CS Xbox goes gold
On track for December 5th.
With Condition Zero being roundly slated by anybody who cares to play it, Microsoft has announced the Xbox version of Counter-Strike has also gone gold - with the emphasis firmly on the original multiplayer game.
Due out on December 5th, Counter-Strike for Xbox includes the original multiplayer game that prompted all this excitement (along with seven Xbox-exclusive maps and the promise of more downloadable content), support for 16 players, and of course support for the ever-useful Xbox Communicator.
The single player levels from the much-maligned Condition Zero will also come into play, but we're obviously more interested in Xbox Live play, particularly as we're rather used to playing CS for hours on a little PC monitor and not on a widescreen TV with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. Kristan's already rubbing his hands together in prospect of the HDTV support mooted in the press release - although how CS' chunky, Half-Life era visuals will look in that sort of detail is another matter entirely.
It's also difficult to say how well CS will do on the console. With literally tens of thousands of folks still playing CS on the PC every night, it's difficult to see them being persuaded by a console port with different controls and a new feel, even if it does have a few new maps and other trinkets. Indeed, for a game that's banking heavily on an established brand, CS Xbox may just do better with folks who haven't played it before.
Either way, we're keen to get our hands on it, and will be bringing you as much as we can on the game ahead of its release.