• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 17:45
CEST 23:45
KST 06:45
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
Code S RO8 Preview: herO, Zoun, Bunny, Classic2Code S RO8 Preview: Rogue, GuMiho, Solar, Maru3BGE Stara Zagora 2025: Info & Preview27Code S RO12 Preview: GuMiho, Bunny, SHIN, ByuN3The Memories We Share - Facing the Final(?) GSL47
Community News
BGE Stara Zagora 2025 - Replay Pack2Weekly Cups (June 2-8): herO doubles down1[BSL20] ProLeague: Bracket Stage & Dates9GSL Ro4 and Finals moved to Sunday June 15th13Weekly Cups (May 27-June 1): ByuN goes back-to-back0
StarCraft 2
General
The SCII GOAT: A statistical Evaluation Code S RO8 Preview: herO, Zoun, Bunny, Classic Jim claims he and Firefly were involved in match-fixing DreamHack Dallas 2025 - Official Replay Pack BGE Stara Zagora 2025 - Replay Pack
Tourneys
[GSL 2025] Code S:Season 2 - RO8 - Group A RSL: Revival, a new crowdfunded tournament series SOOPer7s Showmatches 2025 Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament Sea Duckling Open (Global, Bronze-Diamond)
Strategy
[G] Darkgrid Layout Simple Questions Simple Answers [G] PvT Cheese: 13 Gate Proxy Robo
Custom Maps
[UMS] Zillion Zerglings
External Content
Mutation # 477 Slow and Steady Mutation # 476 Charnel House Mutation # 475 Hard Target Mutation # 474 Futile Resistance
Brood War
General
BGH auto balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ BW General Discussion FlaSh Witnesses SCV Pull Off the Impossible vs Shu StarCraft & BroodWar Campaign Speedrun Quest Will foreigners ever be able to challenge Koreans?
Tourneys
[ASL19] Grand Finals [BSL20] GosuLeague RO16 - Tue & Wed 20:00+CET NA Team League 6/8/2025 [Megathread] Daily Proleagues
Strategy
I am doing this better than progamers do. [G] How to get started on ladder as a new Z player
Other Games
General Games
Beyond All Reason Nintendo Switch Thread Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Path of Exile What do you want from future RTS games?
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Wizard Hilton Cybertech Crypto Recovery: Proven Re
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine US Politics Mega-thread UK Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Vape Nation Thread
Fan Clubs
Maru Fan Club Serral Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Korean Music Discussion [Manga] One Piece
Sports
2024 - 2025 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion NHL Playoffs 2024
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
A Better Routine For Progame…
TrAiDoS
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Heero Yuy & the Tax…
KrillinFromwales
I was completely wrong ab…
jameswatts
Need Your Help/Advice
Glider
Trip to the Zoo
micronesia
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 29307 users

Korean PC bang experiences

Blogs > nataziel
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
nataziel
Profile Blog Joined October 2008
Australia1455 Posts
April 20 2009 11:11 GMT
#1
So I finally found a korean internet cafe in Brisbane after previously failing at watching (& finding a good place to watch) the MSL finals, as seen here.

I saw it this afternoon wandering through Queen Street Mall, and with little else to do I thought, "Fuck it, let's see what these bitches have got"

It's on the second floor of a building that's being renovated so I caught the little elevator, which took for-fucking-ever to come down and go back up. There was an empty fanta bottle in the corner of the elevator, an ill omen of what was to come.

The business itself comprised three things: a small PC room, a pool room (billiards) and a few karaoke booths with k-pop etc. I walked up to the counter and asked for a computer. Suprisingly, unlike other lan cafe's I've been to they asked me to pay before use instead of after which I thought was kind of weird but w/e, I paid 2 dollars for Half an hour and hopped on a computer.

The room itself was quite small, holding maybe fifteen computers, only about 5 of which were in use. I sat down and logged on and what was the first thing I saw on the desktop? Our favourite little icon, the Wraith, with the golden words underneath "Starcraft Broodwars". Unfortunately I had some business to attend to first so I got that out of the way as quickly as possible, I was eager to play.

