Counter-Strike Explained

Counter-Strike
Platforms:
Developer:
Publisher:
Genre:Tactical first-person shooter
First Release Version:Counter-Strike
First Release Date:November 9, 2000[1] [2] [3]
Latest Release Version:Counter-Strike 2
Latest Release Date:September 27, 2023

Counter-Strike (CS) is a series of multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video games in which teams of terrorists battle to perpetrate an act of terror (bombing, hostage-taking, assassination) while counter-terrorists try to prevent it (bomb defusal, hostage rescue, escort mission). The series began on Windows in 1999 with the release of the first game, Counter-Strike. It was initially released as a modification ("mod") for Half-Life that was designed by Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess "Cliffe" Cliffe before the rights to the mod's intellectual property were acquired by Valve, the developers of Half-Life, who then turned Counter-Strike into a retail product released in 2000.

The original Counter-Strike was followed by , developed by Turtle Rock Studios and released in March 2004. A previous version of Condition Zero that was developed by Ritual Entertainment was released alongside it as Condition Zero: Deleted Scenes. Eight months later, Valve released , a remake of the original Counter-Strike and the first in the series to run on Valve's then-newly created Source engine.[4] The fourth game in the main series, , was released by Valve in 2012 for Windows, OS X, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. Hidden Path Entertainment, who worked on Counter-Strike: Source post-release, helped to develop the game alongside Valve.[5] Counter-Strike 2 was announced in March 2023 and publicly released on September 27, 2023, as a replacement for Global Offensive.

There have been several third-party spin-off titles created for Asian markets over the years. These include the Counter-Strike Online series, Counter-Strike Neo, and Counter-Strike Nexon: Studio.

Gameplay

Counter-Strike is an objective-based, multiplayer tactical first-person shooter. Two opposing teams—the Terrorists and the Counter Terrorists—compete in game modes to complete objectives, such as securing a location to plant or defuse a bomb and rescuing or guarding hostages.[6] [7] At the end of each round, players are rewarded based on their individual performance with in-game currency to spend on more powerful weapons in subsequent rounds. Winning rounds results in more money than losing and completing objectives such as killing enemy players gives cash bonuses.[6] Uncooperative actions, such as killing teammates, result in a penalty.[8]

Main series

Counter-Strike

See main article: Counter-Strike (video game). Originally a modification for Half-Life, the development team was hired by Valve in 2000, when the company acquired the rights to Counter-Strike.

The game received a port to Xbox in 2003.[9] It was also ported to OS X and Linux in the form of a beta in January 2013. A full release was published in April 2013.[10] [11]

Condition Zero

See main article: Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. Counter-Strike was followed up with Counter-Strike: Condition Zero, developed by Turtle Rock Studios and released in 2004. It used the Half-Life GoldSrc engine, similarly to its predecessor. Besides the multiplayer mode, it also included a single-player mode with a "full" campaign and bonus levels. The game received mixed reviews in contrast to its predecessor and was quickly followed with a further entry to the series titled .[12]

Source

See main article: Counter-Strike: Source. Counter-Strike: Source was the first game publicly released by Valve to run on the Source engine. Counter-Strike: Source was initially released as a beta to members of the Valve Cyber Café Program on August 11, 2004.[4] [13] On August 18, 2004, the beta was released to owners of and to those who had bought ATI Radeon video cards bundled with a Half-Life 2 voucher.[14] While the original release only included a version for Microsoft Windows, the game eventually received a port to OS X on June 23, 2010, with a Linux port afterwards in 2013.[15] [16]

Global Offensive

See main article: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was the fourth release in the main, Valve-developed Counter-Strike series in 2012. Much like Counter-Strike: Source the game runs on the Source engine. It was available for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux, as well as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles, and is backwards compatible on the Xbox One console.

Counter-Strike 2

See main article: Counter-Strike 2. On March 22, 2023, Valve announced Counter-Strike 2, which utilizes the Source 2 game engine. It was originally announced as a free upgrade to Global Offensive with a summer 2023 release date.[17] [18] [19] On September 1, 2023, it was released as a limited beta,[20] [21] and the game replaced Global Offensive on September 27.

Spin-offs

Neo

Counter-Strike Neo (stylized NEO) is a Japanese arcade adaptation of Counter-Strike published by Namco for Linux-based machines.[22] The game is set in a futuristic version of Counter-Strike, with characters featuring anime-like designs. A selection of single-player missions, mini-games, and seasonal events were added to prolong the players' interest on the game.[23]

Online series

See main article: Counter-Strike Online. Counter-Strike Online is a free-to-play spin-off available in much of eastern Asia. It was developed by Nexon, with oversight from Valve. It uses a micropayment model that is managed by a custom version of the Steam back-end.[24] Announced in 2012 and aimed at the Asian gaming market, a sequel titled Counter-Strike Online 2 was developed by Nexon on the Source game engine and released in 2013.[25]

