Are Korean Gamers Faster than a Speeding Bullet?

Where the term “hardcore gamer” is concerned, not everyone will generally agree on what it means. For some, the term “hardcore” comes when you have achieved somewhat of an elite status in a game, or  series of games, and for others, it could simply determine that someone games a lot… as in, it’s a full time job, and then some. Whatever your opinion on the term is though, there’s one thing that many of us can agree on… Korea houses some of the most hardcore gamers around.

In the case of many gamers there, they suit almost every idea of what it means to be a hardcore gamer. The best players think nothing to play for more than 8 hours a day, or in some cases, much more than 8 hours a day, and likewise, they can play games like few outside of Korea can. Need a good example? It’s no secret that Starcraft, despite being over ten years old, is unbelievably popular in Korea, and by now, it seems like some gamers there don’t even have to think when playing… they just play.

In a “The Hax Life” episode, Korean gamers discuss what “APM” is, and why it’s important. If you’ve followed Starcraft for a while, you might already know that APM stands for “Actions Per Minute”, and to be up there in the ranks of the big boys, it’s recommended that you can play Starcraft with at least 300 APM. Yes… 300 different actions every minute.

It sounds impossible, but the video proves that it isn’t. Even to watch, it’s hard to believe that someone is actually keeping track of what’s going on, but some are disputing whether or not that’s the case after all. The reason is tied to the fact that it’s easy to become accustomed to something you do repetitively, and in the case of doing something like playing a game every-single day for half of the time you’re awake… well that certainly qualifies as something you could become used to.

Still, to play a game at such a rapid pace is rather impressive, and you’d almost imagine it’d be a good workout. Although, I’m not sure I’d want to see the potential RSI or similar injuries that are surely waiting for some of these players. I sometimes feel it a little bit just because I type a lot… I couldn’t imagine going full-board on a game all day, day after day!

So if you think you’re going to become the best Starcraft player there is, you might as well just wait for Starcraft 2 and set your hopes there. Given the current success of SC1 in Korea, the sequel might not even be picked up that quickly over there. Time will tell.

This clip is from the excellent documentary The Hax Life, which takes a look at some pro gamers competing in the Korean capital, Seoul. It’s at times touching, at times frightening, and at others, just mind-bending.