Very long but very interesting article on the Korean gaming culture.


http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/12/11/korea/

The teaser:


[quote]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. Only twenty years old, and with no less than half a dozen TV cameras tracking his progress, this bizarre figure seems to be unfazed by his predicament. Diligently he waves to the crowd.

My interpreter, the amiable Mr Yang, leans forward. “To my brother he is a great hero. My brother can’t get enough of this. He has been to see him play many times.â€

My condolenses to his parents

seems a bit bizarre, but whatever. Some people would consider kicking a little white and black ball around on grass to be bizarre but it certainly enjoys quite a bit of popularity. Never mind the level of bizarre that cricket is.