Annotated Bibliography the relationship between online games and it players

Ahn, Jae-hyeon and Park, Bong-won. 2008. “Imposing Tax and Rebate Policy for Game Addiction Problem.” Paper presented at the annual International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, July 20-24, Athens, Greece.

This article introduces the relationship between online games and its players, and attempts to explain the possible social problems online gaming has caused among some players. Ahn and Park address the problem of gaming addiction and its effects on society as a whole. They investigate interested parties of online gaming to create a base model to help explain the increase or decrease of the participants over time with consideration to the positive/negative images of the activity. In addition to their investigative studies, Ahn and Park also propose a possible solution to the game addiction problems. They suggest implementing a tax and rebate policy which they believe will better the social image of online gaming while simultaneously decreasing the number of game addicts. This paper is an especially interesting source as it provides contrasting views on the advancement of technology (in regards to online gaming) compared to other sources, and proffers a most curious solution to the gaming addiction dilemma.

This article was found through Google with the keywords: “Korea” and “game addiction.”

Borries, Friedrich von, Matthias Bottger, and Steffen P. Walz. 2007. Space Time Play: Computer Games, Architecture and Urbanism : The Next Level. Berlin: Burkhauser Verlag AG.

The authors illustrate how the revolution of the computer and video gaming age are changing the lives of people today. The authors have compiled a great selection of writings regarding the process of altering our perception of reality and virtuality. There are several selections articulating issues related to game players’ ability to discern real and imaginary spaces, such as “Creating Alternate Realities” and “Life is Not a Game.” These writings will help to support my thesis that online gaming and technology diffusion has indeed impacted society’s male youths. Another crucial aspect this book covers is found in the “Competing Metagame Space,” where the chapter specifically communicates the seriousness of online gaming, namely Starcraft, in Korea.

This book was found through the Gleeson Library online catalog when I searched the keywords: “Korea” and “online gaming.”

Ess, Charles and Fay Sudweeks. 2001. Culture, Technology, Communication. Albany: State University of New York.

Focusing on theoretical approaches and case studies, the authors of this book offer insightful perspectives on the ideas of culture, communication, and technology as it discusses cultural values and technological communication of today’s modern society. The authors have gathered sources from diverse cultural domains to investigate the relation between cultural values and communicative preferences with respect to genders. This book is another compilation of analytical essays that examine how technology diffusion has affected local cultures. In the chapter, “Culture, Computer Literacy, and Media,” the study focuses on the statistics of Korean computer users and how the media influences people to utilize it to its utmost extent. This chapter entertains a possible idea why people in Korea are heavily absorbed in computer usage.

This book was found through the Gleeson Library online catalog when I searched the keywords: “Korea,” “technology,” and “culture.”

Huhh, Jun-sok, 2007. “PC Bang Inc.: The Culture and Business of PC Bangs in Korea.” SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=975171 (accessed Oct. 20, 2010).

Huhh’s article analyzes the rapid increase of PC bangs in Korea with two main focus points: firstly, to study PC bangs as a social space, and secondly, to explain the emergence of the business as a result of becoming a popular social space. He explores the idea that PC bangs cultivate the online gaming culture and includes case studies to support his understanding. His section, “The Game of the Bang: The Emergence of PC Bangs from Convenient Connectivity to a Dedicated Gaming Place,” is essential to my research as it articulates the important issue of transformation of the online gaming culture. This particular section will help explicate the high number of online gamers in Korea and how consumers of the PC bangs developed.

This article was obtained through the Social Science Research Network with the keywords: “Korea” and “gaming culture.”

Rossignol, Jim. 2008. This Gaming Life: Travels in Three Cities. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.

This book shows Rossignol’s personal encounters in three cities: London, Seoul, and Reykjavik, where gaming has changed the lives of its players. Rossignol, who explains that his obsession with a video game got him fired from his previous job, writes from not only his own experiences, but global gamers’ as well, demonstrating that gaming is not just a leisure activity, but rather a significant part of people’s lives. The chapter “A Gamer’s World,” explicates how gaming in Korea has become a culture through its social venues and players. Here, we learn how internet cafés, in a sense, exploit the cultural phenomenon which in turn promotes the revolution of online gaming in social venues.

This book was found through the Gleeson Library online catalog when I searched the keywords: “Korea,” “gaming,” and “culture.”

Russell, Mark James. 2008. Pop Goes Korea: Behind the Revolution in Movies, Music, and Internet Culture. Berkeley: Stone Bridge Press.

Writing from his twelve years in Korea, Russell incorporates his personal gaming and traveling experience into a fascinating book where he explores the exponential growth of technological change and dispersion in Korea. As his writing has appeared in many major publications, such as Newsweek, The New York Times, he is truly clever in depicting his thoughts and ideas into words very descriptively. The anecdotes do not merely tell stories of his travels, but also persuades the reader how the technology implemented influences the local cultures. Though the book is based on his experiences in Korea, Russell supports his opinions and statements with critical statistics and engaging analyses.

This book was also found through the Gleeson Library online catalog when I searched the keywords: “Korea,” “gaming,” and “culture.”

Shim, Theresa Youn-ja. 2008. Changing Korea: Understanding Culture and Communication, edited by Min-Sun Kim and Judith N. Martin. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.

Full of intriguing empirical case studies, this book insightfully articulates the transformation of the Korean culture through communication and technology. Like Russell’s Pop Goes Korea: Behind the Revolution in Movies, Music, and Internet Culture, Shim’s book also integrates analyses and research to support the ideas presented. Chapter Four’s “In-Group in Contemporary Korean Society,” is particularly valuable to my research as the chapter analyzes the grouping of people in today’s society with respect to the newly developed cyber community. This reinforces the my idea that the advancement in technology today has created a revolutionary social culture in Korean youths today.

This book was recommended by my professor, Dr. Lauren Mallas. It was retrieved through the Gleeson Library online catalog.

Stewart, K. & Choi, H-P. 2003. “PC-Bang (Room) Culture; A Study of Korean College Students’ Private and Public Use of Computers and the Internet.” Trends in Communication 11(1), 61-77.

Stewart and Choi conduct a study of Korean college students’ usage of the internet based on 291 students from University of Ulsan. They discuss the differences of genders when students select a space to access the internet. Like Huhh’s study, Stewart’s and Choi’s research also illustrates that the PC bang has indeed become a social networking game room for the young people, namely males. This article is significant in my research as they not only explore the trends of the male gamers through case studies, but also include statistics to solidify their findings and opinions. Another integral aspect of their article encompasses the issue of gaming addiction and the problems it causes society, which supports Ahn’s and Park’s idea of online gaming becoming an obsession for some of its users.

This article was found through Google with the keywords: “Korea” and “internet culture.”