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Paid to Play Video Games
acehole writes "This would have to be every gamer's dream, to get paid for playing games. In South Korea gaming has taken off to an extent that companies sponsor gaming teams (some earn up to $100k per year) to play games up to 12 hours a day."
I get paid to Slashdot all day! (Don't tell my PHB)
Isn't it interesting how you come to recognize posters based solely on their sigs???
Now if only someone would pay me $100K a year to look at pr0n 12 hours a day...
~ "When I'm of that age I'm just going to live up a tree."
Over at Penny Arcade they are talking about little girls who make money renting their virtual asses out on Sims Online. And not play money either, real money.
Not the same thing... or is it?
(And here I was feeling guilty over being a karma whore.)
Is this truly the only Earth I can live on?
Is it a prerequisite to own a futuristic jumpsuit to join a professional gaming team or are they forced to wear that thing?...shoulder pads and all.
Yes you need skill. Look at fatal1ty, he makes a living off of Quake 3 (maybe a new game now?) and is a spokesman for Id. Whatever he plays, all the kids buy, or download from Kazaa.
www.fatal1ty.com
It might be a dream for some, but getting my ass handed to me over and over and over, for twelve hours a day, by some fifteen year old nerd whose nick is "H3lld0g_69", is pretty much my worst nightmare. The only move I have ever been able to perform successfully in any game is "mash all the buttons at once".
Toronto-area transit rider? Rate your ride.
That was a thoroughly entertaining anecdote. I just cannot wait for your autobiography.
Mother is the best bet and don't let Satan draw you too fast.
Team3D is sponsored by CompUSA and nVidia.
there's no way i'd like to earn my money playing games. I play em for fun, not to pay the bills.
Imagine getting evicted just because you missed that headshot in the tournament playoffs. That sort of pressure would stop me enjoying the games, which sort of defeats the purpose of playing them in the first place.
I heard in Korea they broadcast computer games over cable tv, with comentators and the full suite.
"It seems Li-hun should have sent a few more Zergs to that narrow pass, what do you think John ?"
"You are right, now watch as the Protoss break through in a classic destroy-the-Hatchery offensive. He used this in last year's finals to great effect."
"Right -- but wait -- Li Hun opened up a second front down in the SE corner of the map !"
(...)
I never did watch such a thing on TV here in the west, but I guess it would be interesting to see some pro-guys playing a game which I have tried to master, and figuring out how they think.
Once that happens, well, sponsors are the natural next step.
Quem a paca cara compra, paca cara pagará.
Is that a spreadsheet, Mister??????
- Ted's Boss
The only thing you have to sacrafice, is your dignity.
They get paid $100k/yr to PLAY games .... Hell, I wish I could make $100k just programming them!!!
I'd be willing to provide something tangible for my salary!!!!
HallmarkOrnaments.Com
So thats why those obsure 120 ping Counterstrike servers always have people jabbering away in Korean (at least I think it is, my ability to differentiate between Asian langs in limited). Now if only the Indians would pick up heavy gaming addicitions, I wouldn't have to worry about my application being off-shored
I play everquest, pretty much at a competitive level , that is I've been playing for 4 years and have multiple high lvl characters. In the time I've been online, I've watched public opinion of 'ebaying' go from being loathed, to accepted, to welcomed (by the players). I never bought or sold virtual items over ebay, BUT, I know several players who have to great success. In fact the guy that owns monkly business (a game information site) is reputed to turn 7-figures through his player auction store that sells in game money for real world money. I also seem to rememeber some sweatshop named blacksun entertainment that was farming out the 'work' of playing everquest to china, where they had like 30 employees that farmed items all day long for sale.
What I find interesting is the different approach the koreans have to the western 'under the table' idea. The korean channels broacast Lineage, warcraft, starcraft, and several other types of games on multiple tv channels with full commentary. I don't know, but I'd bet that online auctions of lineage crap are known and accepted as well. It seems like here we still believe that games are for kids, and that the resale of virtual items or profiting from gaming is some kind of taboo. What's funny is that this is the classic setup for something that's destined to be 'cool' and accepted in the future (starts as a taboo).
I'm betting that its only a matter of time before this becomes the norm in the US as well. I know it seems alien, but most folx who have played the high end (or aspired too) of these games knows that it CAN be entertaining to watch how people setup strategies and outthink the environments. The next generation of Blizzard game (world of Warcraft) has the potential to bridge this gap between the us and the koreans quite quickly, and I'll be interested to see if these 'odd' parts of their culture don't become more common here as well.
see you online - chitlenz
Imagination is the silver lining of Intelligence.