Watch out Sony, Steam’s latest stats show PC gaming is alive and well
PC gaming service, Steam, reached amazing new heights in the last few days, with the platform boasting over 20m live active users over the course of the weekend.
Steam is now listing it’s all-time player peak as: 20,313,451. This was achieved yesterday.
So, what’s driving the increase? No doubt the fact recent events have left more people in-doors, at home looking for things to do has helped. Equally though, the enduring popularity of titles like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, Grand Theft Auto V and Counter Strike: Global Offensive, continue to drive players to the service.
Counter Strike: Global Offensive is a particularly remarkable contributor. The game was released way back in 2012 but now, eight years later, it consistently sits at the top of Steam’s most-played games chart.
Image via Steam
So, why does Counter Strike keep gamers coming back for more so consistently?
Our review of the game pointed to its classic, addictive gameplay mechanics and simple but appealing game-modes.
Our reviewer said: “The action remains, as ever, beautifully balanced but brutally difficult. While awards are doled out for kills in the form of achievements and cash rewards, there are no perks or kill streaks and no persistent advantages to levelling up.
“If you haven’t played for a while you’ll find yourself getting trashed by players who know the tricks and the maps better than you, and it takes a certain level of persistence not to give up and crawl back to the Battlefield or Modern Warfare threequels. Valve has implemented a new matchmaking system, designed to fit you with players of your own skill level, but while this gives you a fighting chance it doesn’t remove the steep difficulty curve entirely. You will get better, but it’s going to take some time, some practice, and some experience against other players.”
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
