While Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has grown steadily since its August 2012 launch, the title didn’t really explode until late 2014, two years after launch. The monthly average number of concurrent players has tripled since then, from 100K in late 2014. to over 300K consistently since summer 2015.
This rapid growth makes CS:GO the second most-played game on Steam. It also places the title’s player engagement in the same ballpark as Dota 2, which has dominated Steam since its rapid growth in 2013.
The graph below shows that the average Counter-Strike player was 150K less than Dota 2. This impressive growth in CS GO active players is particularly remarkable, unlike Dota 2. The title is not free to play and instead has an initial price of $14.99. The number of active players is much higher than that of F2P Dota 2. Nearly half (43%) of CS:GO owners played within the last two weeks as of October 2015. This is a higher percentage than in most Steam games like Dota 2, (8%) and Dota 2.
There are many factors that have contributed to the success of CS:GO. These include the fan base from the original Counter-Strike games as well as consistent first-party advertisements to Steam’s 150,000,000 active users. It is notable that the game’s popularity has risen steadily over the past three and a half years. CS:GO is an example of a game as a service (GaaS). The product has changed over time to suit the needs of diverse communities.
The product’s ability to meet the needs of different sections of the community, such as professionals and highly competitive players, content creators, and spectators at tournaments, is a major reason for CS:GO’s rapid growth.
To balance competitive play, CS:GO is constantly updated. A GaaS must update content regularly to drive growth. However, it is important to ensure that updates are satisfying the most active players. Valve has done an excellent job listening to high-level tournament players and using their feedback to improve game content. Some examples of recent competitive balance updates include slowing down sniper rifle fire and increasing damage that slows movement speed. Although any change to gameplay can be controversial, the general reception from the professional community has been positive.
The CS:GO community has been incentivized and encouraged to create quality content. Operating a game service requires that you produce constant streams of new content. This can be achieved by providing the community with a platform for user-generated content (UGC). Valve offers map makers the opportunity to earn revenue by contributing maps for “operations”, which work in the same way as Valve’s official maps packs. This structure allows for high-quality content to be released on an ongoing basis.
Affordable csgo hack a great experience for eSports fans.CS:GO has benefited greatly from the rapid growth in an eSports community that was lacking a dominant shooter before CS:GO assumed the role. CS:GO is an eSport because of several factors. First, Counter-Strike has a long history in professional play. The CS:GO match format, which is a series of rounds that includes resource purchases between rounds, adds depth and strategy to the viewing experience. The strategic meta-game can be followed by viewers across rounds, as well as individual performances and round-by-round action. CS:GO also does a great job in motivating viewers by linking their Steam and Twitch accounts as well as creating viewing rewards that link back to players’ CSGO accounts.
The ESL One tournament, a major CS:GO event, was the most watched Twitch stream during August. This is particularly impressive when you consider August featured major tournaments in League of Legends and Dota 2.
The rise of the GaaS model is one of the most important trends in the industry. If done right, this model can generate consistent revenue and growing engagement over a long time. But, it is not easy to run a GaaS business model that meets the needs of all segments of a community. CS:GO offers many examples that show how this can be done effectively.
