Skins, Not Gameplay, Are Considered To Be the Major Drive of CS Popularity: Counter-Strike Co-Creator
Counter-Strike co-creator Minh Le shares rather dissenting opinions for the game to remain successful over the long term. In a recent interview, Le, who is away from Valve, has attributed the game's longevity not to its gameplay but rather to its cosmetic items.
Cosmetics as the Key to Success
As Le was surprised to answer GamesRadar+ in regard to the reason for long-term popularity of this project, he suggested that collecting in-game items was the main driving force behind players' interests.
I said it was because of the core concept. It's fun to shoot terrorists. But I think people are playing for the skins and all the [junk].
Disinterest Toward Esports
Le claimed that he has never been interested in the competitive esports side of Counter-Strike even back at the beginning of developing the game. He recalled being approached during the beta by an esports league to make the game more competitive.
They irritated me with their requests. Never did I want Counter-Strike to be an esports game.
His perspective on the development of the game varies distinctly from the way that Valve has taken since, which may provide insight into his exit from the company, even as Counter-Strike has developed into one of the most famous eSports of all times.
