Game Development a la Mod

[CSN NewsBot]

A new magazine called Business 2.0 has written an interesting article on Minh "Gooseman" Le and the little Half-Life mod he wrote and named Counter-Strike. The article is titled Game Development a la Mod and doesn't present much new news about Counter-Strike's history for the average CS buff, but it's a fun read anyway.

Today, Le's homespun project, called Counter-Strike, is the most popular multiplayer action game in the world. Bigger than Quake. Bigger than Unreal. The numbers are staggering: Over 1.7 million players spend more than 2.4 billion minutes a month in the game. (The top-rated TV show Friends generates 2.9 billion viewer minutes a month.) In addition to its free Internet distribution, Counter-Strike has sold 1.3 million shrink-wrapped copies at retail; in 2003 a version for Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox will hit the stores.



Rail-thin and self-effacing, Le seems largely uninterested in the impact he could have on the gaming industry. At the very least, game hackers activate a form of free viral marketing that can keep a game selling well beyond its expected shelf life. But when the hacker is as talented as Le, the result can be independent versions of games that actually challenge the work of industry titans like Electronic Arts (ERTS) and Activision (ATVI). "The success of a game like Counter-Strike is leveling the field in game development," says Jason Della Rocca, an official of the International Game Developers Assn.

Read the rest of the article, which is available on Business 2.0's website here.

[palehorse]

FROM ARTICLE

As for Le, he has been working hard on a Counter-Strike sequel in the basement of his parents' home.

Thats just what I wanted to hear. Anyone know how much VALVe paid for CS rights?

[Derelict267]

what the heck why is his nickname gooseman i dont get it.lol he lives with his parents? omg why doesnt he buy a freaking house and a pimp car with all the money hes making because CS is so popular

[palehorse]

Edited by [user="35490"] @ [time="1034029201"]

Derelict267 wrote..

what the heck why is his nickname gooseman i dont get it

whats your nic?...



I can Derelict my own balls

[MikeJ]

because top gun KICKS ASS.



Also, i will buy someone a custom title if they sneak into goose's house and grab me some CS2 info. And possibly an early build of the game too!

[Derelict267]

palehorse wrote..

I can Darelict my own balls

YOU FOOL ITS DERELICT!!!!!!

[cheetarah654]

gooseman is an old character. its a badass name.

[palehorse]

Also, i will buy someone a custom title if they sneak into goose's house and grab me some CS2 info. And possibly an early build of the game too!

I saw the new death animiations somewhere...



Remember that article a parent wrote about how their child was addicted to CS. It had pics of the new death anims.

[MikeJ]

Yes i saw that myself. I can't believe that guy didn't run off with goose's computer. What a heathen.

[GonePostal]

Edited by [user="2345"] @ [time="1034050732"]

"Over 1.7 million players spend more than 2.4 billion minutes a month in the game. (The top-rated TV show Friends generates 2.9 billion viewer minutes a month.) In addition to its free Internet distribution, Counter-Strike has sold 1.3 million shrink-wrapped copies at retail"



Let's see, that's about 76% retail n00bs and less than 24% beta veterans playing. 24% would be much lower counting whoever was smart enough to buy HL and download CS after it went retail. Hmmm...

[scud]

i've seen some of the pictures and they're pretty damned good. also i find it interesting that cliffe didn't even get a mention at all.

[-:Nighthawk:-]

Good article, interesting to see CS analyzed not on quality or morality or whatever, but rather as a simple business venture. And looking over it, yeah... CS made sense from a business perspective, even if gooseman was making it just for fun, and the money became a great side-benefit.



(Yeah, cliffe didn't get specifically mentioned, but I'm guessing they're lumping him into that loose network of friends they were mentioning.)



As far as still living at home goes... well, if it works, it works. I'm sure when he comes to the point in his life where he wants to get married and start a family or whatever, then he'll move out. Some people stay at home for longer to help out their parents though... I don't really think it's something that those of us who happen to have our own places should look down on without knowing the circumstances.

[garry]

scud wrote..

i've seen some of the pictures and they're pretty damned good. also i find it interesting that cliffe didn't even get a mention at all.

thats because hes a nobody, all cliffe is is the mouth.. gooseman just keeps him around as the PR guy

[Ghengis]

Edited by [user="54146"] @ [time="1034094099"]

Gooseman is the guy that got ejected to heaven in Top Gun, Great Balls of Fire. It is a bad ass all time, wicked, wicked, Nick name, Unlike Garry, Garry Is cockney rhyming slang for asshole, And if the name fits.. (Ill explain if You ask..)



CS Has thankfully been developed by business naive people, and I htink that is its charm. It has mant that a culture and mutual respect has developed among the COMMUNITY which has made it thrive.. Anyhooo. The main thing is:



I dont like you Garry. But you have a cool website... I got 10/10 on your drug quiz

[garry]

gary glitter means shitter



btw its not my drugs quiz, this is indicated by the BBC logos all over the site.