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    StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

    Game » consists of 10 releases. Released Jul 27, 2010

    The first chapter in the StarCraft II trilogy focuses on the struggles of the Terran race, as seen through the eyes of Commander Jim Raynor, leader of the rebel group Raynor's Raiders.

    Why are Koreans so good at this game?

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    sreya92

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    #1  Edited By sreya92

    I mean are they that intellectually superior to us Americans that they just roflstomp at tournaments? I don't get it. Is it because we don't take it as seriously over here? I'm just really confused, I'm trying to think of other sports (small lol at calling SC2 a sport but I digress) where one country clearly dominates a sport (individually speaking) over all the other countries and I can't think of one that's widely out of proportion like it is for SC2 and Koreans

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    csl316

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    #2  Edited By csl316

    Crazy practice regimes in Brood War probably helped.

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    Video_Game_King

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    #3  Edited By Video_Game_King

    Wow, this went racist really fast. The more accurate question would be "why do Koreans spend as much time as they do playing Starcraft?" The answer to that is mainly because the US government provides strong military support to South Korea to protect them from North Korea. This allows South Korea to spend what would be military money on their own infrastructure, leading to wider Internet access, among other things. This probably explains why Starcraft became so popular in South Korea, which, in turn, explains why Starcraft II is just as popular.

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    ThunderSlash

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    #4  Edited By ThunderSlash

    Probably something to do with how StarCraft and many other 90s multiplayer focused PC games of that era were ushered into popularity through the rise of internet cafes in Asia and such. That's my guess though.
     
    Edit: Also, lots of practice.

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    BUCK3TM4N

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    #5  Edited By BUCK3TM4N

    HRS AND HRS AND HRS OF PRACTICE

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    bybeach

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    #6  Edited By bybeach

    PPl. have predilections due to culture, values, study habits etc. I think SC2 favours alot of memorization and rote learning, and perhaps(i'm just making a guess) these do factor in. Add a modern inclination to innovate and change up, and maybe over the averages things be rocking for Koreans. But I really do not know.

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    _jackbauer

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    #7  Edited By _jackbauer
    @Video_Game_King said:
    The answer to that is mainly because the US government provides strong military support to South Korea to protect them from North Korea. This allows South Korea to spend what would be military money on their own infrastructure, leading to wider Internet access, among other things.
    Yup, that'd be good 'old fashioned Amerrcan ignorance.
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    Afroman269

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    #8  Edited By Afroman269

    Racist.

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    FluxWaveZ

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    #9  Edited By FluxWaveZ

    Because, genetically, they have an inherent, tactical military expertise.

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    Video_Game_King

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    #10  Edited By Video_Game_King
    @_jackbauer
     
    How so? What did I get wrong?....Besides all of it?
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    kmdrkul

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    #11  Edited By kmdrkul

    That's what happens when you squint at the screen while playing.
     
     
     
    ... Yeah I just went there motherfuckers.  COME AT ME

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    csl316

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    #12  Edited By csl316
    @kmdrkul
    That's what happens when you squint at the screen while playing.
     
     
     
    ... Yeah I just went there motherfuckers.  COME AT ME
    No.
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    PeasantAbuse

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    #13  Edited By PeasantAbuse
    @kmdrkul said:
    That's what happens when you squint at the screen while playing.    ... Yeah I just went there motherfuckers.  COME AT ME
    This is going to cause so much butthurt.
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    bacongames

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    #14  Edited By bacongames

    @Video_Game_King said:

    Wow, this went racist really fast. The more accurate question would be "why do Koreans spend as much time as they do playing Starcraft?" The answer to that is mainly because the US government provides strong military support to South Korea to protect them from North Korea. This allows South Korea to spend what would be military money on their own infrastructure, leading to wider Internet access, among other things. This probably explains why Starcraft became so popular in South Korea, which, in turn, explains why Starcraft II is just as popular.

    Infrastructure reasons coupled with a huge PC-bang culture lit the first SC like a puddle of gasoline. As a result people took it very seriously for competition and that's how we get 12 hour a day practice regiments for 6 days a week. You play a game that much with a high stakes competitive environment like that, you'll get pretty good.

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    The_Nubster

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    #15  Edited By The_Nubster
    @Video_Game_King said:
    Wow, this went racist really fast. The more accurate question would be "why do Koreans spend as much time as they do playing Starcraft?" The answer to that is mainly because the US government provides strong military support to South Korea to protect them from North Korea. This allows South Korea to spend what would be military money on their own infrastructure, leading to wider Internet access, among other things. This probably explains why Starcraft became so popular in South Korea, which, in turn, explains why Starcraft II is just as popular.
    Korea is good at games because America lets them be, god dammit! 
     
