Ok my bad for using split screen,local multiplayer then.
So u name a game that was largely heralded for its local multiplayer(and u had to go back 4 years to get it),Genre games that make local multiplayer extremely easy the put in(which racing games are slowly begging to phase local mp out), a puzzleracer game(can u get more niche? and also 4 years old btw) and one that doesnt even have local multiplayer on ps3(ghostbusters, why even throw the name out there, a shit game that goes against your argument). the lego games are hardly hardcore gaming, while enjoyable. So no they arent focusing on local anymore. All the big titles dont put any real effort into local multiplayer. And not one game on your list is considered hardcore gaming. Now there has been a few, borderlands is the game that jumps out u seem to ignored(although it is only 2 player offline). GoW has a ok coop campaign mode. CoD's is utter shit. When the company thinks multiplayer, they see online. Local gets the scraps. it is slowly getting better tho.
a quick google of local multiplayer shows about half the results my front page are about the death of local multiplayer or complaints about it being ignored. like i said, outside the niches, it is a backseat thing.