Korea's Online Gaming Empire  
Dal Yong Jin
The MIT Press
In South Korea, online gaming is a cultural phenomenon. Games are                 broadcast on television, professional gamers are celebrities, and youth culture is                 often identified with online gaming. Uniquely in the online games market, Korea not                 only dominates the local market but has also made its mark globally. In Korea's                 Online Gaming Empire, Dal Yong Jin examines the rapid growth of this industry from a                 political economy perspective, discussing it in social, cultural, and economic                 terms. Korea has the largest percentage of broadband subscribers of any country in                 the world, and Koreans spend increasing amounts of time and money on Internet-based                 games. Online gaming has become a mode of socializing--a channel for human                 relationships. The Korean online game industry has been a pioneer in software                 development and eSports (electronic sports and leagues). Jin discusses the policies                 of the Korean government that encouraged the development of online gaming both as a                 cutting-edge business and as a cultural touchstone; the impact of economic                 globalization; the relationship between online games and Korean society; and the                 future of the industry. He examines the rise of Korean online games in the global                 marketplace, the emergence of eSport as a youth culture phenomenon, the working                 conditions of professional gamers, the role of game fans as consumers, how Korea's                 local online game industry has become global, and whether these emerging firms have                 challenged the West's dominance in global markets.