Having finished my other work I sat at my computer and mentally prepared myself for what was to come. Having sufficiently meditated I double clicked on the icon, I suppose at this point I should mention the tools I would be playing with. The mouse and keyboard were standard microsoft peripherals, cheap and crude. The mouse itself was horrible, not only did glide anything but smoothly on the sticky desktop but it had trouble tracking on the uniform coloured paint.

So there I was, ready to play, having not played at all in over a month I was feeling a tad rusty. But 'lo and behold, the disc wasn't in the drive, this was my first inkling that things were about to go wrong, very wrong. It suggested to me that they were not up with the latest patch, or at least didn't know that you no longer need the disk to play. I was loathe to get up and ask for a CD, so to save myself the trouble and potential embarassment I relaxed, happy that I had an excuse for not tangling with the koreans that day.

I settled for watching the first game of the OSL finals, which I had yet to see. I navigated through the trusty TL.net website to the vods, and just as I settled into watching game 1 my computer logged itself off. My thirty minutes was up.

Upon leaving I walked past the man at the front counter and asked casually which computers acutally had SC running, so I could know for the future, he told me so. I then asked if they ever get many people in watching proleague/Gom (which there was also an icon for on the desktop, I forgot to mention)/OSL & MSL finals. The man laughed in my face, semi sheepishly, obviously amused that a foreigner such as myself would be intereseted in starcraft, so ended my first Korean PC bang adventure.

u gotta sk8
LosingID8
Profile Blog Joined December 2006
CA10826 Posts
April 20 2009 11:13 GMT
#2
hmm that is pretty odd. usually they have a timer on the computer so they can just charge you for however many minutes you were on.
ModeratorResident K-POP Elitist
konadora *
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
Singapore66155 Posts
April 20 2009 11:15 GMT
#3
You need to find the right PC bangs

Huge ones have like a hundred computer, selling snacks/instant noodles/drinks, and separated into smoking/non-smoking area. They give you this card, you can choose prepaid if you want. You then key in the card's ID in your comp, and you play as long as you want, which is recorded in the main computer, and before you leave, return your card and you pay your usage.
POGGERS
Ilikestarcraft
Profile Blog Joined November 2004
Korea (South)17726 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-20 11:20:43
April 20 2009 11:17 GMT
#4
On April 20 2009 20:13 LosingID8 wrote:
hmm that is pretty odd. usually they have a timer on the computer so they can just charge you for however many minutes you were on.

some allow it, others dont
Usually because a lot of people just say they're going to take a call and just leave without paying


majority of pc rooms its more expensive using the cards than making an account. If you make account they give you discounts/points but i dont know about foreigners because you need a korean id number. I think the owner can by pass that if you tell them you dont have one.

I personally of all the pc rooms i went to i liked 존엔존 zone and zone.
"Nana is a goddess. Or at very least, Nana is my goddess." - KazeHydra
konadora *
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
Singapore66155 Posts
April 20 2009 11:19 GMT
#5
On April 20 2009 20:17 Ilikestarcraft wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 20 2009 20:13 LosingID8 wrote:
hmm that is pretty odd. usually they have a timer on the computer so they can just charge you for however many minutes you were on.

some allow it, others dont

Most of the new ones use the timer system though... even those in the countryside use them (my grandma's town area)
POGGERS
nataziel
Profile Blog Joined October 2008
Australia1455 Posts
April 20 2009 11:19 GMT
#6
Well yeah, that's the kind of one I've been to before, it's just this was the first korean one I've been to, PC cafes aren't really that big in Australia. The room was really small though, but they had really good internet, so I think I might be back should I want to watch sc, as most other PC cafes around here don't have good enough internets to stream (they limit dl speed so each computer gets equal share, even if the place is empty)
u gotta sk8
Loptimist
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
106 Posts
April 20 2009 11:21 GMT
#7
I think the Korean PC cafe's improved A LOT. Well the ones I went to. Some even prohibit smoking now so the air is a lot cleaner And it's cheap too, as always.
Ilikestarcraft
Profile Blog Joined November 2004
Korea (South)17726 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-20 11:23:55
April 20 2009 11:21 GMT
#8
oh i thought you went to a pc room in korea ;;

