Koreans love online gaming, example: This is a “PC room“, where one can play multiplayer computer games online. PC rooms like this are extremely popular among South-Koreans, ever since Starcraft came out in 1997. You have a room like this every block! Interesting because the computer and broadband penetration is quite high in Korea. But many young people are going to these rooms to play LAN-based multiplayer games with others online, in private. This particular pc-room was quite big, filled with sigarette smoke and people sitting hours and hours behind their computer screen; quite hectic and depressing place to be. I went in for a few minutes to do some work, but was glad to be outside again.
But some people take it quite seriously, last August another South Korean man died just after 50 hours of nearly nonstop gaming. The man only left his online battle simulation games to go to the bathroom and to take short naps on a makeshift bed. The cause of death was presumed to be heart failure stemming from exhaustion. Good grief, I’d rather do something else.
Some facts
- You can access these rooms for about one dollar per hour
- I noticed 60 seats but only two girls
- You hear guns go off everywhere
- Do not talk with your ‘friendly’ neighbor
- Older people play casino games
- Starcraft is still big, after 11 years