    I don't think so.
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    Video_Game_King

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    #16  Edited By Video_Game_King
    @The_Nubster
     
    Is that what I said? Didn't really want it to come across like that. But whatever, I'll take it as along as it helps people sleep at night.
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    cornbredx

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    #17  Edited By cornbredx

    No, I think it's because they can actually get paid to play it fairly easily (at least on the outside it looks like that) as opposed to other countries where making money gaming is not quite so easy.

    Only my perception from the outside, though. Even when I was skipping school to play fighting games for money (bets) at the arcade I never dreamed I'd be able to make a living off it.

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    endless_void

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    #18  Edited By endless_void

    Ignore the typical retarded trolls of the giantbomb forum.
     
    Koreans follow extreme practice regimes with very little pay. In the brood war days they essentially had to earn the food they ate through tournament earnings and sponsors, nowadays alittle less stricter for the GSL pros, but still a really tough lifestyle. They play the game about 8-10 hours a day from what I understand and this includes practice matches with teammates and laddering on the BNET server. There is not a precise answer why they are so much better than foreigners but alot say its due to how hard they work towards a goal. The chinese also prove to be extremely good at sc2, although that scene has not fully developed yet since they only recently received the game over there. Some chinese players have already taken out the likes of Idra and Boxer just as a few examples.

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    WickedCestus

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    #19  Edited By WickedCestus

    Starcraft is just way more popular there, and the more people there are playing, the better the best players are going to be. It's a fact, jack. 

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    cornbredx

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    #20  Edited By cornbredx

    @endless_void: There's no reason to go around calling people retards. I've been around a lot of the world, but I cant come close to saying I know everything about everywhere. If you know something someone doesn't state what you know and leave it that. No need to insult peoples intelligence as if you're somehow superior. It's unnecessary and downplays your otherwise legitimate point.

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    jorbear

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    #21  Edited By jorbear

    They just practice much harder than the average non-Korean progamer. It is as simple as that.

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    endless_void

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    #22  Edited By endless_void
    @CornBREDX said:

    @endless_void: There's no reason to go around calling people retards. I've been around a lot of the world, but I cant come close to saying I know everything about everywhere. If you know something someone doesn't state what you know and leave it that. No need to insult peoples intelligence as if you're somehow superior. It's unnecessary and downplays your otherwise legitimate point.

    I was meaning the people who were trolling and absolutely not contributing to the topic in any way.
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    frankxiv

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    #23  Edited By frankxiv

    i saw someone say once that it's just how they approach the game. in the example, they said that koreans are always trying to find more shortcuts and hammer out newer more efficient and effective builds and compositions, and everyone else is just trying to emulate what they've already seen koreans do. it's the difference between writing a guide, and following a guide. 
     
    wish i could remember who it was.

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    amomjc

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    #24  Edited By amomjc

    @_jackbauer said:

    @Video_Game_King said:
    The answer to that is mainly because the US government provides strong military support to South Korea to protect them from North Korea. This allows South Korea to spend what would be military money on their own infrastructure, leading to wider Internet access, among other things.
    Yup, that'd be good 'old fashioned Amerrcan ignorance.

    How the hell is that American Ignorance?

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    Loose

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    #25  Edited By Loose

    This thread is going places.

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    mattbosten

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    #26  Edited By mattbosten

    Competition, time spent and practice.

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    lancer75

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    #27  Edited By lancer75

    I'd say the extremely centralized nature of South Korea has a lot to do with why they're so good at Starcraft. Seoul is one of the most population dense cities in the world, which means that everyone lives really close together. This allows teams of players to practice together at net cafes or even in pro gaming houses. In North America and to a lesser extent Europe, people are much more spread out, which means that they don't have as much contact with other Starcraft players, so they have to be self-motivated to practice, unlike in Korea where there's coaches and teammates to push you. Also, since they play more, and in close proximity to other players, they can get better much quicker as your teammates can see how you practice, what you practice, and how much you practice. They'll help you practice efficiently, eliminate your weaknesses and train harder than most non-Korean pro gamers.

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    Gangsterlax

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    #28  Edited By Gangsterlax

    I dunno, probably the same reason why Americans are good at football...  
      
    its just popular there

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    Vinny_Says

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    #29  Edited By Vinny_Says

    Yeah well I can kick any Korean's ass at hockey so whatever

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    TheGreatGuero

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    #30  Edited By TheGreatGuero

    From what I understand, in Korea, they value video game players in a whole new light. The best ones are treated like the biggest celebrities or athletes here in America. So it's a different attitude towards games and gamers.

