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Knife-Licensing Sensation Sweeps Counter-Strike

Thanks to Shacknews for passing on the bizarre news that Valve's currently-beta Counter-Strike 1.6 release has an official knife license (PDF doc). An excerpt from the press release reads: "The new Counter-Strike knife is based on Mick Strider's award winning bowie. It is an integral design that started as a 1/2" thick slab of 6AL4V titanium. The edge is press-fit Stellite.. ..the handle is fossilized mastodon ivory." There's also a link to a an in-game screenshot of the knife, looking both sharp and shiny. We're looking forward to seeing how Valve can top this licensing masterpiece... suggestions?

50 comments

  1. Why should I care? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    We're looking forward to seeing how Valve can top this licensing masterpiece... suggestions?

    This is news?

    Yay, a new skin for the knife. Why should I care? A virtual knife is a virtual knife, it doesn't have any of those high quality carbon-steel mentioned on the webpage.

    Hate to tell you this, but it's hardly a masterpiece. How much did Valve pay for this "license"?

    What's next, McDonalds happy meals?

    1. Re:Why should I care? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Come on chickenshit moderators, instead of modding something down, try debating his points. Make a counter argument instead.

      Do something intelligent for a change.

    2. Re:Why should I care? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How much did Valve pay for this "license"?

      i am guessing some negative amount. this is no advantage for valve, but great publicity for the knife. kind of sad to see CS used as a comercial, i think

  2. If Turd Ferguson doesn't like it... by Elyjah · · Score: 1

    It seems that Turd Ferguson doesn't like the new knoife skin that much. Not sure if I like it either.

  3. This post is ONTOPIC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    (Score:-1, Offtopic)

    Sorry kids, this is perfectly ONTOPIC. It may be flamebait, but it certainly isn't offtopic.

  4. More polys on knife than the guy's hand.. by molo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The knife is nice looking alright.. but it doesn't fit. The guy's hand has half as many polygons and shittier textures. Its neat that they are adding real-life objects, but it doesn't mesh with the game. This could be a nice prototoype for the next generation though.

    -molo

    --
    Using your sig line to advertise for friends is lame.
  5. Like a whisper in the breeze... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ive played with Turd before, one of the best, he always stabs me in the back with his knoife.

    I usually go wtftit often when he gets me...

    --- GimS

  6. Just in from Turd Ferguson: by dbretton · · Score: 1, Funny

    "I'm not sure I like this artoicle."

    I agree!

    1. Re:Just in from Turd Ferguson: by TheTick21 · · Score: 3, Funny

      He was spelling it like he was mick dundee. Genius.

  7. Advergaming by neostorm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is just another example of advertising intruding into the gaming scene.
    It's a good thing CS doesn't have the text notifications of player deaths, or else the in-game messages would all read:
    "So-n-so snipes 1337gunR"
    "Iggy scores a headshot on ~playa4_lif"
    "D00d has hacked n00b to death with his 'Award Winning Bowie knife' (now only 24.99 at www.yaddayadda.com)"

    What bothers me is what it may mean for Valves development approach on a larger scale. Will Half-Life 2 have WinXP PCs in all the research labs you fight your way through? Will the Invading aliens from another dimension drink Sprite?
    This approach only insults the players and reinforces the idea of a general lack of creativity in most American game developers.

    1. Re:Advergaming by JamesDotCom · · Score: 1

      There's a line in between advertising in games and realism in games. I'm pretty sure counterstrike hasn't sold out quite yet, yet they still provide an awesome realistic game...

    2. Re:Advergaming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Well, I'm not bitching, Strider knives happen to be top of the line (but they don't beat Mad Dog.) Kind of like Surefire flashlights - http://www.lightfighter.com/item.html?PRID=946496 - theres a reason thats $450. So the Stider knives - http://www.lightfighter.com/generic.html?pid=161 - aren't exactly beating them in cost, but I'd hardly call this a sellout to corporate America. (btw, lightfighter has an excellant reputation, ordered from them twice myself.)

      I dont really understand what all the commotion is about. How is this an intrusion? Is this any different from the guns in CS being based off the real ones (minus the names in the commercial version)?

      As for advertising in games, so what. This hardly intrudes into the game itself. If you don't like it download a replacement model. Hell, if you were forced to watch advertisements in a game itself (maybe to compensate the developers for all the revenue they lost from warez) some hack group would make a crack removing the unwanted content.

      But seriously, come on. What soda did Commander Keen drink? Sure, it wasn't explicit, but it was glaringly obvious.