Nexon: Studio

In August 2014, Nexon announced Counter-Strike Nexon: Zombies, a free-to-play, zombie-themed spin-off,[26] developed on the GoldSrc game engine.[27] On September 23, 2014, an open beta was released on Steam.[28] The game launched on October 7, 2014, featuring 50 maps and 20 game modes.[29] The game features both player versus player modes such as team deathmatch, hostage rescue, and bomb defusal, alongside player versus environment modes such as cooperative campaign missions and base defending. Reception from critics was generally negative, with criticism aimed at the game's poor user interface, microtransactions,[30] and dated graphics. On October 30, 2019, Counter-Strike Nexon: Zombies was renamed to Counter-Strike Nexon: Studio.[31]

Competitive play

See main article: Counter-Strike in esports. Counter-Strike has over 20 years of competitive play beginning with the original Counter-Strike. The first major tournament was hosted in 2001 at the Cyberathlete Professional League which, along with World Cyber Games and Electronic Sports World Cup, were among the largest tournaments for the Counter-Strike series up to 2007. Since 2013, the Valve-sponsored Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championships have become the most prestigious tournaments in the franchise's history, featuring prize pools of around $1,000,000.[32]

Reception

Counter-Strike is considered one of the most influential first person shooters in history. The series has a large competitive community and has become synonymous with first person shooters.[33], the Counter-Strike franchise has sold over 25 million units.[34] Because of its popularity, Counter-Strike has attracted considerable academic attention. Researchers have used data from Counter-Strike, among others, to examine the mood of players,[35] performance of obese players,[36] or performance changes since the start of the Russian invasion in Ukraine.[37]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: CS V1.0 Released! . Jess . Cliffe . Jess Cliffe . November 9, 2000 . counter-strike.net . https://web.archive.org/web/20001201214200/http://counter-strike.net/ . December 1, 2000 . dead.
  2. Web site: Counter-Strike 1.0 Released . Trey . Walker . November 9, 2000 . . August 8, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170515193400/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/counter-strike-10-released/1100-2652037/ . May 15, 2017 . live .
  3. Web site: Counter-Strike v1.0 . Steve . Gibson . November 9, 2000 . Shacknews.
  4. News: Counter-Strike: Source beta begins . . . August 11, 2004 . July 1, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140314043506/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/counter-strike-source-beta-begins/1100-6104577/ . March 14, 2014 . live .
  5. Web site: VALVE ANNOUNCES COUNTER-STRIKE: GLOBAL OFFENSIVE (CS: GO). Steam. Valve. August 12, 2011. March 21, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20140222134753/http://store.steampowered.com/news/6059/. February 22, 2014. live.
  6. Web site: Review: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. August 24, 2012. April 7, 2014 . Destructoid. Pinsof. Allistair. https://web.archive.org/web/20170101122023/https://www.destructoid.com/review-counter-strike-global-offensive-233724.phtml. live . January 1, 2017.
  7. Web site: GAME BYTES: 'Counter-Strike' Lackluster. The Tuscaloosa News. New Media Investment Group. February 7, 2017. August 31, 2012. Phil. Owen. https://web.archive.org/web/20170816193400/https://www.questia.com/newspaper/1P2-36564855/game-bytes-counter-strike-lackluster. August 16, 2017. live.
  8. Web site: Money system in CS:GO explained. Natus Vincere. January 2, 2017. January 2, 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170102060245/http://read.navi-gaming.com/en/team_news/money_system_in_csgo_explained.
  9. Web site: E3 2003: Counter-Strike . . June 6, 2003 . February 5, 2014 . Fahey, Rob . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222202645/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fi_counter-strike_x . February 22, 2014 . live .
  10. Web site: Counter-Strike 1.6 Beta released . . . January 28, 2013 . February 5, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130214014350/http://steamcommunity.com/games/10/announcements/detail/1010199179645672708 . February 14, 2013 . live .
  11. Web site: Counter-Strike 1.6 update released . . . April 1, 2013 . February 5, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140316053054/http://steamcommunity.com/games/10/announcements/detail/1802838328069953132 . March 16, 2014 . live .
  12. Web site: Counter-Strike: Condition Zero for PC Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic . Metacritic.com . November 20, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121102024823/http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/counter-strike-condition-zero . November 2, 2012 . live .
  13. Web site: Counter-Strike: Source update history . . July 1, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222135657/http://www.steampowered.com/platform/update_history/index.php?id=240 . February 22, 2014 . live .
  14. Web site: Counter-Strike: Source Strike ATI Customer . . July 1, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100409071711/http://ati.amd.com/buy/promotions/cssource/index.html . April 9, 2010 . Web site: Counter Strike: Source ATI customer . December 2014 . December 23, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150419221543/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ati-offers-bonus-to-half-life-2-bundle-buyers/1100-6077350/ . April 19, 2015 . live .
