South Korea Grapples With Online Gaming Addicts

Thanks to Yahoo News/Reuters for their story discussing the problems associated with online gaming addiction in MMO-crazy South Korea. According to the article, a 12 year-old named Lim's "love affair with the fantasy game [Lineage] saw him fall foul of the law after he stole $16,000 from his father and ran away to feed a passion for online gaming." This issue is particularly marked in Korea since "...about 70 percent of South Korea's 48 million people have access to the Internet, with 11 million using high-speed services, the world's highest broadband penetration rate." The article ends with the note that, "while some game industry alliances have been pushing game makers and distributors to provide purchasing guidelines, the likelihood of authorities imposing regulations that may pull the plug on a lucrative 500 billion won [$420 million] industry seems unlikely."

Comments

All wrong.

[Cosmik]

See, this kid got it all wrong. If you are going to play MMOs and commit a crime, you may as well put them both together.

Nothing like killing two birds with one stone. And the kid learns a life skill or two (ie pimping) so he can use them on the street when his cash runs out.

Why South Korea?

[MBCook]

Could someone tell me why I hear so many things like this about South Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, and other Asian countries? I've heard one or two stories about people in the US being addicted, but I seem to hear tons from the whole Asian area?

Why is this? Is this a cultural thing (they encourge you to be part of a group, as opposed to the current US mantra of "be yourself")? Does it have to do with availibility of the games (there are very few gaming cafes here in the US for example)? Is it some other issue (I'm not willing to pay $10 a month or whatever for a game that I already own but pricing structures are different over there)? Is this just an outgrowth of how RPGs are much MUCH more popular than here in the US?

Thanks for any answers you can give me.

PS: And why SHOULD I pay $10 a month for a game I already paid $60 for? Silly marketing execs. Now if the game was free upfront and it was only the monthly fee, I could be lured in...

Not a huge surprise

[ReyTFox]

I wrote a small paper for a school class on how virtual and real worlds will collide with new technology. Online game addictions of all kinds(whether it be a simple fragfest or a more long-term RPG type like EQ or Planetside) are early manifestiations of such collisions - the people in them are real, but their status is changed as they play their avatars.

With another generation for additional tech such as augmented reality and information-beaming implants to reach maturity, people will be able to direct and shape their virtual personas into real world ones - it's a fairly common area in modern science fiction.

Then, when people tell you to "get a life," you can ask them which one. ^.^

my 2 cents

[Joe the Lesser]

For years I railed against MMORPGs, and their addictive qualities. I have a friend who clearly spends way to much time with them. Not going to bed until 6AM when he has class, etc. It's like he gives himself completely to the unreal world to escape, which only aggravates his real world problems.

Anyway, over a month ago I bought FFXI. I've been a huge final fantasy fan ever since I beat the first one back in elementary school, and since I have a strong willpower, I figured I'd give it a try.

The game is certainly enjoyable, as it requires cognitive thinking which more or less, is more interesting, or less risky, then everyday affairs. But I am able to drop it on a dime for a better social event.

Ergo, my values and thinking structure prevent me from getting attached to the game (or anything for that matter) when a better alternative arrives. I feel no loyalty towards the game, and no feeling that I *must* reach a certain level.

So it's as if I'm watching TV, since I can get up anytime I want, but generally I like to watch my favorite shows.

My point is that it's the personality of the user which determines their addiction to it, so the Korean trend is not likely a product of their culture so much as it is a product of more addictive personalities being exposed to the game, instead of other addictive activites which we tend to have many of in America.

It's possible their culture has an effect in creating addictive personalities, but that would be another issue altogether.