What's this thing about Koreans?

[Terramax]

I've heard and read random things about Koreans on games. Even South Park and Yahtzee have made comments about them.

Can anyone explain/ discuss what it is about them that's so bad/ good, etc?

I'm assuming there are lots of them and they play games too much and are unbelievably good?

Or is it there are too many of them and they don't know what the heck they're doing?

P.S. I DO >>NOT<< WANT TO MAKE THIS INTO A RASCIST ARGUEMENT OF ANY LEVEL.

 

[GyroCaptain]

The main thing is that they've adopted several timesinks of games to the extent of almost being national sports. Primarily Starcraft, but also Lineage and a couple of others. Something about Starcraft seizes the Korean conscious, to the extent that almost every Korean I know under 30 and male plays Starcraft to an extent (and I know quite a few).
That, and the fact that internet cafes are extremely popular places to go and play for hours on end there have lead to several prominent incidents having to do with Korea and games, like the 20-something who played Starcraft until he dropped dead.

 

[Hey Joe]

It's the fact that in South Korea competitive gaming is considered a sport, with state-based television services covering all things games and gaming events. Good players are feted like sports stars, and they are paid handsomely to play for teams with heavy financial backing from the commercial sector.

It's a culture where gaming isn't frowned down upon as it is in the western world, and their attitudes and obsession with gaming (especially Starcraft) leads to a view that all Koreans are games-crazy. One game of Starcraft with a South Korean seems to confirm this.

 

[GoddessTio]

Koreans are notorious gold/level farmers.

 

[Ixus Illwrath]

Just fast-paced escapism that gels with their current social climate.

Or maybe they're just rubbing it in the face of their neighbors in the north who get... no games to play.

 

[Deatre]

In one game I used to play (Gunz online) there was a style dubbed 'Kstyle' short for Korean style, apart from abusing small little glitches, it also involved hitting an ungodly amount of keys in the shortest possible time in an effort to make you MUCH harder to hit with a weapon. Ten minutes of me even attempting this and my immediate thought "Half an hour of this and you're getting RSI... screw that, I'm playing 'normally'"

So to sum, Koreans are hardcore obsessive gamers!

 

[end_boss]

I've always found it really rather funny to think that I'm Korean, but don't fit this stereotype at all; I'm horrible at RTS games, and even when I tried to like them, I'd only get to about the third level of any game before I no longer had any concept as to how somebody is supposed to do anything more than create one infantry unit before being blown to pieces by some fifth-level upgraded Goldeneye laser. I'm the biggest gamer in my entire family, and I'm nowhere near as much of a gamer as my friends. And all my gamer friends are white.

But in Korea, gaming is huge, and professional gamers can attain levels of fame and fortune that their movie stars are envious of.

 

[KurtNiisan]

With the reputation Koreans have in MMORPGs I'd be interested how they exploit up-and-coming games like the Dragonball Online MMORPG

 

[Ciarog]

Korean food is tasty and their women are hot. Not as much so as the Vietnamese, but still pretty good looking.

 

[Easykill]

Vietnamese food > all.
Vermecelli with pork and springrolls to be more specific. And now I'm hungry. Thanks a lot for putting Vietnamese and food together on the same line.

 

[PurpleRain]

like the 20-something who played Starcraft until he dropped dead.

Noooo! Zerg rush (collapses)

Or maybe they're just rubbing it in the face of their neighbors in the north who get... no games to play.

Really?! That would suck. This is why Communism doesn't work. Let the people play!

 

[Damn Dirty Ape]

I'm currently following a class with a south-korean girl, I can forward any questions if you guys want.

 

[Ixus Illwrath]

Really?! That would suck. This is why Communism doesn't work. Let the people play!

Although, I hear the fledgling N. Korean software industry is developing such games for it's proletariat as Brothers in Arms: Fight for Rice and Dance Dance Communist Revolution for most Glorious Leader of the DKPR

Probably better than Maple Story

 

[mrbunny]

lol im korean - and i love games..

koreans are just passionate about spending time with each other playing games, going to karaoke, eating, and watching movies in those private rooms.. etc

and btw im not good at rts - but i am godlike in fps and dota. lawl =3

 

[Terramax]

I'm currently following a class with a south-korean girl, I can forward any questions if you guys want.

I think you'd have more interesting things to say to her than 'everyone at my computer game forum wants to know how much of a gaming nut you are.

