Online Gaming

In recent years, as high speed internet has become more and more available, news has concentrated more on the effects of intense computer gaming sessions. In South Korea for example, computer gaming has become a new sport (Delirium of disorder, 2004). People have actually died (BBC News, 2005) at their computer screen as they became absorbed into the game they were playing. Games where this intense gaming generally happens are starting to have controls put into them, so that they can only be played for so long each day.

The effects of online gaming are not always negative however. People are able to take items they're acquired in the virtual world, and them sell (BBC News, 2004) them in the physical world. Again, this may sound daft, but for the people who've spent a lot of their time producing whatever they have virtually, it means a lot to them, so they are then able to sell to like minded people.

Gamers can also take what was once a hobby, and become a professional "cyber athlete", in the same way a tennis player would. Probably the most famous cyber is Fatal1ty (Johnathan Wendel) who's won over $1m in prize money from tournaments.

Although I do spend a fair bit of my time playing a variety of different games myself (generally centred around 1 online community), I don't play anywhere near enough to either die playing, or take it to a professional level (even though it does sound like a good way to make a living).

BBC News (2004) Gamer buys $26,500 virtual land [internet], Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4104731.stm [Accessed 10 November 2006].
BBC News (2005) S Korean dies after games session [internet], Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4137782.stm [Accessed 10 November 2006].
Delirium of disorder (2004) E-sports Gaining Popularity in South Korea [internet], Available from: http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/04/1910229 [Accessed 10 November 2006].