Minh "Gooseman" Le, the co-creator of Counter-Strike, recently shared his contentment with Valve's stewardship over the iconic first-person shooter. In an insightful interview with Spillhistorie.no commemorating Counter-Strike's 25th anniversary, Le delved into his journey and the game's evolution under Valve's wing.
Le Was Happy Valve Maintained Counter-Strike's Legacy
In the exclusive interview, Le expressed his satisfaction with Valve's role in elevating Counter-Strike to one of the most celebrated FPS games. Reflecting on the decision to sell the game's rights to Valve, Le stated, "Yes, I'm happy with how things turned out with Valve, with regards to selling the IP to them. They have done a great job of maintaining the legacy of CS."
The transition to Steam was not without its hurdles. Le recalled, "I remember Steam had a lot of stability issues in the early days and there were several days where players could not even log in to play the game." Despite these technical challenges, Le appreciated the invaluable support from the community, which played a crucial role in smoothing out the transition. "Thankfully, we had a lot of help from the community as many people wrote helpful guides to assist," he noted.
Le's journey began as an undergraduate student, developing Counter-Strike as a mod for Half-Life in 1998. His inspiration drew from a blend of classic arcade games like Virtua Cop and Time Crisis, as well as influential movies such as John Woo's Hong Kong action films, and Hollywood hits like Heat, Ronin, Air Force One, and Tom Clancy's films from the 90s. In 1999, Jess Cliffe joined Le to enhance the game's maps, contributing significantly to its development.
Counter-Strike celebrated its 25th anniversary on June 19, underscoring its enduring appeal among FPS enthusiasts. The latest iteration, Counter-Strike 2, boasts nearly 25 million monthly players, a testament to Valve's dedication to keeping the franchise thriving amidst fierce competition in the genre.
Despite relinquishing control over Counter-Strike to Valve, Le remains grateful for the company's meticulous care of his creation. He shared, "It was very humbling because I viewed Valve with such high regard. I learned a lot from working at Valve because I got to work with some of the best game developers in the industry and they taught me skills I would never have learned outside of Valve."
