A closer look
Blizzard's release of StarCraft in 1998 triggered such a massive cultural phenomenon in South Korea that it basically birthed the entire concept of modern esports, complete with dedicated television channels and stadium-sized tournaments. While western gamers were still arguing over whether video games were art, South Korean teenagers were achieving celebrity status and securing lucrative corporate sponsorships just for having incredibly high actions per minute and an intimate knowledge of Zerg rush tactics. It is truly remarkable that a space strategy game originally built on a modified Warcraft engine became a legitimate national pastime and basically pioneered the deeply depressing concept of playing video games as a stressful career
