South Korea: The e-Sports generation

[druidy2]

so koreans kick everyones ass in rts because they use chopsticks? HOLY SHIT!

[vassleen]

this is totally inaccurate and biased report. although e-sport may be seen relatively more popular in south korea than in any other country, it is still a minor sport and its popularity has so far been dwindling.

[VClaw15]

Koreans are so good at E-sports because KOREA itself doesn't approve visas from countries that would beat their own players. Seriously KOREA e-games is SOOOOO wayy overated which all they had to do is to win BY forfeit... THEY WIN by forfiet because of the Korea Government

[robloxpwnmaster3]

wow south koreans are smart enough to use computers?

i never knew that

[uAfooLOL]

@robloxpwnmaster3 - Yeah....don't know much about anything, do ya? S.Koreans forgot more about computers than you'll ever know. And also just about everything else.

By the way, damn!...you are one butt UGLY ass dike!

[MrDogmeat23]

If it were chess no one would complain but a video game, oh the horror !!!!!!

[natenate88]

wow this report was completely inaccurate and retarded. "Esports" is not "more popular" than sports. Not everyone in Korea is obsessed with computer games like you make it out to be. In fact it's not even that big. Yes, it's Esports is bigger in Korea than most countries, but um.... Soccer is by far the biggest sport in Korea, next to baseball. Shitty reporting from a shitty news broadcaster.

[dune2online]

fuck you al jazeera, you are no better than CNN

[rescawen]

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS SHIT PROPAGANDA, ESPORTS IS ALL ABOUT THE SOCIETY AND WORKING TOGETHER, ESPORTS FIGHTING, FUCK THIS TV CHANNEL!

[albusfr]

lol just where in the world is track and field that popular anyway? the most popular sports in South Kore are soccer, basketball and baseball. starcraft is more akin to how popular Professional Wrestling is in the US.

[azngen1233]

team liquid . net wants to ban al jazeera so bad lololol too bad team liquid mods can only abused there anti freedom of speech powers on their own website.

[azngen1233]

this is like how western media spreading propaganda about china, now thy are hating on Korean culture, spreading propaganda on the negativity of Korea.

[amd098]

thank you al jazeera for a biased view, proving that you are the FOX of the middle east.

[haz464]

al jazeera sucks balls

[aguy38]

CHILL GET OUT!

[HanzeRDX]

I dont understand the hate. All the article says is that they want more people in south korea to try running instead of playing sc which in 9 cases out of 10 only leads to tons of wasted time.

[inn5013orecl]

@HanzeRDX you're right, running (as a sport) does lead to tons of wasted time 9 cases out of 10.

[toober1337]

Al Jazeera fails.

[dusperz]

Esports is killing track and field.

[keef920]

FFS nobody does track and field because, as track and field athletes like to say, "Our sport is your sport's punishment."

[prabhbhambra13]

AlJazeera is hurting eSports!

[KIDD9876]

do more research and make a better report

[Xadar24]

whaaat, they didnt tell anything about the actual games, but only bashed them for not doing actual sports, shitty report

[blueranger614]

Okay, maybe look at losira's or nada's hands and tell me that doesn't require something special lol.

Or just get a clue in general, so many closed-minded reviews of Esports showing up lately.

[epicbeardmanrocks]

@blueranger614 think of this as a good thing. any publicity is good publicity

[Qurt80]

If you dont know a god damn thing about esports doing fucking report on it

[imperatorxy]

oh right south korea has lots of problems with gaming. look at how fat and unhealthy their population is

[Valarius]

What a fucking shit report.

[MechaShiva1986]

What's up with the idiot news pieces on Starcraft lately?

[jinir9]

SUUUUUPER POOOOR VIDEO! BAD RESEARCH!

[BeanXPFoX]

but I always thought baseball and soccer were very popular in Korea too...

eSports is more like WWE there. There's hardcore fans and people know about it, but it's not the most popular thing there is.

[IdleSway]

Is doing research really that hard?

[MMHT]

What the fuck of a comparison is that? You are complaining that the ENTIRE E-sport culture is bigger than godamn track and field??

[Tuskon]

This Video is killing E-sports.

[A7XJohnnyChrist]

Heaven forbid video games are more popular than hurdles.

[sanityofnonsenseofpl]

Starcraft isn't national Korean sport, brood war is.

[michaeru1]

Oh no, what will South Korea ever do without Track and Field. How terrifying.

[kingemco]

nigga get yo facts right



[tehkoolest]

the media does less research than i had to do for english papers at 14 years old, this is sickening

[Taiki1234]

"Society has become individualistic, people do things alone, that's why they "play" Esports"

Exactly WTF makes track and field any less individualistic than i.e Esports? At least we got teams in Esports, but I guess news will always be biased.

Al Jazeera should get their shit together.

[mattabesta]

AlJazeera, fucking AlJazeera and they still don't even try and understand?

