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The Frontlines of Korean Gaming Culture

Posted by Zonk on from the far-away-and-very-different dept.

Jim Rossignol, a writer for PC Gamer UK, has returned from South Korea with a look at gaming culture in a vibrant and interesting pro-gaming society. From the article: "Seoul, South Korea. To a fanfare of Asian nu-metal and the sound of a thousand screaming fans, a young Korean man enters a dazzling arena. Like an American wrestler at the heart of a glitter-glazed Royal Rumble, he strides down a ramp towards the stage. Adorned in what appears to be a space suit and a large white cape, he heads out to meet his opponent on the stadium's ziggurat focus. Amid a blaze of flashbulbs and indoor fireworks he climbs the steps, and is exulted by the thronging crowd ... the man on the stage is on Korean television almost every day. He is about to sit down and play what is close to becoming Korea's national sport: Starcraft."

19 of 22 comments (clear)

  1. -insert funny headline here- by voice_of_all_reason · · Score: 1

    -insert zerg rush joke here-

    1. Re:-insert funny headline here- by Guppy06 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Only old people in Korea use the Zerg rush!

  2. Are you sure? by iainl · · Score: 2

    Is that really Tim Edwards' work? I thought it was Jim Rossignol, what with it being reproduced on his blog, where he introduces it as "the text from my account of a trip to South Korea in April 2005", and all.

    --
    "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
  3. As well-travelled as Tim is... by Rossignol · · Score: 3, Informative

    It was actually me that wrote that.

    1. Re:As well-travelled as Tim is... by Zonk · · Score: 1

      Sorry about that. Coffee first, then posting. Article fixed. And thanks for writing the piece. *Very* good work, sir.

    2. Re:As well-travelled as Tim is... by Alan+Livingston · · Score: 1

      Get used to Zonk's screw-ups. Around here, we refer to him as Zonk the fuck-tard.

  4. Finally! by TheRealMindChild · · Score: 1

    Somewhere where the obesity rate will be HIGHER than here en los Estados Unidos hermosos.

    --

    "When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
    1. Re:Finally! by voice_of_all_reason · · Score: 1, Funny

      You forget, though, that asian people are actually robots

  5. Video of play? by HeWhoRoams · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Anyone know a link to a video of Lee Yunyeol playing? I'd love to see what kind of pace he plays at, but a few searches just turned up articles on starcraft and such

  6. Re:Isn't it time to upgrade? by Rossignol · · Score: 1

    It seems like some publishers are having a crack at replacing it - hence the PvP thrust of Guild Wars.

  7. Re:Isn't it time to upgrade? by Guppy06 · · Score: 1

    "Shouldn't they pick a new game, you know, one that has been published in the current millenium."

    If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

    I know several people that are happier with WarCraft II (and StarCraft) than they were with WarCraft III and its hero system.

    Besides, the beautiful thing about StarCraft is that you don't need a $500 card from nVidia to play it. In today's terms, its system requirements are only marginally greater than the requirements to play Scorched Earth

  8. snore by Synic · · Score: 1

    I can't decide if it is more or less exciting than watching golf...

    1. Re:snore by vertinox · · Score: 2, Funny

      I can't decide if it is more or less exciting than watching golf...

      Anymore than watching sweaty men put a leather ball through a hole. Seriously, I can't see what is exciting about that either. If they did what the Aztecs did and kill the looser and use his head for the next match than maybe it would be a bit more interesting.

      --
      "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
      -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
  9. linux port... please? by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

    perhaps blizzard will FINALLY make a linux port of starcraft. umm... probably not though. :(

    StarCraft forever! :)

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  10. Are you listening G4? by neo · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is how you do video games on TV. You follow leagues, you make stars, and you get advertisers to start parting with money to promote events. You want to make money on TV with gaming, this is the way to do it.

  11. Video clips? by antdude · · Score: 1

    Are there any videos of these events? Like regular episodes since I heard they are shown on TV in S. Korea?

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    1. Re:Video clips? by mcscottmc · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I spent 2 weeks in Korea back in August and these Starcraft games have their own channel on TV and I saw people watching it all over the place. Even in the hotels with their limited selection of TV channels (30 or so) had the channel showing Starcraft what seemed to be 24-7.

      I stumbled upon a filming of one of the shows at the COEX mall one day. It was before they actually started filming. The studio was filled with 150+ teenage kids (maybe a few 20-somethings as well), both male and female. I hung around for about 20 minutes waiting for the show to start but I got bored and left.

  12. Re:Isn't it time to upgrade? by Augmento · · Score: 1

    based on anecdotal evidence, Starcraft is on the decline here along with PC bangs in general. More gamers are playing from home and have more options.

  13. Re:Non-Melee Games?! by gangien · · Score: 1

    UMS are the best, it's so boring playing against people in normal matches, because 1/2 the people are cheating and the other half are either way better or way worse than you.