tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post283898113844810875..comments2024-03-26T03:31:06.199-04:00Comments on Ask a Korean!: Why is StarCraft Popular in Korea?T.K. (Ask a Korean!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07663422474464557214noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-292117544953038592016-08-29T03:52:38.436-04:002016-08-29T03:52:38.436-04:00Red Alert (1, as I assume the article got that wro...Red Alert (1, as I assume the article got that wrong) actually did eventually get inbuilt hassle-free online play featured, in its v3.03 patch. Sadly, for unknown reasons, this patch was never officially released, and only got through to the community because it was eventually leaked by its beta testers.<br /><br />To this day, this 3.03 version remains the standard on which all unofficial patches for the game are built.Nyergudshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10666502235294002924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-17176509379115424812014-07-16T10:46:25.650-04:002014-07-16T10:46:25.650-04:00Mammoth Tanks are on the GDI side... of a differen...Mammoth Tanks are on the GDI side... of a different game...<br /><br />I hate Starcraft1's gameplay, and its heavy technical shortcomings (even back in the day), if it didn't have its story/atmosphere, i would have never even touched it.<br /><br />RA2 on the other hand is a perfect game, i can't grasp that non-sensical madness in the form of text you've put out regarding how uninventive and unbalanced it is. Brute force VS Sneaky side, heavy metal against weak but advanced tech, only stupid rush-mad idiots say it is unbalanced.TChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07231317164552398008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-58270288149110894352014-05-04T19:15:21.669-04:002014-05-04T19:15:21.669-04:00I think it was Gwanganri, Pusan (beach area) I think it was Gwanganri, Pusan (beach area) Jackiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04777430815632902198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-6879327164658306002013-10-18T05:55:01.647-04:002013-10-18T05:55:01.647-04:00Now it's all about League Of Legends. And a li...Now it's all about League Of Legends. And a little bit of SCII too, but it's mostly LOL that dominates the PC-bang scene.Dennis Yuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11222785673607604924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-18699294688495177442013-06-06T08:57:01.111-04:002013-06-06T08:57:01.111-04:00Maybe hhe added up the amount of people who watche...Maybe hhe added up the amount of people who watched that game from TV?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05458188658007707175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-59802455861358478042012-11-01T18:03:31.150-04:002012-11-01T18:03:31.150-04:00Hi there, I'm a bit late to the party, but thi...Hi there, I'm a bit late to the party, but this was a very informative and entertaining read. Thanks for the in-depth solving of this "mystery" :) Greetings from Germany!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-78703684361472040072012-10-25T17:34:00.628-04:002012-10-25T17:34:00.628-04:00I wish I was born in KoreaI wish I was born in KoreaFireZtarDShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11004401232424026662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-8310593221190412732012-01-31T13:31:21.603-05:002012-01-31T13:31:21.603-05:00You don't know what you're talking about.You don't know what you're talking about.T.K. (Ask a Korean!)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07663422474464557214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-57298514165969860282012-01-31T13:30:15.612-05:002012-01-31T13:30:15.612-05:00Other countries did NOT have the technology and In...Other countries did NOT have the technology and Internet speed in 1998. And I think I addressed the cultural point about how people play go and watch it on TV also.T.K. (Ask a Korean!)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07663422474464557214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-22257800834303056152012-01-30T12:41:06.312-05:002012-01-30T12:41:06.312-05:00Mr. the Korean, thank you for your very insightful...Mr. the Korean, thank you for your very insightful post on this subject. I am truly fascinated that this came to be, and as a fan of SC for the past 12 years, I appreciate the level of play these pros have achieved. Not even the most well-funded experiment would ever have come close to producing the incredible matches played over the past few years in Korea. <br /><br />However, while I agree in principle with all you say, I still feel something is missing in the explanation. Media frenzy for star power, entrepreneurs, availability of technology and internet bandwidth, kids with spare time, etc all existed in other places around the world at the time SC came out. Yet, Korea is the first and only culture which has elevated a video game to such an extreme. Doesn't there have to be something else unique in the cultural makeup to enable this popularity amongst the general public?TJLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05582749176272007335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-18596966473416506402011-10-28T23:21:40.594-04:002011-10-28T23:21:40.594-04:00"...pro gaming in Korea is about as popular a..."