The Not So Different
The size of eSports in Korea is surely the largest in the world. Lots of places like Bexco Stadium Busan Haeundae Beach and are constantly invaded by thousands of fans eager to see their teams in action. When we consider the success of Korean players in many games, it is easy for a foreigner fans see Korea as a haven of eSports. A place where professional videogame players are as acclaimed as the greatest football stars.
The Korean government is also aligned with competitive games and even has a department that governs the eSports called Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA). Famous sponsors like Samsung, SK Telecom and Korea Telecom (three of the biggest companies in Korea - imagine Google or Amazon sponsoring a team eSports) participate actively supporting organizations and eSports teams, since the formation of a gaming house to hiring technicians and equipment purchases. With this in mind, one can hardly be blamed for thinking that eSports is a normal and well accepted part of Korean culture.
Play is undoubtedly an important part of the youth culture of Korea - many students can be found spending your precious free time "PC Bangs" or internet cafes, primarily focused on online games. League of Legends is currently the most played game in these locations in Korea, but the proportion of players of League of Legends eSports fans who are also dedicated, according to global collaborator Michael OnGameNet "Chexx" KieferGaming is so low. "Most fans actually are casual There are some hardcore fans -. Including some girls who are dedicadíssimas fans, as you can see in broadcasts OnGameNet - but they are quietly minority."
It seems shocking that an industry that seems to be so big can have such a small market. However, the reality is that eSports is a niche in the Korean market, even with its large size. The reason for this, according to Chexx, is the heavy focus on education on the part of Korean culture - which leaves little space (and time) for people to play professionally.
"Western fans romanticize quite as eSports in Korea are noticed. Nationwide, education is the most important thing, especially the start of school until the end of university.'s ESports is not considered such a prestigious career in Korea, with all happy to see your child chase a career in games and parents delay their studies, "admits Chexx. It's not hard to see why. More than 50 million people living in Korea, and only 80 people are on a team in the Champions League the OGN, making play League of Legends professionally is a career high risk.
In this regard, Korean eSports fans are not so different from western fans. They are a small but fanatical crowd, with hopes of playing professionally to get more traction and turn something normal in the society of today.
Connecting a New Generation
High school students do not earn vacation, exactly, explains Chexx. "The regular school day lasts from 9 am to 21h due to homework. As the school year ends, they still need to attend the" school holiday "in order to remain competitive," he says about the Korean youth. The difference between the usual life of a student and a professional player is vast, and many students are to follow the eSports one way to accomplish your desires.
Chexx is surprised by the new generation of fans of eSports born in Korea due to the influence of the League of Legends. "After conflicts over rights to broadcast StarCraft be solved by KeSPA and Blizzard, a great void appeared eSports in Korea. All former players from Brood War (expansion of Starcraft) were retired, so there was no one with whom the new generation could connect. "With the advancement of the League of Legends in Korea, a new crop of young players emerged - and who broke this deficit in relationship with other players.
Professionals like Lee "Faker" Kim Sang-hyeok and "Deft" Hyuk-kyu are literally one in a million. Having studied in the same school, Faker and Deft chose to leave his studies aside to pursue a career in eSports. For many young people in Korea, playing in illustrious teams such as SK Telecom T1 K and Samsung Blue would be a dream come true.
Machine eSports
Although it seems a given considering the nature of eSport, the internet has been instrumental in reaching the audience area. Although stations such as OnGameNet transmit eSports events on television, Chexx notes that "most fans consume content created through their smartphones while they are in school or at work." The growth in streams coincided with the decline of televised eSports, marking a distance from the days of Starcraft tournaments were attended almost entirely on national television.
Nevertheless, the eSports is not necessarily relegated to alternative channels. Although still lacking coverage of more traditional media, the latest happenings in the world of eSports can be seen in more traditional news sites. "The most recent step in legitimizing eSport in traditional media was an action of the President of KeSPA to add a tab in eSports Naver" emplica Chexx. Naver is basically the response from Korea to Google, and this movement is much bigger than it looks. The flap eSports is accompanied by links to the broadcasts and schedules for upcoming games and events, allowing even those who do not follow the competitive landscape quickly know what is happening in the world of Korean eSports.
Swim or Sink
With all the optimism surrounding the increased volume of esports in Korea, it can be easy to forget how cruel this industry really is. The most popular teams (and players) in Korea are those who can maintain the highest level of success in the game. The narrator of OnGameNet and former Hunter Azubu Frost, Lee "CloudTemplar" Hyun-woo, you know well how competitive you can be the Korean scenario. "Korea is fundamentally a country with a strong mentality in which only the first is recognized. In all areas is so."
There is only one way to ensure a professional player recognition in Korea - victory. "The attitude of 'no matter how' is emphasized. There is nothing to not be going well.'s Like putting your life in line with the game," reflects CloudTemplar. Korean fans swap the fans for teams frequently, and for the most part, the only thing that defines a popular team to a non-popular is the performance of them. "All of the new generation know who is Faker, and definitely know who the SK Telecom T1 K and the Samsung Galaxy Blue and White, but the other teams are not as famous as well. Perhaps the only exception is the CJ Entus Frost (Vice world champion in 2012). "
Although fans of Korea seem fickle when it comes to international competitions they are 100% alongside their compatriots. The dream 'World Cup' for the Korean fans is that a team of Korea does not even miss a game for foreign teams, as is repeatedly said in the Invention, the largest site about games of Korea (and echoed by representatives Koreans in the World). With a combined record of 35 wins and 3 losses from the quarter-finals of the World 2013, fans of eSports in Korea are well on your way to see the wish fulfilled.
In the coming weeks, thousands of high school students will be glued to their smartphones during lunch, watching the latest best shots of the World. Thousands of students navigate the Invention on the way home, discussing the strategies of their favorite teams. Anyway, passion and their desire to see Korean teams dominate the world is what unites them as fans of Korean eSports.
