Young Koreans taking classes in bid to become next e-sports superstars
- 6 years ago
South Korea is known around the world as an global hub for e-sports.
For many boys and young men,... becoming a professional gamer is their dream job.
With e-sports fever gripping the country, there are even institutes out there that teach students to hone their gaming skills so one day they might reach the elite level.
Our Seo Bo-bin has more.
Students are staring intensely at computer monitors, completely lost in their games.
What might look like a regular PC room is actually an educational institute where coaches teach students how to master everything from the new to the classic games that are still popular today.
From 'Overwatch' to 'Battlegrounds', games that were initially seen as a fun way to pass a few hours have become a part of Korean culture and sport.
No matter their age, the students want to learn the skills that will help them beat their friends,... and hopefully put them on the road to e-sports stardom.
"When the company was first established, there were a lot of students wanting to become pro-gamers, but there weren't any places where students could go to chase their dream. So in order to help them, we started this e-sports academy."
Students enrolled in the classes get regular feedback from each other and from their coach... getting better and better every day.
"When, I play the game with my teammates and giving and taking feedbacks after the game, the whole thing is such a big delight for me, so I think that's the biggest reason why I want to be a professional gamer."
"I like to watch the leagues. If there are some amateur competitions later, I think I'm going to try them out."
While playing games with friends and boosting your skills to win seems like fun, some people have raised concerns that E-sports academies could have the same problems as the private education sector.
Parents and teachers have raised concerns that time devoted to e-sports could damage students' regular school studies. Many also question whether e-sports institutes can really be considered educational.
But, when you consider that being a pro-gamer is one of the top three dream jobs for school students,... it's not hard to understand why such places are probably here to stay,.. especially as making it to the pinnacle of e-sports can earn you fame and fortune... all while doing what you love.
Seo Bo-bin, Arirang News.
For many boys and young men,... becoming a professional gamer is their dream job.
With e-sports fever gripping the country, there are even institutes out there that teach students to hone their gaming skills so one day they might reach the elite level.
Our Seo Bo-bin has more.
Students are staring intensely at computer monitors, completely lost in their games.
What might look like a regular PC room is actually an educational institute where coaches teach students how to master everything from the new to the classic games that are still popular today.
From 'Overwatch' to 'Battlegrounds', games that were initially seen as a fun way to pass a few hours have become a part of Korean culture and sport.
No matter their age, the students want to learn the skills that will help them beat their friends,... and hopefully put them on the road to e-sports stardom.
"When the company was first established, there were a lot of students wanting to become pro-gamers, but there weren't any places where students could go to chase their dream. So in order to help them, we started this e-sports academy."
Students enrolled in the classes get regular feedback from each other and from their coach... getting better and better every day.
"When, I play the game with my teammates and giving and taking feedbacks after the game, the whole thing is such a big delight for me, so I think that's the biggest reason why I want to be a professional gamer."
"I like to watch the leagues. If there are some amateur competitions later, I think I'm going to try them out."
While playing games with friends and boosting your skills to win seems like fun, some people have raised concerns that E-sports academies could have the same problems as the private education sector.
Parents and teachers have raised concerns that time devoted to e-sports could damage students' regular school studies. Many also question whether e-sports institutes can really be considered educational.
But, when you consider that being a pro-gamer is one of the top three dream jobs for school students,... it's not hard to understand why such places are probably here to stay,.. especially as making it to the pinnacle of e-sports can earn you fame and fortune... all while doing what you love.
Seo Bo-bin, Arirang News.