CS Online is the Asian version of Condition Zero. The game is being developed by Nexon, a Korea-based company. This version would come with new weapons, maps, and player models that are tailored for the Asian audience.

New terrorist models are: Red Beret Condittiere, Asia Red Army, National Liberation Campaign, and Vigilante Corps. Likewise, there are new Counter-Terrorists, such as: South Korean 707, Taiwanese Police Special Forces, Chinese Devil Squad, and Japanese SAT.

Unlike the previous Valve games, CS Online doesn’t require you to have Steam.

According to MMOtaku, over 170,000 gamers participated in CS Online’s closed beta test. The game will be released in Korea (obviously), China, Japan, and Taiwan.

Aside from the obvious cosmetic modifications for the Asian audience, I don’t think there would be any major gameplay differences. So my question is: how would this game make Asian gamers stop playing their favorite treadmill MMOs? I don’t think the new models would be incentive enough.

Post from: EveryJoe

Counter-Strike Online recently holds beta test

Neil Postlethwaite, managing director at Splash Damage, explained that the developers want to keep supporting ETQW and not just “walk away” after releasing the game. Postlethwaite thinks in-game advertising would help maintain the persistent stat servers and the community site, in addition to the updates and improvements that they planned.

It all sounds great, but where will the ads be placed?

According to the Splash Damage executive, the ads won’t be intrusive and you won’t have to interact with them. The ads are planned to be part of the normal environment, and might actually add to the game’s immersion. Container trucks, for example, would have ads on its sides. Postlethwaite assures us that if the ad isn’t appropriate or it’s distracting, it won’t go in. No personal data that can be used to identify you will be stored. They said you’ll be tracked on how long you look at the ads, nothing more.

The problem with this is that the developer decides which ad is distracting, not the community.

Splash Damage could handle this aspect well, or they could ignore distracting ads and argue that it’s not—all for the sake of revenue.

It’s odd though that Counter-Strike: Source, one of the most popular multiplayer games, doesn’t use in-game ads, and Valve (and Turtle Rock Studios) has continued to support the game for the longest time. So far, Splash Damage has also been mum on the effect of in-game ads on the game’s retail price.

All these things considered, would you tolerate in-game advertising?

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Post from: EveryJoe

Quake Wars will have in-game advertising

My current favorite is Psi Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy. Yes, it got great reviews on the PlayStation 2, but I like the PC version better because I can use the keyboard and mouse for moving around. Psi Ops’ Havok 2 physics engine makes the game a very enjoyable romp, and it brings out my creativity in beating the crap out of enemy fodder.

Half-Life 2 is a perennial choice, thanks to Counter-Strike Source. Then again, I’ve yet to finish Half-Life 2 since I got stuck somewhere in the latter part of the game. Some game expert I am.

I’ve also returned to Von Braun, the starship from hell that you have to outlive in System Shock 2. I love this RPG/shooter hybrid because it reminds me a lot of Event Horizon, that über-cool sci-fi/horror flick that came out a decade ago. Bioshock, if you haven’t heard, is actually the spiritual successor to System Shock 2.

Outside the PC, I’m still playing Metroid Prime Hunters. Whenever my friends and I decide to hold a DS party, I bring this along because it’s the closest thing to Counter-Strike for the handheld. You won’t find me in the Nintendo WFC rankings, though. I always get my rear end handed to me when I play there.

Enough about me. I want to know what you’re currently playing.

Post from: EveryJoe

Games I’m currently playing