CounterStrike Uber Alles: The Parlous State Of Online Gaming

Padre · Post by **Padre** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:48 am

Check this out. It's from CSPORTS.net, a site which claims to log traffic on multiplayer game servers. While it doesn't catch everything, it's method is good enough to get a reasonable approximation of the player base for each game.

Holy Christ.

As of this writing, Counter-Strike has TWENTY TIMES the active players of it's nearest competitor, and SEVEN MILLION more unique players in the last 31 days.

Thnk it's all he excitement over CS:Sourcemaking it the flavour of the month? No siree bob. Nearly 40,000 people are still playing the ORIGINAL Counter-Strike. CS:Source is in second place, with a mere 10,000 players or so.

Their dominance is near total. Nothing come close.

Why in the hell is this? The game is fun, sure, but aren't people bored of it by now? Don't people ever experiment with anything else?

I'm concerned for what this means for aspiring mod developers everywhere. In news many of you probably won't care about, the mod team behind the "Action" mod series (responsible for Action: Quake 2, Action: Half-Life and Action: Unreal Tournament 2004) have gone under, citing lack of payers for their latest release as one of the reasons. It seems to be damn hard to get players for anything these days.

What's going on?

Napoleon · Post by **Napoleon** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:40 am

I never liked the original much, although I did like CS: Source.

I think a lot of the people playing it might be on older hardware, and as such don't have access to the latest games (the old CS ran great on my old Celeron 800). Also, I think there are many that have invested so much into this game, that they don't want to switch. This game is where their friends are (clans), and they've spent so much time memorizing the maps, learning the tricks, that they might not want to try and learn something like that again.

On that level, I can sympathise, actually. I used to be in a Tribe in Starsiege: Tribes (the first one) and played the crap out of that game. I met quite a bit of people from that tribe in real-life, and it was basically my hangout on the internet. After Tribes died down a bit (people leaving, Tribes 2 was released) and I moved to other games, I've never joined another clan for any game. I played craploads of DoD, but never felt the need to join a clan...I figured I'd get tired of the game in the future anyway, why bother?

This feeling was increased because I had found Gone Gold. A gaming community NOT centered around a single game, but around gaming itself, while at the same time being small enough for you to "know" most of the people (unlike other HUGE messageboards). And the GoneGolders switch from game to game much more easily than the clanmembers who are playing a single game.

So, I found my clique that was not tied to a single game, but for lots of other people, I can imagine their clique is very single-minded about the game they play. So, they stick with the old.

Intruder · Post by **Intruder** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:01 pm

Maybe it's that a lot of people are tired of learning new stuff?
You know like memorizing new key binds for actions and learning new strategies?

My crack was/is UT and UT2k4.
Only CTF and with Insta-Gib.
Nice and easy. Fast hopping in, going for the flag / defending the flag.
I know exactly what I have to do and can concentrate on killing.

For a lot of people CS was the first online game they ever tried I recall from back then.
It was also one of the first featured fully in magazines as online game.
Think those players never moved on (just like me).
I'm happy with it!

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:51 pm

One factor is that the number of options are growing much more quickly than the number of players. When Action Quake II and Action HL came out, there were a dozen or so serious multiplayer options, and that's stretching it. Now when a new mod, or even a new game hits the market, you will be competing with 100 other games and mods (note that the above list doesn't include non-commercial mods).

Divide the player base by 12 and you have lots of players for each game. Increase the player base, even quadruple it, and then divide by 100 and some games are going to be left without players. I remember when I reviewed Devastation. When it came time to discuss the multiplayer aspects, I had to say, "I don't know", simply because, even in the third week after release, I was only able to find an active game to join once or twice, and those only had three or four players. Some games/mods either don't have enough of a hook to get people to try it, or fail to keep the players necessary to be viable.

One other factor is community and support. When it comes to Counterstrike, UT, or other established titles, you can find piles of information online, strategies, techniques, tips, maps, and so on. People stick with these games over a new title that just has the 'out of the box' material with it. Likewise clans/clubs/whatever. When all of your friends are playing Day of Defeat, you aren't all that likely to go play something else.