  15. Web site: Counter-Strike: Source Update Released . June 23, 2010 . . . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222135654/http://store.steampowered.com/news/3976/ . February 22, 2014 . live .
  16. Web site: Dawe, Liam . February 5, 2013 . Counter Strike Source Has Been Added To The CDR And Apparently Installable Too . February 5, 2014 . GamingOnLinux.
  17. Web site: Valve announce Counter-Strike 2 . Rizzo . Marco . . March 22, 2023 . March 22, 2023 .
  18. Web site: Stedman . Alex . March 22, 2023 . Counter-Strike 2 Revealed Out of Nowhere, Release Window Confirmed . March 22, 2023 . . en.
  19. Web site: Roth . Emma . Clark . Mitchel . March 22, 2023 . Valve announces Counter-Strike 2, a free replacement for CS:GO . March 22, 2023 . . en-US.
  20. Web site: Your Time is Now . September 3, 2023 . www.counter-strike.net.
  21. Web site: How to play Counter-Strike 2 beta: Valve sends invites to more players for limited test . September 3, 2023 . Dexerto . en.
  22. Web site: Nvidia partners with Namco . . . Hirohiko . Niizumi . September 27, 2004 . July 25, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150307195139/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nvidia-partners-with-namco/1100-6108898/ . March 7, 2015 . live .
  23. Web site: Waugh . Eric-Jon . March 27, 2006 . GDC: The Localization of Counter-Strike in Japan . deviated . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924120652/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2636/gdc_the_localization_of_.php . September 24, 2015 . July 25, 2015 . . UBM plc.
  24. Web site: Q&A: Valve Explains Why PC Gaming's Gaining Steam. Gamasutra. March 6, 2008. March 6, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20111112115903/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=17744. November 12, 2011. live.
  25. Web site: Nexon, Valve announce Counter-Strike Online 2 for Asian territories. Mallory. Jordan. Joystiq. April 6, 2012. April 1, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20150304014102/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/nexon-valve-announce-counter-strike-online-2-for-asian-territor/. March 4, 2015. live.
  26. Web site: Counter-Strike Nexon: Zombies heads to Steam . . Gamer Network . Wesley . Yin-Poole . August 7, 2014 . July 25, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160411122215/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-08-07-counter-strike-nexon-zombies-heads-to-steam . April 11, 2016 . live .
  27. Web site: Tod durch Untote . de . Death by Undead . . 2 . Stefan . Köhler . October 26, 2014 . July 25, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150630153903/http://www.gamestar.de/spiele/counter-strike-nexon-zombies/test/counter_strike_nexon_zombies,51495,3079645,2.html . June 30, 2015 . live .
  28. Web site: Here's a (very) quick look at Counter-Strike Nexon: Zombies . . Gamer Network . Wesley . Yin-Poole . September 23, 2014 . July 25, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150730201445/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-09-23-heres-a-quick-look-at-counter-strike-nexon-zombies . July 30, 2015 . live .
  29. Web site: Counter-Strike Nexon: Zombies ambles onto Steam today . . . Shaun . Prescott . October 7, 2014 . July 25, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160529055717/http://www.pcgamer.com/counter-strike-nexon-zombies-ambles-onto-steam-today/ . May 29, 2016 . live .
  30. Web site: Counter-Strike Nexon: Zombies Shambles Into Open Beta . . Alice . O'Connor . September 25, 2014 . July 25, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150723093102/http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/09/25/counter-strike-nexon-zombies-open-beta/ . July 23, 2015 . live .
  31. Web site: Counter-Strike Nexon: Studio . SteamDB . May 3, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200503200435/https://steamdb.info/app/273110/history/?changeid=7115130 . May 3, 2020 . live .
  32. Web site: An eSports phenomenon: Counter-Strike. Llewellyn, Thomas. National Science and Media Museum. September 17, 2018. December 27, 2019.
  33. Web site: Esports Essentials: The Legacy of Counter-Strike. Mitchell, Ferguson. The Esports Observer . September 4, 2018. January 13, 2020.
  34. Web site: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive firing up early 2012 . Makuch . August 12, 2011 . . . August 13, 2011. Eddie. https://web.archive.org/web/20140316052004/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/counter-strike-global-offensive-firing-up-early-2012/1100-6328645/. March 16, 2014. live.
  35. Behnke. Maciej. Chwiłkowska. Patrycja. Kaczmarek. Lukasz D.. 2021. What makes male gamers angry, sad, amused, and enthusiastic while playing violent video games?. Entertainment Computing. 37. 100397. 10.1016/j.entcom.2020.100397. free.
  36. Parshakov. Petr. Naidenova. Iuliia. Assanskiy. Arthur. Nesseler. Cornel. 2022. Obesity and individual performance: the case of eSports. International Journal of Obesity. 46. 8 . 1518–1526. 10.1038/s41366-022-01142-y. free. 35585184 .
  37. Nesseler. Cornel. Shtrum. Viktor. 2024. War and Esport: The Russian Invasions Impact on the Performance of Ukrainian and Russian Professional Players. Games and Culture. 1–19. 10.1177/15554120231224513. free.

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