User Generated Soundscapes in Counter-Strike: Source

This paper considers the modding of custom sounds into Counter-Strike: Source (CSS) (Valve Software, 2004) dedicated servers as an example of participatory culture (Jenkins et al., 2009, Sihvonen, 2011). While the modding of custom audio into a game has been subject to research before (Freitas, 2021), the motivation to do so was identified as a desire for the game to better satisfy a set of players' idea of immersion. With the nature of the typical sound modded into CSS being totally incongruous with the theme of the game itself, the same explanation cannot apply here. The custom sounds in CSS were typically internet memes or sound effects from other games, the use of which can be considered examples of textual poaching (Jenkins, 2012). Neither does the remixing of the games soundscape compliment the gameplay, with the existing sounds they obscure important for skillful play (Reeves et al., 2006).

Postigo (2007) argues that a key motivation for modders is to be able to create a game that they more strongly identify with. Sotamaa (2010) agrees, adding that "modding is obviously just one example of the ways of acquiring "gaming capital"". Following these approaches to modding, I argue that the use of these custom sounds was to set a social vibe and to demonstrate familiarity with a genre, rather than to serve a ludic purpose, or, that players modified the soundscape of the game to strengthen and confirm their identities as gamers.

This paper also seeks to gain a better understanding of the context that mods for CSS were created in, the distinct practices of the community, and will perform a technical analysis of the mods themselves and the process of getting them in a custom dedicated server.