      Lack of creativity? In that case they really must be uncreative for not pulling all the guns from the game out of their ass. Theres a time and place for everything. Uncreativity is when 95% of the HL Mods out there are based on a realism scenario.

    3. Re:Advergaming by davidhan · · Score: 1

      Will the Invading aliens from another dimension drink Sprite?

      No, but they'll drink 7-Up and eat Reese's Pieces, or whatever.

  8. Knife Safety 101 by moosesocks · · Score: 2, Funny

    Heh.... holding the knife like that, the terrorists are sure to lose their thumbs very quickly

    --
    -- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
    1. Re:Knife Safety 101 by MrBigInThePants · · Score: 1

      BTW, you have succeeded to fail....

  9. Intrusion? It makes it more real by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Name brands used like in real life make games (and movies) seem more real. It sure looks odd where families in sitcoms drink generic "Cola" and eat alternate-reality cereals at the breakfast table, instead of using Coke and Cheerios.

    Would you take a generic knife to a knife fight?

    1. Re:Intrusion? It makes it more real by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "... take a generic knife to a knife fight?"

      Does it really matter? Some realism is always welcome. As I recall that's part of the reason Counterstrike was interesting back in the day; because of it's inclusion of current model weapons. But I think what he's trying to say is that when you throw in the brand names, it's not really serving any other purpose than to increase sales of the beneficial company.
      Graphically the knife looks great. Why do they have to make an announcment on the manufacturer? Does it matter that it's an "Award Winning" model? The game would be just as real if they replaced the weapons models like this, but left out all the marketing crap. I will forever know that I'm using a Mick-whatever bowie knife because of their choice to include that information, and I could really care less becaues I'm too busy slitting counter-terrorists throats.

  10. I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    I look at the picture, and it's some bad photograph of some twit holding a knife over his shoulder. I can't see any detail, and it certainly doesn't look like counterstrike. Unless you're supposed to hold this thing while playing counterstrike or something?

    1. Re:I don't get it by bobbozzo · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Yeah, and it's not the same knife as the one in the PDF. (the one the guy is holding looks like a kitchen knife to me.)

      This seems like a perverse attempt at a joke to me.

      --
      Nothing to see here; Move along.
    2. Re:I don't get it by simoniker · · Score: 1

      The screenshot seems to be.. a screenshot to me? Did they switch it to something else and then switch it back again? This is highly confusing.

  11. So when are they going to re-open the beta? by (H)elix1 · · Score: 1

    Iâ(TM)ve had a server parked at home waiting to get updated with the 1.6 version of Counter Strike. When the hell are they going to get around to re-opening the beta? Or even better, releasing the bloody thing? Yes â" since I would be hosting I could get in the beta â" but I enjoy playing with folks Iâ(TM)ve gamed with for a couple years now would be SOL. They shut it down in January, and never heard a peep since.

    1. Re:So when are they going to re-open the beta? by YodaToad · · Score: 1

      Valve (or whoever has the rights) made a deal with FileShack to provide the beta to fileshack mercury subscribers. It's an extremely cheap service and well worth the price. I've had it for going on 7 or 8 months now.

    2. Re:So when are they going to re-open the beta? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      re-opening the beta?
      It IS open. I play is almost every night in the exact same place I've been playing it for the last few months.
      What the hell are you talking about them reopening it?

    3. Re:So when are they going to re-open the beta? by (H)elix1 · · Score: 1

      re-opening the beta?
      It IS open.

      Re-open the beta to new players. Where can you download the client? (other than the fileshack service)

  12. Most of the story links are wrong now by mike_lynn · · Score: 1

    I think Shacknews already got in trouble for putting a.) a picture up from in-game that they didn't have the right to and b.) the pdf from the game.
    As such, they've already replaced the 'in-game picture' with a quite silly picture of someone with a kitchen knife and the pdf with a one-page info-sheet on the knife (not a license). However, the pdf *does* have the screenshots in it.

    1. Re:Most of the story links are wrong now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seeing as Gabe Newell was posting there earlier, I guess there's not too much worry about getting in trouble.

    2. Re:Most of the story links are wrong now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, shackspace hosting service that shacknews offers their subscribers. It's just a user that took images and uploaded them to his webspace. The PDF is the correct file.

    3. Re:Most of the story links are wrong now by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're an idiot. The picture is a joke and the PDF is the original PDF. Trouble for linking screenshots and a PDF? Christ.

  13. So Who is the dork with the glasses? by infonography · · Score: 1
    I mean the guy on the cover of the game and in the PDF. I see this guy all the time. Is he the Mascot or one of the coders? Those glasses fail to make me scared of him.

