CNN article on SC2 and gaming addiction in Korea

The match didn't last long. After setting up a base in the northeast corner of the map, MarineKing sent foot soldiers to root out his opponent's headquarters -- a glowing blue pyramid spitting out blue termites -- and blew the whole thing up before the 10-minute mark. His coach nodded approvingly and walked away. MarineKing paid no attention to the press photographers leaning over a rail to snap pictures.

He was busy surfing the Internet, looking at pictures of pigtail-wearing Korean pop stars. Then he quickly moved on to another round of "StarCraft" -- not because of the competition, really.

He just wanted -- or needed -- to keep playing.

On August 05 2012 14:18 Zzoram wrote:
Where are the articles about American Football addiction and how 4 players die each year from football on average, never mind the thousands of concussions that can lead to permanent brain damage?

On August 05 2012 14:19 justinpal wrote:
I don't think the author understands gaming culture very well.

On August 05 2012 14:22 Itsmedudeman wrote:

Or he's just dumbing it down for his audience like any intelligent writer who knows what the hell they're doing would? Yeah, he sent marines with 1/1 upgrades for a timing attack and marine split his marines on creep sounds really good to an audience.

On August 05 2012 14:21 Wegandi wrote:


It's only an addiction when they disagree with your personal behavior. If you play a physical sport like say, football, or baseball for 5+ hours everyday, you're lauded. If you study math or science for 10+ hours a day, you're lauded. God forbid, you were a unique individual with their own likes and desires instead of some tabula rasa for them to mold to their own ends. Never ceases, does it?

On August 05 2012 14:22 Itsmedudeman wrote:

Or he's just dumbing it down for his audience like any intelligent writer who knows what the hell they're doing would? Yeah, he sent marines with 1/1 upgrades for a timing attack and marine split his marines on creep sounds really good to an audience.

On August 05 2012 14:22 Itsmedudeman wrote:

Or he's just dumbing it down for his audience like any intelligent writer who knows what the hell they're doing would? Yeah, he sent marines with 1/1 upgrades for a timing attack and marine split his marines on creep sounds really good to an audience.

On August 05 2012 14:25 justinpal wrote:


I was more referring to the article and the second part of the quote, I guess my comment wasn't clear. But, the part where they obsess over the fact that he types go or 1a2a3a4a as an indication of his addiction. I'm pretty certain there are a large number of players that do just that.

On August 05 2012 14:25 Itsmedudeman wrote:

? Dumb comparison. Most people can't play physical sports as long for as long as someone can play a video game (and addicts can play all day), and someone who studies actually benefits from it? Wtf? Are we really comparing the productivity of studying math and science to that of playing a video game here? Let me know how that looks on a college application. TL is really out of touch it seems these days..

On August 05 2012 14:28 Wegandi wrote:


If anyone has ever taken a semi-competent journalism class, they would have never written such a piss poor article. He missed more than 50% of Aristotle's appeals. Instead of saying spitting out blue termites, he could have said, producing workers called probes. Everyone knows what a worker does, and in the process you've fulfilled mythos or knowledge and provided your reader with something new and pertinent.

On August 05 2012 14:28 Itsmedudeman wrote:

No, that's clearly not what the writer meant at all. "much like a pianist would when warming up." is the phrase they used. If anything they're highlighting MKP's career and achievements as something good and productive.