[KoTakUEurO]

esports in Korea is really a central part of their culture, and is most definitely not as bad as these reporters make it out to be.

progaming teams live together in houses, and go out to gym etc on a fairly regular basis

and eSports is very strenuous, it takes tons of concentration and determination, and is very taxing on the mind. you always have to be continually thinking. it's not just mindless stuff.

and also.... korean progamers are NOT UNHEALTHY. look at NaDa. he's truly a handsome nerd

[ebkkracerx]

al jazeera you have always been ignorant idiots 

[Dragomoss]

Do your research on esports before talking about it please companies :) Stop tarnishing what you do not understand.

[keikun17]

lol chobos

[FragRaptor]

I really hate it when news stations think they are being smart by saying that "computer games" are bad for you and you should turn them off and go run for 5 hours.....

[ReflectTheMaelstrom]

Let's get them off those nasty computer games where they use their brains to formulate strategies and learn to maximize efficiency and get them on the track where they can be brain dead and run around in circles!

That's healthy!

Protip: Your mind burns more calories than any muscle.

[saggoh]

Why would you wanna turn off you computer ?? to listen to fox news ?

[LegitElements]

@JogBird in America here's how it works people are active they then start eating worst then they get fatter and have to stop moving and get fatter and fatter Koreans eat very well very healthily and very often so when it comes to body performance they are far above people while they arnt as muscularity built they are much smarter and in Korea people don't look up to that but instead look up to how smart someone is and in Korea they all play strategy games so in the long run they are winning and

[blahk04]

I don't own a car, I ride a donkey to work, it's helped me develop superior balancing skills.

[Gyozomroka]

@bosoxs45 it's difficult to say what is and isn't productive. One of the primary ways humans begin learning is through games, so obviously games have some mental benefit.

[Gyozomroka]

it's honestly hilarious that Koreans think using chopsticks somehow makes them superior. I live in South Korea and I've heard other Koreans say that. It was even taught in Korean schools a decade or so ago.

The definition of ass backwards.

[eldiosdedios]

I've been to the featured temple, I'll never forget it.

[JogBird]

if theyre playing computer games all the time, how come theyre not as fat as americans?

[Frusherful]

@JogBird

Because you don't get fat by sitting. Are you retarded?

[kunstderfugue]

@Frusherful you don't get fat by sitting, you get fat by consuming more food than you need

[kunstderfugue]

@Frusherful disregard that

[KoTakUEurO]

@JogBird because this is active thinking

not just mindless sitting around and doing nothing.

you have to constantly be on your toes, thinking for as long as you're practicing, which may be more than 8 hours.

think of starcraft as a game of chess that requires the speed of a piano player

and also, progaming teams go to gyms together on a fairly regular basis

[olyfag]

@KoTakUEurO

If you compare Starcraft to chess one more time I will kill you.

[KoTakUEurO]

@olyfag they are somewhat similar in a few ways, but yes, they are different sports

[childsca]

@JogBird

Their diets. No joke.

[sukebegaijin1]

wtf is about chopsticks??? We in Japan use chopsticks too>>>>>

[quidnick]

@bosoxs45 Look into simulation games, they give people this jist on how to run a city or civilization than most politicians can. The U.S. army is looking for tactical advice from CoD fans to solve the pirating in Somalia. As this socialist *cough* video says how e-sports is becoming lucrative in some countries. At the end of the day, what else are teens going to do? Smoke weed like their parents' generation? Computers are a better alternative.

[quidnick]

I love how he says it's "individualism" causing people's re-direction. But enough politics, if gaming makes these youngsters happy than follow that goal. Lot of pro-athleticism going on these past few years. If only soccer moms understand the fact that thousands of children have died in sport-related injuries

[FlatulenceFox]

A sport involves real cardiovascular activity. All this crap does is deteriorates your vision, makes you fell more isolated, and gives you carpal tunnel syndrome. Come on S. Korea, you're a smart nation and you can do a lot better.

[quidnick]

@FlatulenceFox Sounds like some media propaganda mixed with mother myths. How about this... let kids pursue what they want! Now why don't you close your browser window and read a book hypocrite. 

[FlatulenceFox]

@quidnick Inferring much? You have a rather dull imagination and are quick to pull judgments on others.

I read more books in a month that you will read in a lifetime.

pogue mahone, troll.

[DreIs1337]

@FlatulenceFox I would say you probably don't have much experience in Starcraft, because there is far more to gain than what you assume. Sure it's not exactly a "healthy" life style - per say, but in the same sense neither are office jobs. The "esport" community is just that - a community. Thousands of people meet each other through it and pro teams form bonds and live together. They exercise regularly and go out and socialise. This isn't Super Mario Bros, it's far beyond that.

[FlatulenceFox]

@DreIs1337 that is cool...it can be defined as a community...I just questioned it being defined as a sport. I am not against online communities...so I hope you did not erroneously read that into my original post.

[DreIs1337]

@FlatulenceFox Just by the "you're a smart nation and you can do a lot better", you make it sound as though "esport" is childish and that it's foolish to not reject it. That's all.