    Or maybe I am just not hip enough

    --
    Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
    1. Re:So Who is the dork with the glasses? by neostorm · · Score: 1

      That's Gordon, the main character from Halflife I believe.

    2. Re:So Who is the dork with the glasses? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's just one of the terrorists in the game. I guess they want the baddies to be nerds.

  14. LOL by 7-Vodka · · Score: 1
    It's a joke. When i looked at the shacknews.com story earlier there was an in game screenshot of the knife.

    The dude who was hosting it obviously noticed the slashdotting and replaced it with a smaller picture of his boyfriend in his most seductive pose while cooking dinner last night.

    --

    Liberty.

  15. How about using actual gun names now... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    So yeah, V1.6 has a new knife, new knife action (quicker stab and more of a sliding alternate attack for it)... But, in the meanwhile, they changed the names of all of the guns to generic, fake names... The heralded "sig" (you hear the word and it strikes fear), now has some stupid name... Almost all of the weapons have changed.

    I like the new CS. Official, and officially smart, bots (100x better than any community coded bots, and more versatile), de_aztec is changed a bit, and new GUI... I'm held back because I lost all of my buy aliases, and I have no idea how Steam works, so I can't really put them back or anything.

    We'll see how it goes. I'm paciently awaiting HL2...
    Mike

    1. Re:How about using actual gun names now... by @madeus · · Score: 1

      We'll see how it goes. I'm paciently awaiting HL2...

      Really? - I think your the only one!

      Hell, I wan't it now dammnit!

      As for Counter Strike, I think it's a shame the textures and model polycounts are still so low.

      A Pentium 200 with a 3dfx Voodoo card is more than adaqute for Counter Strike, but there are hordes of gamers with decent equipment (2+ Ghz systems, with ATI 9500/NVIDA 5600's and upwards) who'd like to be able to get some decent use out of there expensive hardware.

      I've got an AMD 2600+ and a Radeon 9700 Pro, it's not even top of the range (might have been 6 months ago) and I'm still struggling to find games which make decent use out of it (e.g. Vice City, which is still great, I can turn on full texture resolution & smoothing, max draw distance, even with 6x FSAA and plenty of light effects there is plenty of room to spare for more polygons). Battlefield 1942 looks nice though. Suggestions for decent and taxing games (that also play well ;) just give a run though are welcome. Serious Sam is pretty but too crazy-go-nuts-yet-overly-repetative for me.

      I think it's disappointing for many mid-to-high (which I consider my system is) and true high end gamers (e.g. AMD 3200/P4 3 Ghz+Hyperthreading & ATI 9700/9800/NVDIA 5800/5900) not to see games with higher polygon models for items and decent texture sets.

      I can't see why, if your going to shoot the same damn storm trooper 100 times ;), there can't be a high res version of his player model too (I know it takes time - and thus money - but companies like Lucasarts, have full time model makers and it seems reasonable).

  16. Clothing! by evilhayama · · Score: 1

    I know everyone's been hanging out for the official CS line of camo pants and flak jackets! Maybe a licence for a better pair of glasses for that guy in the pdf too, you won't get any terrorist respect looking like a dork, no matter how snazzy your knife is.

  17. Not to mention those damn maps... by Tom7 · · Score: 1

    If I see another axis-aligned cube I'm gonna puke...

  18. Top this... by AntiGenX · · Score: 3, Funny

    We're looking forward to seeing how Valve can top this licensing masterpiece... suggestions?

    Hmmmmm maybe a licensed MP5! Last time i checked (and I did) it was hard to get a license for a class 3 firearm in my county. Not to mention finding a pre-ban mp5... If valve could help me with licensing... W00T!!!!

  19. Sold! by Man+In+Black · · Score: 0, Troll

    Boy, I never was very interested in Counter Strike before... I mean, the game looked okay, and sounded fun and all, but it was just missing that certain something. And now I know what it was! An official knife license! If only Daikatana had this knife, maybe it would have been the success that CS is sure to be! This will obviously make the game much, much more fun, and sales are sure to go through the roof now!

    --
    -"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man." -EH
  20. The Ultimate Weapon by IceFreak2000 · · Score: 1

    How about Valve including the world famous Victorinox Swiss Army Knife in a future release. I mean, you could even use it as a mini flame thrower!

    --
    Life is like a sewer; what you get out of it depends on what you put into it...
  21. Brand name guns/knives do not great warriors make by nounderscores · · Score: 1

    Amen to that. Superior soldiers do better with average equipment in the real world than poorly trained substandard people could ever hope to do with top of the line gucci gear.

    I think that companies trying to cash in on weekend warriors so that they can have a that elite soldiers have are just cynical profiteers.