The majority of pc rooms allow you to choose, 선불 which is paying before hand and 후불 which is the timer

"Nana is a goddess. Or at very least, Nana is my goddess." - KazeHydra
konadora *
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
Singapore66155 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-20 11:24:40
April 20 2009 11:23 GMT
#9
okay nvm lol.

Why is there a 'Korean' PC-room? Run by Koreans or something?
POGGERS
Ilikestarcraft
Profile Blog Joined November 2004
Korea (South)17726 Posts
April 20 2009 11:24 GMT
#10
wow im actually confusing you with myself ㅡㅡ
"Nana is a goddess. Or at very least, Nana is my goddess." - KazeHydra
konadora *
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
Singapore66155 Posts
April 20 2009 11:25 GMT
#11
On April 20 2009 20:24 Ilikestarcraft wrote:
wow im actually confusing you with myself ㅡㅡ

rofl scv icon ftw
POGGERS
nataziel
Profile Blog Joined October 2008
Australia1455 Posts
April 20 2009 11:28 GMT
#12
Yeah it's run by koreans, all the signs for it were in korean, I only saw it because the hangul for pc bang caught my eye and a few of my friends were talking about the karaoke part of it after korean class this afternoon
u gotta sk8
konadora *
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
Singapore66155 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-20 11:37:43
April 20 2009 11:30 GMT
#13
On April 20 2009 20:28 nataziel wrote:
Yeah it's run by koreans, all the signs for it were in korean, I only saw it because the hangul for pc bang caught my eye and a few of my friends were talking about the karaoke part of it after korean class this afternoon

Ah I see.. but you should really go to a REAL korean pc bang in Korea. They are so much better, as far as I can tell from your post.
POGGERS
konadora *
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
Singapore66155 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-20 11:38:03
April 20 2009 11:36 GMT
#14
Oops double post. God I'm confused with all the threads in TL open.
POGGERS
nataziel
Profile Blog Joined October 2008
Australia1455 Posts
April 20 2009 11:38 GMT
#15
Yeah, I'm sure they would be, is there always lan games going on or do they play on bnet? pc bang's here cost a lot compared to in korea I think, it's generally like 5 bucks an hour here, but most cafe's have shitloads of games to play, not just sc/w3/d2, but massive amounts of latest games and really good hardware to play it on.
u gotta sk8
GTR
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
51418 Posts
April 20 2009 11:58 GMT
#16
We only have one internet cafe here in Albury, such a rip at $5.50 p/h (4.40 on Thursdays).
Two kinds of payment though (before and after)
Commentator
MasterReY
Profile Blog Joined August 2007
Germany2708 Posts
April 20 2009 11:59 GMT
#17
offtopic:

why the fuck do you both have an scv icon???????
https://www.twitch.tv/MasterReY/ ~ Biggest Reach fan on TL.net (Don't even dare to mention LR now) ~ R.I.P Violet ~ Developer of SCRChart
TL+ Member
NeverGG *
Profile Blog Joined January 2008
United Kingdom5399 Posts
April 20 2009 11:59 GMT
#18
On April 20 2009 20:38 nataziel wrote:
Yeah, I'm sure they would be, is there always lan games going on or do they play on bnet? pc bang's here cost a lot compared to in korea I think, it's generally like 5 bucks an hour here, but most cafe's have shitloads of games to play, not just sc/w3/d2, but massive amounts of latest games and really good hardware to play it on.


