Walk into most Internet cafes in Taipei, and you'll be assaulted by the sound of gunfire and the command "lock and load!" You've just entered the world of Counter-Strike (CS), the computer game that has changed the face of interactive video gaming. Relatively unknown six-months ago, it has taken Taiwan by storm, and the country is now producing some of the world's top players in the game.
A new standard
It's 6pm on a weekday and the cafes are filled to capacity, with kids taking a break between regular school and cram school, businessmen before they go home, students, occasional players and professional "killers." Most of them are admitted CS addicts. The action carries on around the clock, as many cafes are open 24 hours a day.
In the world of computer gaming, CS falls into the category of the "first person shooter," in which the computer presents a player's view (usually at the end of a gun barrel) of a virtual world. It engenders a very first person response as well.
Eric Chung (鍾誠芳), a department store public relations officer when he's not playing CS, says, "Behind every character there is a real person, so it gets to be about honor. Stay calm, stay cool, be cold-blooded and shoot them in the head."
For all its visceral appeal, CS is not the only first-person shooter around. Quake III, Team Fortress and Unreal Tournament all offer enhanced graphics and fast action, but it is the importance of teamwork, strategy and character that distinguishes CS from the other games.
CS is the world's No. 1 online action game, according to most gaming industry magazines and Web sites. Log on any time and there are around 5,000 games taking place over the Internet, with any given game drawing up to 36 players from anywhere in the world. When you take into account the number of local area network (LAN) games being played -- which are far more popular because of the connection speed -- it is clear the game has become a phenomenon.
The first version of the game appeared a couple of years ago as Half-Life, with a storyline by horror writer Marc Laidlow. Half-Life was good, but it is how the game mutated into its present form that has made it special. Led by a programmer called Gooseman, the game was systematically upgraded through playing and testing online and getting feedback on the updates from a Web site that was set up specifically for the purpose. The add-on modification, or "mod," of the original game was distributed free of charge over the Internet, but is now being produced commercially.
CS is more than just a makeover of Half-Life, however, it is a complete transformation. The game has greater detail and characterization, it is more like "real-life," players say. More importantly, the modifications made the game more team-oriented. Unlike other games, CS isn't about being cut off from the world, but being part of it and in the most tangible way. Friends can join a LAN game, or play against strangers around the world over the Net. Players also assume monikers such as "Algorewithavengeance," "Feel no pain," "Masked salad tosser" and the Hoho twins ("hohokiss" and "hohjack"). Or, join a team and take on a team called the Ulster Defense Force. Players say the combination of personalized aliases and elements from the real world blur the line between reality and the computer world more than any other game.
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