    There is no such thing as a Warding Staff of the Badger in the real world.

    There ARE nice knives which somebody has paid attention to so they fit well in the hand, don't break and cut well without getting blunt too quickly, but the bottom line is that that knife will bounce off a true warrior's cloth chest rig if wielded by a 90lb weakling, while the trained warrior's arm will drive his standard bowey through said agressor's sternum and two inches into the hard ground behind.

    Brand names mean nothing. What the particular piece of weaponry or gear can do in your hands might be something, but ulimately it is the person who does the deed which decides things.

    Hell, people have been known to miss with cruise missiles.

    So yeah, ye manufacturers. Stop commercialising war. Make good products for the sake of making good products. Make them well. Make them stand up on their own merits. DONT make people think that that they'll just be turned into the ultimate badass just by buying them. Practice, training and dicipline count. Anything less just makes them a danger to themselves and others around them. (unless they're buying the tools to be wall hangers, and that just deprives the rest of the community of good equipment.)

    My objection is not that the knife is in the game. My objection is the game depicts a knife which is supposed to be able to make you into a better warrior, both in the game world and the real world. There is no such object.

    Oh and leave the mastadon ivory for artists and paleobiologists. it has no business on a "serious knife"

    _______________________________
    Se the Spiders?

  22. If only... by nounderscores · · Score: 1

    If only macgyver was still running...

    but then we'd get even more crass commercialisation.

  23. If all people thought the way you do.... by Sevn · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Then we'd all have Mikov
    leverlocks instead of 500 dollar microtech knives.
    We'd carry 150 dollar Makarovpistols
    instead of 550 dollar glocks and kahrs.

    And that would mean we'd all be pretty smart. The
    Mikov is one of the most wonderfully underrated
    knives in existence. It's perhaps THE strongest
    automatic knife design there is. It's light,
    quick, and has an excellent blade that holds an
    edge for a damn long time. Not bad for a 100 year
    old design that you can pick up for 40 bucks with
    black plastic ABS handle.

    The Makarov is the ONLY gun I own that has never
    jammed ONCE on any ammo I've ever fed it. The
    ammo is cheap as sin too. It's got about the same
    amount of power as a .380 with the added bonus of
    easily grouping 3 inches at 25 yards quickly, and
    easily under 1 1/2 inch with winchester white box
    ammo if I really concentrate. Being able to
    rapidly place shots exactly where you want them
    is a hell of a lot better than getting tagged 3
    times before you recover from the recoil of your
    first shot with your magnum.

    With the nearly thousand dollars you save buying
    these two weapons over the ones featured in
    hollywood movies, you can start to pay for some
    things that matter more. Like, some training.
    Training so you are less dangerous to yourself
    and the people around you if you ever are put
    in a position to have to use deadly force.

    --
    For every annoying gentoo user, are three even more annoying anti-gentoo crybabies. Take Yosh from #Gimp for example.
  24. underwear by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    all characters in the next counter strike will wear real tomy hilfiger underwear! even though you can't see it, it's actually in the models. really.

  25. Weather by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That knife looks cool and all, but did anyone else happend to notice that it appears to be raining? I know Aztec has always had "thunder" in the backgound (and those damned crickets) but now it has actual rain? Is this the only map with an environment face-lift, or can I expect dust storms to start showing up on Dust?

  26. Re:Brand name guns/knives do not great warriors ma by PainKilleR-CE · · Score: 1

    Hell, people have been known to miss with cruise missiles.

    So yeah, ye manufacturers. Stop commercialising war. Make good products for the sake of making good products. Make them well.


    Unfortunately, most of those cruise missles haven't been manufactured since the late 80's. We're just lucky that Reagan ordered so many of them that the government has a huge stockpile.

    As for the knife, BFD, or maybe I just don't care because I don't play CS.

    I think it's an interesting idea to allow real-world manufacturers to pay for a good model of their product to be included in a game. I think it'd suck if it became overdone. I also think the latter is almost impossible once the former shows effectiveness.

    --
    -PainKilleR-[CE]
  27. Rain in Counter-Strike? by Firestorm_Rising · · Score: 1

    Dang, maybe I need to download the 1.6 beta..! And, someone needs to tell them that they did the blood splatter on the sharp edge of the knife the wrong color.

  28. Chicken Licensing next? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How long till someone gets the idea for licensing the CS chicken? Wouldn't put it past em.......

  29. Finding the product placement working on you? by Kargan · · Score: 1

    Decided that the knife works so well in-game and looks so cool that you just *have* to have one? Better be prepared to cough up about $450US.

    --
    Palaces, barricades, threats, meet promises