All Fun and Games? : Korea’s Computer Game Craze

I’ve written about Korea’s wide range of festivals, from the bullfighting festival to the cherry blossom festival, but this weekend I am sure that I came across the mother of all bizarre festivals held right in my own backyard: Korea’s StarCraft video game competition…and festival. No this is not a joke, and while I claim no insight whatsoever on gaming culture, it took a mere ten minutes at this event to make some serious assumptions about the “sport” and about Korea’s involvement in this phenomenon.

In recent months the heartbreaking story of a Korean couple who neglected their newborn in order to spend hours and days in a pc-bang (computer cafe) playing a game in which they raised a virtual baby, has spread throughout Korea and helped to raise awareness of computer game addiction. While in no way have I pinned all Koreans as computer game addicts, living here has allowed me to see first hand a culture obsessed with on-line access. As a middle school teacher I feel that I am right in the thick of evolving crazes, and I have to admit it has been fun being up to date on the day to day changes in popular music, television shows and computer games. My students are the only reason I am in the know about Pro gamer 임요환 (Im Yo Hwan) who has been added to MTVs list of “10 most influential gamers of all time.” Most recently the government has made the move to ban online access after midnight to anyone under the age of eighteen in order to prevent any sort of addiction to games such as StarCraft.

I had to have StarcCraft explained to me while watching the game played out on giant screens, set against a backdrop of hundreds of cheering fans. Apparently it is very similar to WarCraft (another game I know nothing about) where players try to build an empire, gaining land, resources and an army in order to take over and destroy the opposing player’s empire…except StarCraft takes place in outer space. If you are interested in learning more about these games check out some of the resources I found:

http://kr.starcraft2.com/

http://askakorean.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-is-starcraft-popular-in-korea.html

The gaming obsession in Korea makes sense when seen in context with Korea’s trend of practicing and perfecting a hobby until professional status is achieved. This is something I touched on in a post back in the fall titled “Hoola-hooping in Hangul.” While I can’t imagine spending that much time in front of a computer screen or even being a dedicated fan willing to sit through eight hours of StarCraft battles cheering on my favorite gamer, I feel lucky to have come across this event. The best part about travel is discovering the corky nuances of a culture different from your own, and I don’t see any better way to understand a culture, sport or hobby than stumbling upon an entire festival dedicated to it.

Dont forget to step away from the computer and enjoy some of this glorious weather!