...pro gaming in Korea is about as popular as pro poker leagues in America." I will not agree with it better Comparison would be baseball , pro sc players rise to celebrity status and people watching sc/population of a country ratio is match higher than poker in us .Adatohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03515105703801572311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-64495958618129179172010-11-11T06:11:59.093-05:002010-11-11T06:11:59.093-05:00Byun-Tae...hehehe.Byun-Tae...hehehe.Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01477324384057272512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-24034427904329184812010-08-19T03:28:42.802-04:002010-08-19T03:28:42.802-04:00I keep wondering too why SC is popular in Korea an...I keep wondering too why SC is popular in Korea and why Blizzard promote a lot in Korea? Well the everything are very well said, thanks for answering. Its been a month since the since SC2 was release I think I should go peek my WOW and go buy some <a href="http://www.epictoon.com/" title="warcraft gold" rel="nofollow">warcraft gold</a> to dress him up.ataniumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06696334446636624017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-39794758726027750162010-07-27T23:20:01.344-04:002010-07-27T23:20:01.344-04:00Just a couple things I'd like to touch on:
1....Just a couple things I'd like to touch on:<br /><br />1. PC Bangs<br />Should mention that it's a place where people can, and like to, hang out. Not too many people go there by themselves; they go with their friends! And if you have had any multiplayer gaming experience you would know that playing with your friends online and playing side-by-side are very different experiences.<br /><br />Before PC-Bangs, computer games were only played by people who really liked gaming. It was a hobby, so you either know and enjoy it or you don't have a clue; you own a computer, you own game titles, and you play it in your room. <br /><br />PC-Bang phenomenon changed all that. It really allowed - and in some cases, forced - people to acknowledge computer gaming as an acceptable, enjoyable pastime in social gatherings. If you're from North America, Europe, or some other place and can't grasp this weird PC-Bang concept, think of it as something like a bowling alley, and not as an internet cafe.<br /><br />2. Popularity of StarCraft in Korea<br />Just because a lot of Korean people go to PC-Bangs and play StarCraft(SC), it doesn't mean that all of them are hardcore gamers, or even "gamers" in a conventional sense. A lot of them never even played a computer game before SC.<br /><br />The logic of "People go to PC-Bang because they're there" mentioned in the article would apply here; A lot of people picked it up so that they can hang out with their friends and join the hype. This is especially true for the older age group of Korean SC players (i'd say about 28 and above, people who were in college when SC hype took off), and they'll probably won't even bother trying out SC2.<br /><br />In fact, SC2 gaining as much popularity as SC1 is quite doubtful, as it'll inevitably lose a considerable portion of its fan base during the transition. Again, without the PC-Bangs, SC would've never gained this much popularity. It's equally true that without SC PC-Bangs would've never took off. It was a perfect combination.<br />Somebody mentioned Total Annihilation(TA) in the comments and I personally agree that TA is much better RTS game than SC. But I cannot imagine people playing TA, Red Alert, or any other RTS games in PC-Bangs as they do with SC. There're many factors that contributed to SC's success, but I think the single most important factor was that SC is easy to learn. A case in point: i can teach my girlfriend to play SC any day; teaching her to play Supreme Commander, not in a million years, baby.J.D. Malingererhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03284074704106713181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-46686989599564922012010-05-09T20:56:02.905-04:002010-05-09T20:56:02.905-04:00When are matches held at the Yongsan E-Sports Stad...When are matches held at the Yongsan E-Sports Stadium? I'd love to go see one.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11825573350791685887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-29393021389990482022010-03-08T15:23:21.010-05:002010-03-08T15:23:21.010-05:00I am truly amazed at the level of detail and knowl...I am truly amazed at the level of detail and knowledge that "Ask a Korean" puts into his blogs.<br /><br />Do you consider the fact that most Korean families live in apartments have anything to do with the popularity of PC bangs?<br /><br />I have noticed that the Korean teenagers don't spend a lot of time at home.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03225528383173104539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-59049474701669322282010-02-24T18:40:41.885-05:002010-02-24T18:40:41.885-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Wandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02920116687183692937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-66445923447629415922010-02-24T11:15:21.885-05:002010-02-24T11:15:21.885-05:00Popular in Philippine, too. We played with the Kor...Popular in Philippine, too. We played with the Korean Saram.Bradpetehoopshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02474468363959001065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-4129090719030758922010-02-23T23:44:09.625-05:002010-02-23T23:44:09.625-05:00Do any of you enjoy Baduk(Go)?
