excluded from everything realize they are more than welcome to be included in things if they just let it happen! 
But... I digress. There's also a similar push to add multiplayer where it's unnecessary. A lot of games nowadays, especially in series that are known for their single player campaigns, have multiplayer sections seemingly tacked on to later iterations of the series. While it's great and all to get people together around something, sometimes it's a totally unnecessary addition. If you're not going to spend the time on something to make it right, then I don't really see a point in adding it. Sure, the idea might help grab a few new people, but the backlash from releasing an incomplete product will most likely hurt you far worse in the long run.  
I see more than a few games that have different options when playing online and local, which really confuses me. Games like Street Fighter IV and Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 have different lobby and match options, some of which you can't even change when you play online, but you can when you play offline. If you have it for one, why not have it for the other? You've already done the work once, so you might as well just move it over, it can't really be that difficult. 
We need to find a balance between single and multiplayer, and I think game developers need to understand that such a balance exists in the first place before we can actually take a deeper look at it. Most games have their own strengths and weaknesses, and it's important that you work with those in mind. You can't just add leaderboards and say your game is multiplayer now, that's just not how it works. Take Skylanders for example, they say there's an online component of the game, which happens to be a leaderboard. That has absolutely no bearing on the game, and I honestly care nothing for it at all.  
Humans are social creatures, and that feeling of inclusiveness and camaraderie you get playing a game with someone can be exhilarating, but in my opinion it's even greater when you can reach out and touch that person for an extra high five or even a clink of beer cans. I've got friends that I hang out with, people we all know and love like GrimJak and D-T, and I absolutely hate the idea of having to send them home so we can play together. That just doesn't make sense to me, when I could have even more fun while they're sitting right there next to me. I can tell you that while I don't frown on a little friendly competition, it's just not the same when I'm looking at someone's score, as opposed to actually seeing them work for that score, whether that be online or in person.