All of this means that new games that come out are really going to have to prove themselves, to have a HL2 like 'Must play it' kind of draw to rip players away from the games that, quite frankly, have better community and support.

There is a good side to all of this. If you look at the top ten games on that list, all but three are specifically designed as multiplayer games, sporting, at best, botmatch single player. If tacked-on multiplayer can no longer be succesful, and start-up multiplayer games are having a hard time getting their market share, then perhaps developers will begin to focus their energies on getting focused single- or multi-player games right instead of combining the two with half-assed results.

piecedoff · Post by **piecedoff** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 5:15 am

With the CS:Source bots coming out next week, I might actually try this game out.
Honestly, I never wanted to try it on-line.
All this talk about cheating and super1337ness made me stay away from it

Padre · Post by **Padre** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 10:44 am

Blackhawk wrote:One factor is that the number of options are growing much more quickly than the number of players. When Action Quake II and Action HL came out, there were a dozen or so serious multiplayer options, and that's stretching it. Now when a new mod, or even a new game hits the market, you will be competing with 100 other games and mods (note that the above list doesn't include non-commercial mods).

It does actually cover non-commercial mods. The suitably bored can unearth a diverse array of statistics.

Like who knew that vanilla Half-Life 1 deathmatch had so many players? It ranks as the third most popular way to play Half-Life (outside of DoD and CS, which are considered to be seperate games now).

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 12:54 pm

I was very surprised this morning to see a player speed and wall hacking. I thought it had been eliminated. Cheating was one reason I quit playing it years ago. You think it would be pretty unhackable now and with STEAM to ban people. But I guess not.

Vidiot · Post by **Vidiot** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 3:34 pm

CS is a fun game. With the new source features you can get some really cool gun fights going on. Sure there is a much larger asshole part of the community then most online communities (Besides maybe Blizzard's), but when you get on a good server with some good people it can be a real blast.

Turtle · Post by **Turtle** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:59 pm

I suspect a good majority of these players are kids whos parents don't watch what they play.

CS isn't that great of a game, it's good, but not great. However, the game gets indoctrinated into them at an early age.

\/\/olverine · Post by **\/\/olverine** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 5:19 pm

I suspect a good majority of these players are kids whos parents don't watch what they play.

Oh no doubt about it, I'm almost certain the majority of Counter-Strike's players are under 18 years old. That's around when I used to be heavily into it, and my brother and all his friends who are all around 15-18 are now into it. Low hardware requirements are a large draw, but also the community itself is so rabid. I can think of at least 5 LAN centers within 10 miles of my house that all pump CS.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 5:30 pm

As has been said before, MP gaming is over rated. Most people, like myself, want good SP games and really couldn't care whether a game has MP or not.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 6:03 pm

One horrible part is when you are on a team with some pre pube high pitched girlie kid who likes to whine and use the mic a lot.

Padre · Post by **Padre** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 7:47 pm

People have made some good points to explain Counter-Strike's popularity, but the magnitude of it still astounds me.

Seven MILLION more players? Seven MILLION? That's a LOT of people.

Something truly strange is going on.

Clanwolfer · Post by **Clanwolfer** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 11:40 pm

I think it's the same reason Solitaire is such a big time-waster; there's things you can do to keep yourself alive longer, and a skilled player can certainly defeat an unskilled one, but there's enough elements of luck and enough different permutations of play in most of the maps that you can really kill a lot of time with it and not feel like you're 'done' or that you've mastered it.

Creepy_Smell · Post by **Creepy_Smell** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 12:28 am

I've played it off and on for years. Stopped for most of 1.6 due to the server I used to play on going down.

Started playing again with Source after I found a few servers I like. That is the key to enjoying this game to me. Good servers make it a fun game, while bad servers ruin it.

I like the setting, how the rounds are set up, built in voice comm (w/ mute) and now the physics. With a good server you can find good teamwork, which is key to any fun MP game.

