Why Do Koreans Love Starcraft So Much?

Travel Info
Starcraft is a good game, but it's super old. However, Koreans love that game and take it seriously. Even broadcast matches on TV!

Travel Tips

Wow, I am surprised no one answered this question correctly yet.

There are 3 factors contributing to the popularity of Starcraft in Korea:
1. Starcraft was a US game.
2. Japanese consoles were illegal.
3. Most gamers played in Internet Cafes (PC 氚?

1. As a US game, Starcraft could be marketed and sold in Korea without many restrictions.

2. At the time when Starcraft was emerging on the world market, Japanese gaming consoles were becoming more popular globally. However because they were made in Japan (Nintendo and Sony Playstation) they were illegal to market or sell in Korea, which has an extreme Anti-Japanese trade policy.

However, games made for the Nintendo and Playstation were becoming so profitable that many gaming companies started focusing their efforts on game development for consoles. As such there was a lull, in which there weren't many good games from non-Japanese companies being released.

3. For internet cafe's Starcraft is a great game. Blizzard rolled out its Battlenet service, which allowed people to play against eachother. In Korean internet cafe's you can stand behind someone and watch them play. This contributes to Starcraft becoming a spectator sport. Another great thing about internet cafes is that they will bring you food and drink while you are there for a small price. They might charge $1.50 for a 17 cent bowl of ramen (霛茧┐) or $2 for a 25 cent can of coke.

Attracting spectators meant money for internet cafes and they would start hosting tournaments that drew a lot of people. People would then hold advertising expos (events or 鞚措菠韸? in conjunction with game tournaments and cafe's made money from advertising. Soon it became profitable for them to have prize money for tournaments, and the prospect of free money (which you can still get today) attracted more and more people in Korea, especially since it coincided with a huge recession in the Korean economy (IMF).

It was a "perfect storm" for the success of Starcraft and the rest is history. Source(s): US expat in Korea
Starcraft player who has laddered many times.
Other Travel Tips

cuz they are outdated
they love watching war. y kill themselves for stupid reason when they can just chill and play a game wish america could do the same.
Gaming in general is very popular in Korea. Pro-gamers are close to celebrity status and they make a pretty good sum of money. Yes, they do have a gaming channel that is on television twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. It's just a part of Korean culture.
I am Korean but I don't play Starcraft. I have had many many guy friends that are obsessed with that game though. I agree with you, it's a bit weird that they like it (considering that it's old.. I actually thought it was new and popular with everyone because of how they always went on and on about it...) I heard that there was a Starcraft II coming out?? Not sure, but anyway, I've noticed that a lot of Koreans are obsessed with it too...
I am korean. Koreans now say starcraft 2 will never take a place of starcraft1. reason they love starcraft is because of alot of creative strategies they can create or use during the game. and It requires a great hand control skill Its reason is similar as the reason why people play chess or baduk.