[FlatulenceFox]

@DreIs1337 Actually what you inferred from what I said is all wrong. Re-think it please.

To give a big hint: play e-sports is no substitute for physical activity...which all human beings need.

I'm using a computer by the way....at least on my end it would a bit contradictory if I said it was "dumb" or "childish."

So, no, your train of thought about me was not on the right track.

[DreIs1337]

@FlatulenceFox I understand that you meant something else, but to be fair you did say "all this crap does" and generally spoke of it in a pretty condescending way. I was mearly commenting that the "crap" does quite a bit more than that. It's hard not to respond with some hostility when "esports" are always dismissed out of hand because of some stereotype, but yes I shouldn't have.

[FlatulenceFox]

@DreIs1337 I am 100% certain that my comments did not offend the sensibilities of Mr & Mrs Esports.

[roguenation]

If all foreign troops leave Korea, the Koreans themselves, free of US meddling, will be fully capable of conducting talks between themselves, effecting a peaceful unification of their homeland and turning the armistice into a stable peace.

[sumeone123]

@roguenation South Koreans have a very different opinion of this.

[roguenation]

@sumeone123 Of course, their American backers and handlers wouldn't have it any other way!

[Polydynamix]

If they start allowing sitting in front of a computer playing a game, as being sport- they will have officially destroyed the entire meaning of the word.

[SenfeuIe]

why should they turn of theire computer and make sport? fuck you! just let them do whatever they want.. games are hundred times more fun then fucking boring sport. esports >>>>> other sports

[zizikelizike]

Fail comment about korean supperiority at 1:20 .... if that was true ... than european people wouldnt be the top players in most games (excluding console playing/paraolympics of e-sport) :)

[Justwantaccount1]

when you have cases of young people dying in a pc bang because they play computer games for weeks nonstop and only eat the provided cup of noodle ramen...you eventually get whats happening in south korea. I guess they embrace change.

[MrCocytus]

Lol, bs about their brain at 1:20

[fishfrizbee]

Why is the News reporter Retarded

[HeavyMetalCanuck]

The tone of this report suggests that gaming is inherently less good than physical sport. I don't agree.

[MisoSoupGP]

..I gotta move there at one point.

[majornewb]

Long live Terran

[xXE4GLEyEXx]

LONG LIVE PLAY. :D

[FlankerVT]

gay!

[RyantheCanuckpirate]

What a shitty time to release this video in light of the announcements of MBC Hero and Hwaseung OZ disbanding :(

[peterjjune]

The thing about chopsticks is unfounded. If you consider that due to Medieval Chinese Imperialism that the chopstick became prevalent throughout Asia-Major than why are there so few Taiwanese, Japanese and Malaysian Pro-gamers?

It is probably more to do with the fact that the PC-Bangs are integrated into their social structure, and that playing computer games is endorsed by people rather than frowned upon, like in most Western cultures.

[RayKalmNiam]

@peterjjune But there are many American gamers as well you know.

[peterjjune]

@RayKalmNiam I made a mistake in my comment. I meant to say unlike Western Cultures. My parents would always ban from playing computer games, and try and force me outside to play in the "fresh air".

[TheCatsLastWord]

@peterjjune Western cultures are also the most developed........just saying.

[peterjjune]

@TheCatsLastWord That is the biggest load of BS I have ever heard. If you are troll, you are crap at it, if you are serious, you are an idiot,

[XxBlueChidorixX]

@peterjjune There might be only a few taiwanese, japanese and malaysian, but their gamers are really strong/

[shammythefox]

@peterjjune

When you take into account its population and cost of living Taiwan has an esports scene that greatly exceeds the west

[Whanhee]

@peterjjune China is not as well known commonly, but they have some of the best gaming teams in the world, notably for warcraft 3 and dota. Japan is well known for fighting games and they excel in many international events.

But yeah, the analysis of chopsticks is bullshit. Most regions are actually quite good at one game or another, ie Northern Europe is quite good at counterstrike.

[awesome220]

Chopsticks?

[L1ama]

lol the bush stalker shots of the track

[momoisdrug]

D:

[hav9k]

I need to start using chopsticks...I think.

[harizotoh7]

Starcraft is the official National Sport of South Korea. 

[testwordz]

@harizotoh7 nope.

thats one of those internet rumors that started as a exaggerated way of describing how popular starcraft was in korea.

BW is the 4th largest "sport" in korea, and it is not the national sport.

[akumie2]

01:49: starcraft 1, how old are they?

[D3m0nsLuvP13]

@akumie2 Koreans still like playing SC1 because it's been the game the pro gamers there have playing for over a decade.

[khosrow]

@akumie2 sc1 is better balanced than sc2 thats why they keep playing it.

[Deadflyte]

e-sports will eventually become a sport its just a matter of time technology is growing and our lazyness is growing with it : P

[pantherstudios]

@Deadflyte Video game technology is progressing towards the holo-deck. Gamers of the future may be lazy, but their games will require you to get out of your chair and go on an adventure.