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People who play for a lifetime game: Chinese professional game players past and present

2025-01-27 12:34:19|Myriagame |source:minecraft skins

In a large but dirty apartment in the center of Shanghai, five young people sat there to play computer games.Except for the buzz of the computer and the continuous keyboard knocking, the room was very quiet when it was often.These players were wearing headphones and sitting lazily on the shabby office chair.A short -chip player PDD (Liu Mou, IG professional player in the League of Legends, the game competition commentary) is the most words of these people.When he, he leaned and covered his face with his blue shirt.

As a professional player in the League of Legends (referred to as LOL), in the early twenties, they are relatively large in the same generation.In this competitive online game, the fictional character, known as the "hero", is a dazzling male and female on a unreal battlefield.The purpose of this game is to destroy the enemy's base through a series of complex actions that include teamwork, game strategies, mouse and keyboard flexible use.The reward of the game is real, because the players of the winner will receive a huge cash award.

These "network soldiers" of the famous IG game club (InvicTus Gaming Club "live and train together in this dirty apartment. They are not typical among the Chinese people in their age.But their story reflects how exciting and dreaming how the beautiful new world created by China's rapid economic development and technological progress is.From different places, they have different economic backgrounds. They gather in Shanghai because of "e -sports" or "digital competition".Like thousands of other Chinese people, these players and organizers are chasing their dreams in a way that their parents are almost incomprehensible.

In the live broadcast of the Katovitz in March last year, the five e -sports players fought against the FNATIC team from London.Sponsored by Intel and other computer software companies, this four -day event provides a $ 60,000 bonus for the LOL champion team (other StarCraft 2 teams compete for $ 100,000 bonuses).In the arena, each team member, every team member, wearing a unified sports suit or T -shirt, sitting calmly in front of a computer and clicking the mouse and hit the keyboard.The audience watched the game on the huge screen.

Four minutes after the start of the game, PDD's hero Shivana (Long Blood Wu Ji) was defended by throwing a crystal bullet (Dragon Girl's E skill) from the soldiers.In other parts of the map, when the FNATIC defense tower is killing the soldiers (spraying purple fireballs) under the tower, IG's other hero Hammer Stone puts his chain (Q skill, hitting the enemy hero, causing dizziness))The Eternal Dream of the Enemy's Wing Demon, which stretches to the enemy, has caused a fatal blow.The blood volume of eternal dreams drops to zero and becomes a ray of blue smoke. At this time, the screen shows "the first drop of blood!".In the chaos of 20 seconds, the screen showed a dazzling flight missile, and then the enemy's heroes Lulu were surrounded by two heroes of IG.One of the players who were swimming (Kid) manipulated a hero named Venn, shot a poisonous arrow to Lulu, and killed her in a bloody, long -lasting explosion."Children killed Lulu!" A European who was explained at the scene shouted.

IG club

The founder of the IG club is China's real estate and movie tycoon, Wang Sicong, the son of Wang Jianlin, one of the richest people in China.IG's young people fought for the love of the game and for money.Part of the capital of this club comes from Wang Sicong, but also enjoyed the company's corporate sponsorship of computer accessories manufacturers and ASUS, a computer manufacturer ASUS.IG Club pays 4,000-5000 yuan (about $ 650-800) to players a month, and eats and controls it.In addition, players can make a lot of money in the awards of Chinese or foreign live games.In 2012, the club's DOTA2 (another widely popular online game) branch shared the jackpot of $ 1 million in Seattle.The hope of more rewards is beckoning; last July, a Chinese team called Newbee won a reward of $ 5 million in the same event.

IG's manager Zhu Songge, I told him to Lucien, he told me that one of their players and children made 400,000 yuan (about 64,000 US dollars) last year, which is a huge amount for a 16 -year -old boy from Henan.After all, Henan's per capita disposable income is only 5%of children.The child (real name Ge Yan) bought a house for his parents with this money.The simple and clumsy appearance of the child is completely different from the radicals he showed in the game. This radical led their team to use the accurate and effective "stone bow" or even "phosphorus bomb" to sweep the enemy and win.

Only a small part of the most skillful people can live in this way.Lucien estimates that there are about 50 League of Legends professional clubs in China, and 10 to 15 are in Shanghai; each club has about 5 players.The excellence and success of professional e -sports have attracted its audience and star players from a huge and uncertain subculture group.There is a person who has a good pay like a child, and thousands of game lovers just like to play games.Many of them are unable to control their own players, spending a lot of time in this unreal world full of adventure, fantasy and violence.These habits are not advisable and worrying in most parents, teachers and authorities.Far away from Shanghai, in a city in Wuhan, central China, 17 -year -old Zehao told the struggle between him and the magical game by phone (for him, this game is a popular first -angle shooting game.Called through the fire line)."I was too addicted to the Internet in the past, and I couldn't help myself at all," he said."Sometimes I don't go home for a few days (in an Internet cafe). Sometimes I still have the idea of ​​hitting my parents or scolding them. Now I feel guilty about this."

