Gooseman on the success of CS: “Part of the reason for the game’s longevity lies in its simplicity.”
One of the creators of Counter-Strike, Min “Gooseman” Lee, spoke on a podcast on the Indie Game Joe YouTube channel about the beginning of his collaboration with Valve, the game’s rapid rise in popularity, and compared its success to the PUBG phenomenon.
On the secret to Counter-Strike’s success
I think part of the reason for the game’s longevity lies in its simplicity. And also in its stability and approach. Valve knows that the formula has been around for 25 years. And they don’t want to change it because they understand that if they start tweaking it too much, it will alienate many esports players—because, as I see it, the situation is similar to soccer or football.
About the offer from Valve
Valve reached out to us about a year after the first version was released. We released the game in 2000... No, in 1999, and then in 2000 Valve contacted us and offered to start an official partnership. Over the course of that year, the game grew incredibly and became the most popular game on the internet.
On Competition
Back then, it was much easier to make a game go viral. Today, projects rarely become that popular. The last time I saw something like that was with PUBG. I remember when PUBG came out—it exploded instantly and essentially created a new genre.
Read also: Gabe Follower reported on Valve’s attempt to shut down a Russian service offering skin changers
Earlier, Min “Gooseman” Lee shared a story about one of Valve CEO Gabe Newell’s hobbies. He loved Mongolian throat singing, which he practiced in the office for several months, sometimes causing some annoyance among his colleagues.
Photo: Min “Gooseman” Lee.
