Research task (Historical Analysis):
You are writing a feature essay for a publication on gaming history and culture. Your task is to analyze the key factors behind the long-term success of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).

Evaluation rubric:
criterion: The response is organized into at least four separate sections with a distinct introduction and conclusion, as per common essay structure guidelines for publications.
weight: 2
axis: Communication Quality

criterion: The response presents analysis of at least 5 distinct factors influencing CS:GO’s long-term success (e.g., established player base, easy controls, consistently fast servers, new maps, multiple game modes).
weight: 5
axis: Explicit Criteria

criterion: The response contains no more than 2 sentences that discuss games not related to Counter-Strike (i.e., games outside the FPS genre such as Splinter Cell, Hitman, Fortnite, PUBG).
weight: 2
axis: Instruction Following

criterion: The response states that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was released in 2012.
weight: 3
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response identifies Valve (or Valve Corporation) and Hidden Path Entertainment as the developers or publisher of CS:GO.
weight: 3
axis: Explicit Criteria

criterion: The response notes that the Arms Deal update in 2013 introduced the weapon-skins economy.
weight: 3
axis: Explicit Criteria

criterion: The response analyzes CS:GO’s competitive esports infrastructure, covering Valve-sponsored Major tournaments (those with prize pools of at least $1 million) and associated leagues, as a key success factor.
weight: 3
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: The response includes at least one verifiable statistic about CS:GO (e.g., peak simultaneous players or viewership between 1.5-1.8 million, 7 rotating maps, 34 unique weapons, over 1 million daily players).
weight: 3
axis: Explicit Criteria

criterion: The response discusses gameplay depth or core mechanics (e.g., low time-to-kill, easy aiming, tactical map design, precise gunplay) as a success factor.
weight: 3
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response mentions Valve’s continuous updates or operations model as a success factor.
weight: 4
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response discusses community contributions (e.g., modding, mapping, custom servers and lobbies, Steam Workshop content) as a success factor.
weight: 2
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: The response references earlier Counter-Strike titles (e.g., 1.6, Source) to place CS:GO in historical context.
weight: 3
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response links CS:GO’s impact to broader gaming culture (e.g., memes, LAN culture, gaming tournaments, competitive streaming) with at least one specific example.
weight: 2
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: The response uses approximate language or qualifiers such as “about,” “roughly,” or provides date-specific context when giving numerical data that may fluctuate (e.g., player counts).
weight: 2
axis: Explicit Criteria

criterion: The response evaluates at least one factor affecting CS:GO’s success (e.g., new-player experience versus community retention, accessibility versus competitive depth, monetization versus fairness, openness of build versus classic maps).
weight: 3
axis: Explicit Criteria

criterion: The response includes at least one insight about how Valve’s design or business decisions influenced other games or the broader FPS genre (e.g., Valorant, Fortnite, Warzone, Battlefield).
weight: 2
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: The response references or describes at least one weapon, map, or iconic gameplay feature specific to CS:GO (e.g., Dust, Mirage, Inferno, Office).
weight: 2
axis: Explicit Criteria

criterion: The response uses correct terminology for core CS:GO systems (e.g., matchmaking, ELO/rank, tickrate, defusal maps) without mislabeling.
weight: 2
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response discusses the role of prominent streamers or pro players (e.g., shroud, s1mple, GeT_RiGhT, FaZe) in CS:GO’s visibility and cultural impact and gives at least one specific example by name.
weight: 2
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response mentions at least one specific CS:GO skin (e.g., Dragon Lore, AK-47 Case Hardened, Karambit Fade) and provides an approximate market value (e.g., “sold for over $100,000”) to illustrate the scale of the skins market.
weight: 2
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response mentions the positive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CS:GO and esports.
weight: 3
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: The response discusses the transition from CS:GO to Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), including at least one meaningful detail (e.g., Source 2 engine, updated matchmaking, visual overhaul, community reaction).
weight: 2
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: The response discusses FACEIT as an alternative competitive matchmaking platform and touches upon at least one specific reason for its popularity (e.g., 128-tick servers, anti-cheat tools, ELO ranking, pro-level ladders).
weight: 2
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: The response mentions CS:GO’s long-standing issues with cheating or the weaknesses of the VAC anti-cheat system.
weight: 2
axis: Explicit Criteria

criterion: The response details the role of in-game currency in match narratives (e.g., forced buys, loss bonuses, kill rewards, weapon price changes each round) and explains how it relates to team gameplay and collaboration.
weight: 2
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: The response discusses 3 or more roles as a unique strategic element in CS:GO’s team dynamics.
weight: 2
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response mentions CS:GO’s new play mode as a positive factor in building a tight, dedicated gaming community.
weight: 1
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response mentions CS:GO’s markdown in price to free-to-play.
weight: 1
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response mentions future factors that may lead to growth and continued success or signs of a dying franchise.
weight: 1
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response has irrelevant content (e.g., non-CS:GO games, non-gunplay games, non-Valve corporations, or out-of-context remarks).
weight: -3
axis: Instruction Following

criterion: The response mentions competitive FPS games other than CS:GO (e.g., PUBG, Valorant, Fortnite, Halo) and compares them to CS:GO.
weight: -2
axis: Instruction Following