80GB PS3 launches in Korea
Those interested in checking out the launch party can see a gallery at Ruliweb here. Three hours prior to launch, the crowd isn't nearly as big as the console's release in other regions, but bear in mind South Korea gamers are not too keen on consoles, showing more fondness for MMOs, Starcraft and other titles playable at internet cafes. And to be fair, the crowd does grow to a respectable size at the zero hour.
[Via PS3 Fanboy, Forums]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
cc123 @ Jun 18th 2007 9:00PM
I was trying to create a Korean account but I wasn't able to get passed the Korean Social Security number part. It wouldn't accept the numbers my generator made.
Has anybody had any luck with this? I just wanna see what the VoD is like.
eldee @ Jun 18th 2007 9:08PM
ROFL.. look at all those empty chairs. It's little details like this that really make Sony look bad.
eldee @ Jun 18th 2007 9:10PM
I wish I could find a wider angle of this shot.. I wonder just how desolate that venue was.
Mr Khan @ Jun 18th 2007 9:11PM
@1
I'd just get a friend in South Korea who doesn't care about PS3, and knows that, as a foreigner, you can't rightly use it for much else...
Wierd that they pay less for more
cc123 @ Jun 18th 2007 9:16PM
No friends in South Korea and finding one that's gonna give me their SSN ain't gonna happen. =)
@eldee
Did you even read the post? By Korean standards I think the launch was actually successful.
Luigi193 @ Jun 18th 2007 9:28PM
Did in launch in North Korea, are games ALOUD in north korea??? Scary
konajinx @ Jun 18th 2007 9:29PM
Yes! Games might be quite noisy in North Korea, but whether or not video games are permitted is anyone's guess! Har har har.
mrnimblewick @ Jun 18th 2007 9:29PM
Imagine if Blizzard ported Starcraft to DS in Korea. Wow.
Justin U @ Jun 18th 2007 10:11PM
It'd be the single greatest Selling piece of machinery in the history of the world ever.
Long sentence.
jay @ Jun 18th 2007 10:36PM
More than Pokemon or Dragon Quest in Japan?
Ken @ Jun 18th 2007 10:45PM
jay
They celebrate StarCraft like it's a religion. So yeah, more than pokemon and DragonQuest... PUT TOGETHER!! *DUN DUN DUNNNNNN*
sheppy @ Jun 18th 2007 10:47PM
I think one of the main reasons why South Korea doesn't dig on consoles too much is, not too long ago, it wasn't even acknowledged as a gaming sector. In fact, only Sony has a division specifically catering to SK. It's an uphill battle. And keep in mind, DS dropped in that region in January of this year, and Wii still isn't out over there and it's looking like December before they get their first units.
Laurens Holst @ Jun 19th 2007 3:32AM
@1: Umm, I don’t think using an SSN generator is very legal -_-;;.
GoonieGooGoo @ Jun 19th 2007 4:15AM
After watching the South Korean gaming crazies on Discovery HD's GAMING GENERATION......it makes you understand why kids are dying in internet cafes.
I've been gaming my entire life since the ATARI 2600....and even to me their a bit nutso.
It really does boggle my mind that STARCRAFT is so popular its become a sport sport to them.
But I do agree with critics in it seems that while games are extremely popular....they are stuck in a phase of gaming from the mid-90s and haven't shown much evolution in their industry.
Then again....I don't really get NASCAR either.....
It was kinda bizarre to see how the Starcraft "Athletes" train and are housed.....it reminded me of that poor YO-YO team on The Simpsons...."GET IN THE VAN!!"
RCW @ Jun 19th 2007 7:50AM
@2. Maybe the chairs are empty because everyone is crowding around the stage troll.