I know there are about 200 million free MMORPGs made in Korea, but that was it.

So I get it they're nuts about games. So am I, but I wouldn't consider myself an amazing gamer. It's interesting that they would be more famous than movie stars. In fact I like this concept, as I think movie stars here in the west are paid far too much money (no actor on the planet is worth 1 million for their supposed 'talent').

I've always found it really rather funny to think that I'm Korean, but don't fit this stereotype at all;

It's nice to hear not everyone in Korea is that way.

Here in the UK games are starting to be accepted, thanks to the Wii that's even gotten politicians gaming, but it seems just as scary that there's a country that's overtly obsessed with games.

I'd just like a society where games are not frowned upon, obsessed over but just treated equally alongside other artforms and mediums as I think they should.

PurpleRain:

Really?! That would suck. This is why Communism doesn't work. Let the people play!

Although, I hear the fledgling N. Korean software industry is developing such games for it's proletariat as Brothers in Arms: Fight for Rice and Dance Dance Communist Revolution for most Glorious Leader of the DKPR

Probably better than Maple Story

I can't really say anything about that. Considering my country (England) hasn't even got independance, we just have to do whatever the Americans tell us to, they've at least probably got it better than us.

 

[wilsonscrazybed]

I've lived in Korea for ten years, and speak the language. This thread is assuming that Koreans are some sort of gaming-fanatics. Yes, there is a television channel featuring Starcraft and other games. Yes, there are "cybercafes" where you pay one dollar an hour for access to all the latest (Korean) games. Does that lead to social problems and gaming centered communities? Sure. That doesn't mean that everyone and their dog is completely batshit insane about Starcraft or one of those mindless click-fest MMOs that get released bi-weekly.

Korea is a very small country. If you're well to do, you might live in a two room apartment complex. Families often all sleep in the same room, and share space in almost every way. So you can imagine that it's not uncommon for teenagers and college age students to want to get out of the house. Aside from the "PC bang" (pronounced bahng, means room) there are many other sorts of places young people can go to escape in relative comfort. A PC bang is a workstation with a comfortable chair, often in reach of a soda cabinet and snacks. These computers are usually lanned up to each other. Some are very comfortable (sometimes more comfortable than home), others are smoke filled basements. I've been to PC Bangs with full service cafes and chairs so that young lovers can sit together while they play Audition (think DDR online). PC bangs are however only a very small part of a nighttime entertainment industry aimed at young Koreans. The Karaokes (No-rae bang) litter every city block. Nightclubs downtown are nearly as prolific, and the amount of liquor establishments around college areas would blow your mind (trippy man!).I don't need to tell you that Koreans are well balanced when it comes to entertainment.

Most of the reason people like to pick on Korea for being a country of unwashed game nerds is that Korea was developing very quickly and until recently hasn't really bothered with world opinion. Most people know about as much about South Korea as I do about Madagascar (it's an island right?). Fifty years ago the place I am typing this from was a pile of rubble. That's quite the achievement for a once third world nation.

The same people who claim Korea is a nation of super gamers are the same people who call Americans "fat rednecks", Canadians "Eskimos", Irish "drunks", and New Zealanders "sheep humpers" (though to be fair my Kiwi roommate DID have a sheep calendar on his wall). It's a convenient comparison when trying to be funny, but it has about as much basis in reality as assuming all Germans are Nazis.

Typical Korean Street (near a university)
http://bp0.blogger.com/_6lwN5DOxeJ8/R7if3iyc8zI/AAAAAAAAAOA/sBmbmYvfpZo/s1600-h/DSC00470.JPG

 

[Anarchemitis]

Bleah, another Racial/nationality post. I'm curious how this post managed to find it's way into Gaming discussion; shouldn't it be in Off-Topic?

 

[Natsu_Blaze]

@ wilsonscrazybed
I don't like to pick on Korea for being super nerds or anything... I just think that they're awesome, and that God help me if I ever have to versus one in Starcraft.
Heck, my roommate's Korean-born and raised, and we get along fine.

 

[Terramax]

Bleah, another Racial/nationality post. I'm curious how this post managed to find it's way into Gaming discussion; shouldn't it be in Off-Topic?

no, because it's related to Koreans in the gaming community. And as I stated, there is nothing of a rascist nature being promoted, at least from its original creator (me).