The [C3] Professional Counter-Strike Weapons Site

Sold out in more ways than one
By: [C3]Bangsta
Originally posted for The Forge

When I first played Counter-Strike version 5, I was thinking how good this game is and how it could be improved. After finding out that it's a free mod and in beta stages, the will to be "part" of this daunting project was overwhelming. Needless to say I didn't really help the team except by the indirect and involuntary choice of fragging newbies as they came.

Everybody who played it and know about it knew someday that this game is going to be sold. Most don't like the idea but they could also understand the hell Gooseman went through. After all, it would sux we made a game and didn't get some pocket change from it. The ones who took this news the hardest are the ones who refuse to change. They whine about everything from this reloading too slow to the models that moved like chickens. Sure it looked funny but after a while, people get used to it. So what made Counter-Strike lose its appeal to the once die-hard loyalists? It's not that the game is being sold; it's the after-effect of being sold.

1. Game Change
The game is obviously gone through some tremendous changes from Beta 7 to Retail 1. The new models took a while to get used to. Funny new uniforms meaning this game is more serious rather than a cartoon. 3 new weapons to master, which is good, but everyone wished they be better. All in all, these changes take some getting used and as usual there will be some disgruntled folks will definitely file a complaint here. Nothing to abnormal since the beta days.

2. Flood O' Newbies
Your friends wonders what the Counter-Strike craze is all about and now that it's in a boxed version, they no longer fear you're giving them a virus filled pirated version. Your friend passes the word and so on and so forth. Sierra's advertisement blitz continues the saturation until all things living knows what CS is. The pros enjoy fraggin the whole team all by themselves but are sometimes frustrated with the lack of teamwork.

3. Munchkin's Raid
One can only play so long so you rest your eyes and tired fingers. In the meantime, your little bro has been watching the action from the sidelines. They drop the pokemon toys and sneak in your room for a little frag session. They get hooked and start to be an addict. Probably don't really care as long as they don't do a school shooting or something. The kids’ brag about how good their score is and they pass it on to their peers.

4. Cheat to Win
Newbies who don't know how to win and little kids who want to show off. Two bad combinations with very young mindset come into play. Cheating and hacking the codes replace fair play and strategy. Lowly programmers who want attention suddenly see the demand for their aim bots. Most veterans are discouraged. Newbies couldn't understand why they keep losing.

5. Keep Hope Alive
During the Beta stages, nothing is final. No matter how many cheats or hacks were out, the loyal players knew someday that Gooseman and Co. would nip them in the bud. It looks very promising that the game will get better and better as time goes by. Now that it is no longer in beta but retail, significant changes will not happen for a long while or a sequel for that matter. Would the next patch be a simple add-on or a complete overhaul of what the game should have been all along?

In short, Counter-Strike began with a very humble beginning. Guts was not being Rambo but running Beta 1 knowing any moment you'll need to reboot the system. Glory was not being the top killer of the map but hoping your map will be kept in the next beta. In essence, it used to be a gentlemen's game... even though we howl like a hyena. We didn't hate the other player, we hated our inabilities. We didn't put down others for being fragged; we congratulated them for being the better player. We didn't cheat because cheaters never win. Much like the Olympics of the past, it was a race to be won and everyone tried their best. Much like today's Olympics, cheater aplenty and losing is not an option.

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