I play other MP games too (UT2K4, GR) but always come back to CS, even if its a couple months since I last played. I play nowhere near as much as I used to but I still enjoy a few maps each week.

Jow · Post by **Jow** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 12:30 am

I've talked to a friend of mine about this pretty extensively. Both of us played quite some time ago, around the time of 1.6 (original Halflife) or so. I long since lost interest/got bored, but he's quit and gone back several times. Now that CS: Source is out, he's back at it again. In fact, it's the only thing he's playing nowadays.

For me, the repetition and having to WAIT to play after you die are what finally pushed me away. It still blows my mind that folks are playing on the same maps (Dust,etc) using the same weapons they were 4-5 years ago, running the same limited routes they were back then. I just don't get it.

Anyhow, on questioning this friend, one of the biggest reasons he continues going back to CS is that it is and always has been a buttery smooth experience; I can appreciate that. CS and the halflife engine have been around forever now so needless to say they scale to all sorts of hardware really well. I can see his point that since CS nothing has come out that runs so well and isn't a complete spazzfest. UT 2004 is a great game, don't get me wrong... but it's a spazzfest. Hell, I could have seen myself getting caught up in the Battlefield series (1942/Vietnam) the way he has with CS, and he's commented likewise, but going from a smooth engine to the Battlefield engine is a tremendously jarring experience. I can appreciate that, too...

...but I still can't get still playing CS in this day and age.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 12:47 am

I think DoD and NS are better mods but I still enjoy a few rounds of this new CSS every day now. Biding my time till DoD and NS are ported over. I thought I heard DoD was but Im not gonna pay extra for a mod.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:16 am

CS is my favorite online FPS for the same reason that NHL games are my favorite console games. Rounds are quick, the game is familiar, but you never know exactly what to expect.

I can't put my finger on it, but if you add up all the time I've spent with this one, from early beta (glass campers in Siege anyone? Scoped M4s?) through today, it's by far my most played game. I'd go so far as to say that based on longevity and gameplay, it's the best game I've ever played.

Two Sheds · Post by **Two Sheds** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:40 am

I played the very first beta releases of CS and loved them. My 56K started to show its age, though, and I gave up online gaming until I went to college and got my first taste of broadband. Tried playing CS again and just didn't like it--too many immature people, cheaters, that sort of thing. Played a hell of a lot of DOD.

CS: Source, though, I do like. Maybe I'm just "in the mood" for it now, but my roommate and I, both old-school DODers, have a lot of fun now playing CS. Of course, I'm sure that will change once DOD:Source comes out, but for now it's a fun diversion.

Edit:

Daehawk wrote:I thought I heard DoD was but Im not gonna pay extra for a mod.

You'll have to, if you want Day of Defeat Source (Assuming you haven't already reserved it with a Steam Silver or Gold purchase). Try not to think of it as a "mod"--it was at one point but like CS, it has moved into the realm of "retail game."

Thin_J · Post by **Thin_J** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 5:48 pm

I played CS all the way from Beta 3 up until 1.6. And I played it a lot. I got into the game at around.. I guess I was 15 at the time? I honestly can't remember. It was ages ago. I was heavily into Starcraft during the same time.

Anyway, It's a fun game. I like it, and it's still an absolute blast at LAN parties.

Jow · Post by **Jow** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 6:03 pm

Funny enough, I've been lucky enough to participate in a whole mess of LAN parties over the years and to date CS has never been played at them, despite the fact that FPS's dominate the play time. Prolly largely due to the fact that it's rare that we have enough people to make it worthwhile (typical size is four players, sometimes six).

Thin_J · Post by **Thin_J** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 7:12 pm

Jow wrote:Funny enough, I've been lucky enough to participate in a whole mess of LAN parties over the years and to date CS has never been played at them, despite the fact that FPS's dominate the play time. Prolly largely due to the fact that it's rare that we have enough people to make it worthwhile (typical size is four players, sometimes six).

We had several smaller custom maps that we played that were excellent for 4 or 6 players. I believe Dave Johnson (could be Johnston, not sure) made one called pa_fact that was awesome for small matches.