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    the_OFFICIAL_jAPanese_teaBAG

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    hahaha even the first post was racist...  this thread is funny. 

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    ShockD

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    #32  Edited By ShockD

    Perhaps because they consider StarCraft A SPORT.

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    gamb1t

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    #33  Edited By gamb1t

    the swedens rape the us at counterstrike well before counterstrike source and THE CGS fucked everything up. thanks valve

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    McGhee

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    #34  Edited By McGhee

    Apparently dog is a brain food.

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    Vexxan

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    #35  Edited By Vexxan

    Mass practice...heck, they even have schools in which you practice esport games.

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    mnzy

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    #36  Edited By mnzy
    @Gangsterlax said:

    I dunno, probably the same reason why Americans are good at football...

    There's not really any international competition in football, is there?
     
    Also, fighting games were pretty much dominated by Japan for a long time. Some exceptions would be Korea in Tekken and the US in MvC, but apart from those, Japan.
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    Spectreman

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    #37  Edited By Spectreman

    Is like why men are better than women in mathematics and physics, it´s genetic.

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    imsh_pl

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    #38  Edited By imsh_pl

    Koreans are better at SC II because it's very similar to StarCraft, which they're also better at. Now the reason because they're better is because due to the internet boom that took place in the country in the 90s internet cafes started popping out everywhere, and their owners needed to somehow attract people to them by choosing a game they would let you play - since SC was a good competitive game in that time, boom. You got yourself a winner.
     
    Other than that it's pretty much what others said - extreme practice regimes.

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    TheDudeOfGaming

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    #39  Edited By TheDudeOfGaming

    It's because they're Korean.

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    Gangsterlax

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    #40  Edited By Gangsterlax
    @mnzy: Actually there is, I saw some college kids play the Japanese all star team a few years ago. The college kids won.
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    baldgye

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    #41  Edited By baldgye

    South Koreans are fed with special tactics at an early age. This is why they are so good.

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    elbon

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    #42  Edited By elbon
    @sreya92 said:
    I mean are they that intellectually superior to us Americans that they just roflstomp at tournaments? I don't get it. Is it because we don't take it as seriously over here? I'm just really confused, I'm trying to think of other sports (small lol at calling SC2 a sport but I digress) where one country clearly dominates a sport (individually speaking) over all the other countries and I can't think of one that's widely out of proportion like it is for SC2 and Koreans
    Korea also has the best archers in the world
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    sirdesmond

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    #43  Edited By sirdesmond

    They are just genetically better than the rest of us. It's that simple.

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    DerBrick

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    #44  Edited By DerBrick

    The fact the South Korean government embraced SC:BW helps a lot in this. When BoxeR leaves for his military service and the government makes Air Force Ace just for him.. its big.

    As stated in earlier posts, they practice 10+ hours a day, and this came from BW. If you go back and watch when Brad visited the oGs/TL house, all you saw them do was play. In house ranking tournaments, laddering on the korean server, and customs with the best players around. They have nothing to worry about, everything is handled for them, cleaning, cooking, bills and so on. Their only concern is one thing and its SC2. Combine all this with Special Tactics and you get what we see now. Will it change? I hope one day the skill gap isn't as big as it is now, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

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    endless_void

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    #45  Edited By endless_void
    @sirdesmond said:

    They are just genetically better than the rest of us. It's that simple.

    I really hope this guy is being sarcastic.
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    sirdesmond

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    #46  Edited By sirdesmond

    @endless_void said:

    @sirdesmond said:

    They are just genetically better than the rest of us. It's that simple.

    I really hope this guy is being sarcastic.

    Me too.

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    raiz265

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    #47  Edited By raiz265

    It's their whole mentality regarding the game, very few outside korea take it as seriously as the koreans do and put as much time into it, it's pretty simple, really. Also on top of that they have their pro houses, which is a pretty rare thing over "here".

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    Badhands

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    #48  Edited By Badhands

    Easy, they don't have sports. They have Starcraft, if America (or any nation) paid people to play starcraft instead of sports then Americans could be just as good. They aren't like genetically different then everyone else just instead of watch football, they watch starcraft, instead of playing football, they play starcraft. Simple answer.

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    frankxiv

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    #49  Edited By frankxiv
    @Badhands said:
    Easy, they don't have sports. They have Starcraft, if America (or any nation) paid people to play starcraft instead of sports then Americans could be just as good. They aren't like genetically different then everyone else just instead of watch football, they watch starcraft, instead of playing football, they play starcraft. Simple answer.
    they actually do have other sports as well, like soccer, baseball, basketball, and even hockey.
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    Icemael

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    #50  Edited By Icemael

    Because it's pretty much their national pastime.

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