Pro-gamers these days are on the rise, with competitions held around the world for the cream of the crop to come forward, and compete on the highest levels. Some of these top players even have sponsers, others are able to make a complete career out of gaming. However, there has also been a major rise in gaming addiction, so much so that it is being considered as an addition to the latest Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Psychological Disorders. So this begs the question: is professional gaming simply getting paid for having gaming addiction?
The following clip from the documentary StarCraft: The World Cyber Games 2005 produced by National Geographic, explains the results of an experiment performed by psychiatrist Dr. Chae Jeoungho in Seoul, S. Korea to determine the biological differences between pro-gamers and the average user. In the experiment he uses pro-gamer Seo Jihoon, known as Xell0s who earns a salary of $200,000/yr by playing at a highly competitive level greatly supported by sponsors. In S. Korea, Seo Jihoon actually is a celebrity who is celebrated for his incredible gaming skills and even his good looks.
In the eastern hemisphere, it is not uncommon for gamers to be celebrated for their role in eSports. These professional gamers are celebritites in their own right who compete at the highest levels for cash prizes and the honor of being the best gamer in the world. Most gamers are also sponsored by major companies due to their celebrity. Some are even able to maintain their families on their earnings alone.
Pro-Gamers have coaches who help them hone their talents and improve by becoming faster and improving their APM, actions per minute : the speed and efficency in which players accomplish things in Starcraft. Jihoon in particular has an APM of almost 400. Most competetive players need an APM of 300 or more to even have a fighting chance. These gamers practice anywhere from 8-12 hours a day, 5-7 days a week.
A recent CNN feature on Pro-gaming and addiction looks directly at progamer MarineKing of S.Korea. According to CNN reporter John Sutter:
"Many criticized CNN for highlighting the dark side of video gaming in that country, instead of celebrating the achievements of the world's best e-sports athletes. Specifically at issue was the story ofMarineKing, one of the world's best "StarCraft II" players who, in the past, worried his parents and teachers because he practiced sometimes for 20 hours a day. They flagged him as a potential gaming "addict," but his parents now support his quest to be the world's best at the strategy game he loves."
However, if a pro-gamer is playing that many hours daily, what makes them any different from a gaming addict who is most likely playing just as much?
According to psychologist, Dr. Han of Korea who leads a research lab helping those with gaming addiction,
"there's one difference... Pro gamers usually aren't addicts. Addicts can't succeed on a higher competitive level, he said. The game takes complete control. Pros, however, find a magical balance. They're obsessed with the game, maybe, but their playing of it isn't depressive, meandering and hopeless. They're chasing after a goal."
However, once they reach their goal, the glory is usually short lived. By 25, speed, agility, and ability wane, and these gamers find themselves defeated by newer up & coming champions. However they are usually able to find jobs within the gaming industry as testers, developers, and even CEOs such as Lee "NaDa" Yun-Yeol who after winning various competitions throughout the early 2000's recently opened up the NaDa mall that sells pro-gaming equipment.
There is a clear line drawn here between pro-gaming and addiction. The best way is to describe it is to view pro-gamers as athletes who hone their talent, practice like crazy, and compete. Addiction refers to the innate need to play that's disruptive to life. Pro-gaming refers to the use of gaming to make a living. To unknowing observer, it may seem like an addiction, but the difference clearly lies in the intention of the gamer.