“A goal-oriented form of interactive entertainment in which one or more active opponents attempt to hinder the players attainment of his goal.” This explains the interactivity games give us. They are a reflection of our lives and the things we must overcome to progress further in life. That’s why we enjoy games so much, it’s that struggle and triumph we have over a lifetime compacted into days of playtime on a game. Counter Strike Is a MMOG (massive multiplayer online game) which has a fanbase of millions, once being the most played game online in the world. It originally started off as a MOD (Modification) of an already successful game called Half Life. Now has been turned into a full game by the valve corporation. It now allows the player to be the author allowing the audience to make MODS of this game, for example Zombies which consist of one player starting as the zombie and has to infect the others (by knifing them). The rest of the players have guns to defend themselves. This theory of the freedom to be you own author the game now cannot really be placed in the genre that it once belonged in (first person shooter). Counter strike now has so many modification servers that it covers a wide range of genres, making it a multi-genre game. This could also be described as an open source game. By theorist Ernest Adams “The player and her actions are the most important things in the game. In computer gaming you subordinate the player to the plot at your own peril. It’s not our job to tell stories. It’s our job to build worlds in which the players can live a story of their own creation.” This reflects many of the games today, where there is freedom to act within the game however you please. Where Counterstrike is concerned they have pushed the boundaries between the role of the player and Author. The players are now free to create their own platforms and rules within the game. Communities come together when people share common goal or interest, when the audience engage in shared activities, access to shared resources and sharing social language, for example ‘noob’, ‘admin’ and ‘mod’ .This only works because of the online community that exists within Counter-strike. Using a network hub called ‘Steam’ you can communicate with friends from over the world while playing different games. It is also where you can purchase games by downloading them and save them in the cloud network. This kind of quick accessibility allows the audience to have an almost seamless experience. Everything you need to communicate and play with the community is there within steam. Within the community there are ‘clans’ (groups of players who play with each other, create new mod’s or maps and compete together). Pro clans like ‘Ninja’s in pyjama’s’ have managed to make a living out of Counter-Strike. They and many others have managed this by winning pro Counter-strike leagues, selling Admin (host of a particular server) properties and new maps (levels). This sense of community gives the players a sense of belonging which keeps them loyal to Counter-Strike. It has been found that friends can also help offline friends make the transition to online, and finally communities increase the competitive side within the player. Websites like Game banana allow the community to share there creativity. This is where the user can create maps, sprays (An image that can be placed anywhere in the level) and skins (Gives your view of your gun and hands a different appearance and animation). This website has enabled Counter Strike to evolve quicker within the community. This open source attitude is what made it the most played game in the world.

GAME STRUCTURE