Korean Video Game Culture

Everyone plays video games here. I mean everyone. They have professional video game players, and they pack stadiums to watch them play. They have two channels dedicated to video games on basic cable (one generally shows the professionals playing, one is more of a tutorial and review channel). And they have what are called "PC Bawngs" on nearly every block. That's not an exaggeration. There are three within a minute's walk of my apartment.

A PC Bawng (literally: PC room) is kind of a like a Net Cafe back home, but there are some major differences. First, they are cheap as hell. It's less than a dollar an hour. Second, they have all kinds of video games installed on top of the line computers. Not everyone goes to play video games, but many people do. Third, you can smoke, drink, and eat right in the PC Bawng. Food and drink are provided for you just by raising a hand and asking for it. And one great thing about them is that they almost all have really comfortable chairs.

I go to the PC bawng most Sundays. I've gotten into the habit of playing "Starcraft." This game (along with an online role playing game, "Maplestory") is the Korean videogame even though it's a few years old. Any PC Bawng you go to is going to have this game installed on its computers no matter what else they have.

For those of you unfamiliar, Starcraft is a war game. You choose one of three species, build up your army, build bases, advance your technology and weapons, and try to wipe out other armies. It's terribly complex but very fun.

Generally, the PC bawngs also have a sports game or two (usually soccer), a racing game, some card games, and a link to online games like go and chess. They are a great way to kill some times, let me tell you, and many people do. If you go in on a Saturday night or a Sunday afternoon, it's hard to find a computer. One rather annoying thing about them, though, is when when they get packed, they get smokey; it gets as bad as a bar.

Anyway, that's my first post on Korean culture. Expect more like this now that I'm just posting whenever I want instead of making a mailing list. Enjoy!

R