The only reference...Do any of you enjoy Baduk(Go)?<br /><br />The only reference I've read of Baduk in western literature was surprise, surprise, in "The Wheel of Time" series by now deceased Robert Jordan. He called it "stones" in his book, and the way he describes it I'm pretty sure it's Baduk. Any other references to Baduk(Go) in western lit. that you all know of?Juanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03952053420553961043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-38661730898089825602010-02-23T15:51:02.484-05:002010-02-23T15:51:02.484-05:00@baekgom84
NO way Total annilation ruled!, in th...@baekgom84 <br /><br />NO way Total annilation ruled!, in that although there were tons of units people focused on several units. Then arm always went for peewee or flash tanks, Core always always started off weaker, with its basic Kbot units with a pilthy laser and its tanks no better either.<br /><br />But once you got to level 2 units it changed the other way the core got stronger.<br /><br />Then much stronger with its goliath tanks which nothing could stop. <br /><br />If you played it right it ended up being an attrition game where both sides bulilt big berthas and had to use doomsday machine or annilators to defend their bases.<br /><br />At which if the game lasted long enough people would have 10-20 big guns pummelling each others bases. At which somebody would build a nuke and the anti nuke was developed in response.<br /><br />There were some incredibly tense games in the past where we exchanged 1000s of nuclear missiles while triple tasking Kbot units to sneak an attack in while he was busy targetting nukes.<br /><br />PricelessThe Chinese guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02042709338416365751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-65857403874988431622010-02-23T09:46:20.673-05:002010-02-23T09:46:20.673-05:00baekgom, the Korean saw Avatar on Imax 3D. While i...baekgom, the Korean saw Avatar on Imax 3D. While it was a good enough time-killer, it was still stupid.<br /><br />Shawn, nope. <br /><br />tellos & counthaku, that will be an interesting question that will pretty much determine the future of the pro gaming league in Korea.<br /><br />Joanna, thanks for pointing that out. The Korean linked the source -- the match happened in a special stage on Gwang'an-li Beach in Busan, which is an annual event.T.K. (Ask a Korean!)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07663422474464557214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-65783501783930784942010-02-22T19:28:25.195-05:002010-02-22T19:28:25.195-05:00I'd be interested to know what people think of...I'd be interested to know what people think of the coming Starcraft 2 as well-<br /><br />(potentially) interesting anecdote- I checked out the eStars Seoul tournament last July and had a chance to play a demo of Starcraft 2 and watch the finals of the pro Starcraft tournament. Starcraft 2 was only available for four hours so I expected it to be jampacked- there were roughly 50 demo stations and not all were full. The room for the tournament finals had a capacity of 200 or so- but was not even half full. Could Starcraft mania be dead??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-24534760404664860562010-02-22T10:01:30.215-05:002010-02-22T10:01:30.215-05:00Good post... but two comments...
100,000 people i...Good post... but two comments...<br /><br />100,000 people in one place to watch a starcraft game? World cup stadium only holds 68,000 or so... maybe you're off by a 0 or two? If not, please let me know what kind of a venue holds this number of people...<br /><br />Secondly, I don't think that the majority of PC 방s are quite as nice and futuristic as you make them out to be.. most of the ones I've been in are kind of holes in the wall filled with smoke rows of computers... Then again, I don't live in the nicest part of Seoul..<br /><br />Anyway, I've never heard someone try to explain WHY koreans are so obsessed with Starcraft, so I'm glad you gave it a go..조안나https://www.blogger.com/profile/18436544214416169575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-58343907789176929252010-02-22T05:21:06.137-05:002010-02-22T05:21:06.137-05:00You didn't mention starcraft 2! What do you th...You didn't mention starcraft 2! What do you think will happen when it's released, are Korean going to play it or ignore it?telloshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04189588012484710885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36405856.post-68706492620872951802010-02-21T17:31:48.089-05:002010-02-21T17:31:48.089-05:00Well, I usually enjoy your blogs, but I stopped ca...Well, I usually enjoy your blogs, but I stopped caring after the second paragraph railing against AVATAR. <br /><br />Were you drunk when you wrote this?It's like when my Daddy used to get drunk and then he'd ramble on about topics before beating. Oh, and did I tell you about the statistics that Mothers Against Drunk Driving have up? Man, that organization is crazy! Lemme tell you all about it. What was I talking about again? Oh, yeah ... STARCRAFT.Shawn Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16571099379593064154noreply@blogger.com