What happened...?

[I'mheretohelp]

Hello all,

I was a long time CS 1.6 player years ago and quit a while back. I started picking up interest in CS again with the new addition of GO approaching. I always remember how much fun and exciting the community was back in its hay day. And I also remember how coL was in the middle of all the excitement. My question is rather simple, but might be harder to answer, what the heck happened with the community and coL?

I remember when the coL originally came out with Jason Lake playing with s0ck. Then comes Bullseye from Team 3D and Sunman from zEx and so on and so forth. I remember these forums lighting up all day and the enormous excitement coL created and how much life it breathed into the community. Fanboys going crazy over who is better coL or 3D. The enormous support and loyalty fans showed their favorite teams and players. Remember those godlike movies coL always came out with? Remember how MIRC went crazy with exciting news being released and everyone flooding the channel?

My personal opinion (aside from the original starcraft) CS 1.6 MADE e-sports. You guys were rock stars. Everyone looked up to you like NBA or NFL players. E-sports was alive and well, and CS 1.6 made all this happen. I understand CS 1.6 is no longer what it was, but I really really hope coL will NOT forget its roots. I hope they would take a good long hard look at CS:GO and think of its potential and where it can go. It may vary well be the next golden years (FINGERS CROSSED!!!) of competitive gaming.

CS 1.6 IS esports. Lets all give CS:GO a chance.

[Yeager183]

The community suffered tremendously first with the switch of most teams to Source and again (much more as well) with the fall of the CGS. Since then, the CS community mostly resides within the realm of ESEA (so it seems). From what I understood, Lake had to go through some hoops to regain rights for compLexity as a whole, start getting sponsorships again, etc. The superstar 1.6 squad ended up going to EG, and compLexity wasn't really able to acquire a squad nearly as strong as their old one. It's more or less been rebuilding to now, though SC2 is the biggest part of the team at this point (hell, most teams have gone this route). Keeping that in mind, individuals teams don't seem to have the community that they did 5 years ago; TeamLiquid/Reddit seem to be the places where the community currently thrives.

Lake and compLexity as a whole will likely never forget the team's history. New players are told the history and all, so it's not like it'll eventually die off as the old players leave and the new players come in. This post made me think of Lake's interview at MLG Anaheim last year where he actually mentions much of your post; if you haven't listened to it, here's the link:

As for CS:GO, I'm with you, and I really really hope it takes off. It has potential, but the existing CS communities (BOTH 1.6 and Source) will need to back GO up for it to thrive. Realistically, I'm doubting that it will be the savior everyone wants it to be. The community seems very divided about it thus far, and though CS is expanding to the console audience again, I'm worried. Ran into masternook and daffsta on Shootmania a couple weeks ago, and they didn't seem to have the best opinions of it either. It's much too early to tell how today's gamers will respond though - let's hope for the best.

[Anomoly]

We will never forget our roots and Lake and I both have a special place in our hearts for CS. I can not say what we will or wont do because the future is unwritten but I can give you my opinion. I have played CSGO and I for one can not see it being a game that unites the fractured community. I think it is also too little too late. All of the major tournaments have moved away from CS and they would have to have a very compelling reason to move back and the same goes for businesses like compLexity. At the end of the day we have to show exposure to our partners and picking up a team in a game that has no exposure does not make a lot of sense. I for one hope that CSGO does take off but without some significant changes to the game I just dont see that happening.

[Yeager183]

Decided to pay for ESEA's CS:GO season to get a key and all last night. Within 15 minutes of installing, I hopped into some pugs, and I'm definitely worried about the future of the game. I doubt a majority of the current 1.6 scene will switch over willingly; the game feels so much like Source but with a few new guns, a couple differences here and there. I will write a bit more about last night's experience with the game in my monthly blog update thing - either later tonight or tomorrow (though likely tomorrow).

[eCurb]

I remember watching a Stream of JLake in a few pub's, and he seemed to enjoy it, but there was just a lack of intensity that someone with his amount of passion would have for a fresh game of our beloved Counter-Strike series. I've heard mixed reviews, and for something that is suppose to unite the players, this one may not be it and it may never come back.

With that being said, I'll buy it, and I'll play it -- going into it with an open mind and pray that the God's will give us one more chance at first person shooter glory.