They’re both professionals.
Obviously, I can’t use the term “athlete” for the professional gamer, because there’s absolutely nothing athletic about PC gaming. No matter how much professional gaming tries to imbue physical statistics into gaming, like how fast a guy can click on a mouse.
I came across this Kotaku article, and going through it it set off a wide range of emotions and thoughts, and here I sit, brogging away about it. It’s no secret to me these days that gaming is taken pretty seriously back in the Motherland, and even my parents have made the backhand remark that perhaps I should have gone somewhere with my own adolescent gaming habits, regardless of how hard they disapproved it back then. But it’s gotten to the point in Korea, where I kind of look at how seriously it’s taken, and feel nothing but a wide range of negatively-connotative emotions.
I guess I can’t use the whole “they’re fucking games” argument, because in the end, so are every single professional sport played today. Baseball? Kids game. Football? Kids game. Basketball? Kids game. Soccer/futbol? Kids game. Despite the fact that video games have very little physical aspect behind them, they are ultimately, just like sports, kids games at the core.
But perhaps that’s why I scoff at the notion of professional gaming, and that there are people out there that are legitimately paid for doing what they would be doing, regardless of the chance for income. The more I think about it, the more it’s obvious that I’m mostly jealous of the fact that they’re getting paid to do what they enjoy doing, but that’s not really why I sat down to rant about it.
I don’t know, really, but it just seems kind of sad. Do these guys really have nothing to contribute to society than playing video games in front of an audience to their amusement? I obviously am nerdy enough to find enjoyment at occasionally watching gaming brilliance, but there’s something about knowing that a person is getting paid for it that kind of cheapens the idea for me. Is it just me? Or can anyone else out there kind of see where I’m coming from?
But I think the funniest thing about the aforementioned link is some of the language used in it. They talk about this Lim Yo-Hwan kid like he’s fucking Satchel Paige or something. About how he’s got all these serious injuries, and how his career is in jeopardy from the immense physical degradation of his body from his strenuous occupation. And how he’s contemplating retirement and rumors of him marrying his famous actress of a girlfriend, because professional gamers get the chicks.
Earlier this month, there were reports that Lim was taking a break from pro-gaming and starting physical therapy. Lim’s shoulder was bothering him so much that he could not play more than five games a day.
The equivalent to that statement in a real profession would be:
Roger Federer will sit out of the Australian Open due to a strained hamstring. This prevents him from competently performing on the tennis court, as well as in his every day life, being able to move about comfortably. He will not be able to play any tennis with this ailment.
If Lim tries to tough this shit out and go on, he may forever lose the ability to use a mouse for the rest of his life! What would he do not being able to go on Facebook and Twitter? Maybe he can get really good at using the Tab key to navigate links and type “QQ” to noobs.
Who the fuck does he think he is, Tom Brady? There’s a pretty stark contrast in having a really really bad case of carpal tunnel syndrome, and tearing a rotator cuff. Treating them as if they were one and the same is awfully laughable.
The pain was so bad that he can’t use his right hand (his mouse hand) for extended periods of time. But Lim is optimistic, and previously shot down rumors of his retirement.
He mentioned it was important to continue with his physical therapy and try to maintain good posture.
The equivalent to that statement in a real profession would be:
Josh Beckett can’t use his right hand (his pitching hand) at all. But Beckett is optimistic and cussed out all the reporters that even fathomed that he would retire because of it.
He mentioned explicitly that it was important that he completes his rehab and get a cortisone shot.
It’s both sad and ironically humorous that video gaming is taken so seriously in Korea. Being Korean and all, despite being white-washed harder than fucking Powder, it kind of does make me feel a little bit of shame that such a sissy hobby has grown into such a popular spectator entertainment.
And people wonder why so many Korean people are so standoffish towards me. Clearly, I’m such a traitor.
