Videos shown during the launch of games can dramatically increase load times, especially for more robust systems. Fortunately under steam, the user is allowed to specify launch options specific to their installation. For example, older systems that do not perform specifically well can use the -dxlevel 80 / 81 / 90 etc which reduces the calculations their video cards must perform allowing smoother gameplay. Users may also specify to run their game in a window (-window) instead of full screen, or specify their console (-console) to be initiated at start.
However the most important one is the ability to bypass those annoying videos that run at launch. To do so, simply type -novid in your launch options. A graphic is shown below for your convenience. If the entire graphic is not viewable due to the resolution of your screen, you may
view it here if you wish.
