A brand new weapon-pricing system for Counter-Strike: Source, the massively popular online teamplay shooter, will kick-start on October 11, and will work like a bullet-loaded stock exchange.

Each week, the most popular weapons will go up in price, while the killing tools that no one buys will drop in cost - making CS:S the most heavily-armed online stock exchange.

Publisher Valve will be gathering stats from every Counter-Strike game around the world to find out what we're buying while we play. Here's how it works: if 10% of all the CS cash spent in a week is splurged on the M4A1 rifle, then next week that weapon will be 10% more expensive. Pistols, however, will be exempt from the price changes so as not to disrupt the "pistol round" at the start of each match.

This is the first change to Counter-Strike: Source's weapon prices since the game was first released and we're behind the move. With none of the main gameplay changed, all this new system can do is keep everyone on their toes and force gamers to stay flexible with their weapon choices. Which, with our last match dogged by shadow-hugging camping cowards, can't be a bad thing at all.

If you're bamboozled by all this talk of percentage rises, supply and demand then check out this interactive example of Valve's virtual weapons market.

September 25, 2006