Welcome to the first in an ongoing series of articles which will explore the growing significance of gaming culture - from nations like Japan (where it is a national obsession) on the cutting edge of all things gaming, to sleeping giants like China, only recently embracing the joys of gaming (which until recently was relatively unavailable owing to piracy and concerns of censorship).

To kick-off this investigative editorial feature however, we're going to examine a country that took my preconceptions and turned them on their head.

Put aside concepts of globalisation and international 'sameness', and journey with me now to the other side of the world - to the small but populous nation of South Korea, situated with China to its west, Japan to its immediate east and political pariah North Korea to the north. This is a compact nation of high-rise towering apartment blocks, heavily built cities and urban 'closeness' ('personal space' is near non-existent in South Korea). At its heart is the immense city of Seoul, South Korea's gaming epicentre - and the focal point from which the rest of the gaming country takes its lead.

Forget Japan, North America and Western Europe, if ever a country could be described as taking gaming culture and running with it: it's South Korea. I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, we're talking about a country with the highest level of broadband penetration anywhere in the world, where over 60% of homes enjoy broadband internet access, and millions more frequent the PC 'Baangs' of the major cities, where these internet cafes are not merely access points - but places of social gathering and interaction.

Reports suggest that the number of 'Baangs' in Seoul, South Korea's sprawling metropolitan capital, number upwards of 25,000, and the youth of Korea gather at such locales, tucked in every corner of commercial land, to meet, chat, email, surf and, of course, play. The popularity of such hang-outs, and this fascinating nation's obsession with communication and play, serve as a good starting point of comparison with the western games culture, where games still tend to be a pastime associated with solitude; and therefore something deemed unhealthy and antisocial. Not so in South Korea, where millions log-on to the net every day, in search not just of entertainment, but interaction: society.

The perception is that, for example, a typical British gamer uses videogames to amuse and entertain, to escape and unwind - videogames offering the same 'buzz' as film, television, music or indeed alcohol. Not so here, where gamers have taken gaming the next logical step - as a means for facilitating interaction, making friends, communing, and generally enjoying the benefits of a strong social life - stronger perhaps than might otherwise be possible in a country as hard-working, diligent and intense as South Korea. What I'm suggesting is that gaming has evolved not merely as a fun hobby, but actually as a conduit for communication that might otherwise have been impossible amid the bustling pace of the Korean commercial-clock (and nowhere else is this more strongly felt in Seoul itself). In terms of business, the influence of the industrious Japanese is never far away.

As you'd expect, massively multiplayer online games form the backbone of this Korean 'gaming culture' - if I can call it that, with millions logging-on every day to compete and negotiate in the online societies created by the most popular titles. Naturally, to say that these games are merely driven by interaction would be naïve; after all, several worrying reports have already shown that Koreans have succumbed to the addictive joys of competition, just like the rest of the gaming globe. The most popular games in South Korea at the moment include Everquest (brought to the market by NCSoft), Gravity's Ragnarok Online, NCSoft's Lineage and its sequel, Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle, not to mention Webzen's Mu, Nexon's Dark Ages, Nexus TK and Shattered Galaxy. Many of these titles are a far cry I grant you from the graphical glitz and narrative-driven adventures of current western-developed titles, but remember these games are built with the Korean market in mind - and it appears that in stark contrast with a stereotypical US gamer, your average Korean does not want to play the sole hero, merely assume a role in a collective effort. The influences of Confucianism (a belief system of Chinese origin, which expounds the value of social unity, among other ideals) are manifest even in the country's videogame tastes.

Comments

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  1. Sam 5 years ago Staff

    Great read Luke. What I find interesting is the love of communication over everything else, like graphics ;)

  2. Luke 5 years ago Staff

    Hi Sam, yes, I agree. It seems that the perspective from which they approach games is the complete opposite of ours: what's regarded here as sad is the height of cool in Sth Korea. Amazing.

  3. Sam 5 years ago Staff

    I'm moving to SK then

  4. Aja Unregistered 5 years ago

    Wow, nice work. Just searched for an article like this (writing an essay in a similar subject).

    I find it really interesting how the Confucianism has influenced their gaming culture etc. Still there are non MMORPG games which are very popular in South Korea (like StarCraft and WarCraft III). Ofcourse theese games also includes forms of communication but not as much as in the MMORPG's beacause the strategygames often focus on the player alone (1on1 duels etc).

    Maybe the clan phenomena is bigger there with all the baangs, I don't know. It's was a great article anyway.

  5. caryn Unregistered 5 years ago

    hi i am doing a report on this country and what kind of stuff in korea. i think i will get an A on this great country.

  6. TPR Unregistered 4 years ago

    Japan does not go bonkers with the Korean Online games due to nationalism. Many are and many would be thrilled...but the biggest obstacle is Japanese pride hindering the natural ascension into online games...after all, video console games are a hting of the past.