Counter-Strike: Source on its way

Valve hope Steam network will hold this time

The eagerly awaited Counter-Strike: Source is drawing closer today with the ramping up of Steam network to power preloading.

Steam's status page shows the bandwidth available increase to nearly 8Gbps, as the CS:S preload looms. It's due to start today for Condition Zero & ATI voucher users, with activation happening on the 18th.

"In terms of network bandwidth, we're currently running at 4 Gbps, and will boost to 7 Gbps when we start pre-loading. We have the option of increasing that to 14 Gbps with a phone call (admittedly a really expensive phone call)" said Gabe Newell, talking on the HL2Fallout forums.

"So pre-loading is a good thing, being able to play before you have a complete copy of the game is a good thing, and having buckets and buckets of bandwidth is a good thing. It's interesting that videogames in addition to being a larger aggregate audience than almost any TV show (and a lot of countries total Internet traffic) are also now becoming one of the largest consumers of bandwidth on the net."

This gradual rollout - and extreme increase in bandwidth - shows how much Valve have learnt since the launch of Steam resulted in poor network performance and aggrieved players. The amount of potential cash on offer from selling HL2 (direct to Valve's bank account, it has to be said), will no doubt have oiled the wheels when choosing to boost investment in Steam.

This massive increase in available bandwidth will also be used to power the Half-Life 2 preload on the 17th. In the meantime, several videos of CS:S in action have been produced. These show the impressive engine at work - barrels rolling with realistic fire, smoke and flashlight effects. In one video a player moves a gun from a vulnerable position to his pistol-toting team mate by firing at it; remarkable integration of near real-world physics into the gameplay.

Cybercafe customers have already had a taste of the beta - a shrewd move by Valve. Controlling the rollout to generally tech-savvy users (therefore better bug reporters), as well as placating some of their harshest critics who make a living from reselling use of Valve's software. More as we get it.

By Jason Cartwright