the world cyber games 2004

[Zimbacca]

This year at the gaming Olympics (world cyber games) were held in San Francisco.  
In first place were The Netherlands (9 metals 4 of them gold I think)
Second place was Korea (6 metals with 4 metals I think)
And third place was the USA (3 metals 2 of them gold)
http://www.worldcybergames.com/

[Sureshot]

Yeah I didn't keep up this year, the previous 2 years I watched quite a bit of it.  Good tournament, shame they canned the Q3 duels though, they were great viewing while waiting for CS matches.

[sharp]

World Crappy Games, I don't like any of the games played on these games, just fuckin FIFA, two crappy racers, some stupid st person shooters and some rts. Not a single beat 'm up or classic shoot 'em up. Sorry, better like to see some good old gamevideo or dvd with japanese players showing you how to play it then seeing these games.

[Izret101]

Wow i thought Korea was the GOD of gaming? Every major gaming contest i hear the results of they always pull way out ahead.

I didn't even know this was going on. I'll have to read up on it sounds cool.

[Tynstar]

When I heard there was a gaming Olympics all I could think was "Super Losers".  

[sharp]

Yes but the asians are bad in 3d shooters anyway. look to the gameselection and you see almost all the gamesare made in western countries. I don't give a damn about this crappy tournament.

[Lord Nepenthean]

I could've sworn I read in the "Holiday" (wtf?) issue of EGM that Korea took first place at this event.  I'm going to have to check on that when I get home.  Maybe they goofed.

[Sureshot]

Koreans are probably best at RTS, partly because they have televised games such as Starcraft on TV over there, so they have a reason for a focus on home-grown talent.  As far as FPSes goes, the Scandanavians are usually thought to be the best.

[Tynstar]

Koreans are probably best at RTS, partly because they have televised games such as Starcraft on TV over there,

WTF!!!!!! Watch people play a RTS on TV?

[Zimbacca]

I think last year they won the Counter Strike tournament.

[Izret101]

If it was the one hosted in North Korea yes they one that.
I think every game they hhosted they won.

[Sureshot]

WTF!!!!!! Watch people play a RTS on TV?

Yeah, gamers are treated like celebs out there, most of them are on regular salaries like someone who plays sport.

Take this quote from an article on Gamespy from 2003 (http://archive.gamespy.co...c2003/korean/index2.shtml)

“StarCraft is just a great game,” Sue admitted when asked why it's such an enormously popular title in Korea. But more than that, “It was at the right place at the right time.” A Korean economic crisis in 1997 put a lot of middle managers out on the streets. With some meager family savings, most were able to start and run small PC centers to take advantage of the growing Internet trend. When things started to boom in '99, in what author J.C. Herz called “The perfect storm for online games,” they were all looking for games that would bring people into their store. And StarCraft was there.


Cindy Armstrong explains some of the Culture Shock Sony Online Entertainment experiences as they tried to enter the Korean market. But there are other factors. The units and themes in StarCraft transcend cultural boundaries – you don't have to be an American to understand waves of insects or armies of space marines. More importantly, the game length was just about right: usually half an hour. It was ideal for people who wanted quick fast-paced pick-up games with friends. And it was perfect for a television audience, with matches fitting neatly into a time slot. Yes, PC gaming in Korea is a spectator sport. “It boggles the mind,” said Herz, noting that a big StarCraft tourney in Korea can pull in ratings equivalent to something like the show Friends here in the U.S.

[Tynstar]

Holy hell!!!!!!!!

[Arrrhalomynn]

Koreans are pretty cool for being incredible nerds. And calling an event where you play a dozen games the 'gaming olympics' is dumb, for reasons already stated above.