Ouch - that's really, really expensive compared to S.Korean PC bangs - I used to haunt one back when I lived in a shitty backwater town here in Korea and it was awesome - unfortunately people did still smoke there, but they had comfy chairs, noodles and other snacks/drinks to buy, free water and the guys running it were lovely (they lent me umbrellas when it was raining etc.) I once stayed in there for about 10 hours (God I was bored back in those days.) and it only cost about $8.

I have my own laptop now and net access at home so I don't need to use them, but it's still nice to go to a pc bang from time to time to play around. There's also a big selection of games at most pc bangs ranging from SC and Kart Rider to FPS and dancing games. The demographic for them here is really wide.
우리 행운의 모양은 여러개지만 행복의 모양은 하나
konadora *
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
Singapore66155 Posts
April 20 2009 12:09 GMT
#19
I think P.C bangs are super cheap, 1 hour = 500 won (cheapest), which is around 70 Singapore cents. And they have great service too.

Most of them play LAN starcraft if they go out as a group, but for individuals, it's B.Net
POGGERS
GTR
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
51418 Posts
April 20 2009 12:13 GMT
#20
to ilikestarcraft: do they have iccup installed on the computers at the pc bang these days?
Commentator
1 2 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 2h 15m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
ZombieGrub213
UpATreeSC 151
ForJumy 86
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 5530
Calm 2492
Rain 1278
Mini 407
Dewaltoss 103
Soulkey 68
Aegong 36
TY 27
Dota 2
Dendi1709
capcasts102
NeuroSwarm65
Counter-Strike
flusha868
Foxcn306
Heroes of the Storm
Liquid`Hasu564
Khaldor172
Other Games
tarik_tv21882
summit1g6514
Grubby3537
shahzam2002
FrodaN1120
mouzStarbuck289
ViBE103
Organizations
Dota 2
PGL Dota 2 - Main Stream5459
Other Games
BasetradeTV175
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 17 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• musti20045 39
• davetesta32
• IndyKCrew
• sooper7s
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• Migwel
• intothetv
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Kozan
StarCraft: Brood War
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• masondota22294
League of Legends
• Doublelift4772
• TFBlade1382
Counter-Strike
• Shiphtur292
Other Games
• imaqtpie1485
Upcoming Events
Online Event
2h 15m
Replay Cast
4h 15m
GSL Code S
11h 45m
herO vs Zoun
Classic vs Bunny
The PondCast
12h 15m
Replay Cast
1d 2h
WardiTV Invitational
1d 13h
OSC
1d 15h
Korean StarCraft League
2 days
SOOP
2 days
sOs vs Percival
CranKy Ducklings
2 days
[ Show More ]
WardiTV Invitational
2 days
Cheesadelphia
2 days
CSO Cup
2 days
GSL Code S
3 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
3 days
Replay Cast
4 days
Wardi Open
4 days
Replay Cast
5 days
Replay Cast
5 days
RSL Revival
5 days
Cure vs Percival
ByuN vs Spirit
RSL Revival
6 days
herO vs sOs
Zoun vs Clem
Liquipedia Results

Completed

CSL Season 17: Qualifier 2
BGE Stara Zagora 2025
Heroes 10 EU

Ongoing

JPL Season 2
BSL 2v2 Season 3
BSL Season 20
KCM Race Survival 2025 Season 2
NPSL S3
Rose Open S1
CSL 17: 2025 SUMMER
2025 GSL S2
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 7
IEM Dallas 2025
PGL Astana 2025
Asian Champions League '25
BLAST Rivals Spring 2025
MESA Nomadic Masters
CCT Season 2 Global Finals
IEM Melbourne 2025
YaLLa Compass Qatar 2025
PGL Bucharest 2025
BLAST Open Spring 2025

Upcoming

Copa Latinoamericana 4
CSLPRO Last Chance 2025
CSLPRO Chat StarLAN 3
K-Championship
SEL Season 2 Championship
Esports World Cup 2025
HSC XXVII
Championship of Russia 2025
Murky Cup #2
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
IEM Cologne 2025
FISSURE Playground #1
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.