Tao Hongkai, a professor at Wuhan Huazhong Normal University, is a consultant of an Internet addiction patient. This young man is his student.His task is probably the opposite of Lucien's task: guiding those who entrust them to him to stay away from online games."I am giving them classes now," he said before the phone was given to Wang."There are dozens of children with Internet addiction. One of the children often skip classes because of the game and do not go home. So his parents brought him to this. After taking my class, he realized that he had to change himThe practice, because if he has been playing like this, he will destroy himself.

Chinese game industry

China's game industry is huge.Its network population is increasing by tens of millions of people each year, including those with an estimated 147 million core online game players, which cost $ 13 billion in 2013.In the process, they fatted some companies, such as Shenzhen Tencent -the boss of the American publisher in the League of Legends, and the world's largest game company.

The game celebrities have good income, and the small and famous status and rewards make them career.There is such a player named Liu Hongjun, and the game is called "Kitties".He is from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. At the age of 21, he smiled easy -to -smile, and he was casual but kind.As a graduate of the preparatory course of the medical school, he originally planned to be a doctor, but when he realized that he liked games so much, he chose to change his career.At that time, he sold medicines in a pharmaceutical company and paid 500 yuan (about $ 80) a month.He began to play League of Legends in free time, and soon hit a high level, which made a game team in Chengdu notice him.The team recruited him and gave him a salary of 2,000 yuan in the first month.Before joining IG, he worked in another team for a while.

His exquisite tower building ability and monsters to kill monsters made him little fame; he also participated in the passing of the Olympic torch during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Kitties did not reveal his secrets to his parents until he could make money to support himself.His elder father and mother who worked in the factory was very satisfied with his current work.Other people in his hometown also support him. After all, he makes more money, but it is difficult for Kitties to understand how he make money.How can he explain to the elderly relatives in the small cities in central China to explain multiplayer online tactical competitive games?

Li Xiaofeng, or Sky, a famous former professional player, his success is more difficult.In the 1990s, as a middle school student, Li Xiaofeng often skipped the class to play games, which affected his achievements.In order to punish him, his father locked him in the room and pumped him with a belt.

He gradually learned to use his talents in the e -sports field to make a profit, and became the leader of Chinese players in the strategy game Planet 3.Data from the website Esportsearnings.com show that Sky won more than $ 230,000 award bonus from 2005 to 2012.His exquisite tower building ability and monsters to kill monsters made him little fame; he also participated in the passing of the Olympic torch during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"(In China) is not to say that my child is going to be a professional player.I said that when I met in Shanghai."People discuss how Sky, a bad child, spends all the time on the Internet cafes, and then he has become an e -sports hero. Now he is very good. We all like him very much.Player -this is not a good way. "" "."

Conflict with education

In a country where social liquidity is closely connected with academic success, most parents want to see their children studying rather than exercising game skills, which is understandable.Compared to the rare occupation of e -sports players with salary, it is more likely to achieve high scores in the college entrance examination in the highly competitive national university entrance examination.But no matter which goal is pursuing, you need to give it all.When Chinese professional players are asked how to do e -sports, Marcera observes that they usually recommend to complete their studies first."It's like an official statement," she said."Because no one completes his studies first and then starts to play games. Good players may perform well in school."

Ironically, the harsh education system and the pressure on young people in China have helped promote the popularity of online games."In fact, this comes from Internet cafes culture, but this is not the case in the United States," when it comes to e -sports culture in South Korea and China (Chinese video games are not lifted in 2014, and the American e -sports originated from TVGame), Marcera explained."And I think that on this issue, the education systems of China and South Korea are quite strict, which has made these Internet cafes prevail. There are no many extra -curricular activities in the school. They are concentrated on college entrance tests."

Of course, parents' concerns about excessive games are not just that it affects children's achievements.Authorities expressed concern about the social and psychological influence of large online games.China is one of the first batch of psychiatric labels to "Internet addiction", and it has become hundreds of official or unofficial repair centers to treat compulsory Internet behaviors, including harsh training camps, in the training camp, in the training campChildren cannot use computers and participate in military practice.

In a country that is still sensitive to opium addiction in the nineteenth century, the word "electronic heroin" still has a special response.

In 2007, Beijing promulgated the new law to register with the real name or ID number by gamers and other network users.China forced operators to install a "fatigue system". Players under the age of 18 played less than half a three -hour score and five hours were directly reduced to zero.At the same time, a temporary Internet cafe admission ban was forcibly implemented.

In a country that is still sensitive to the catastrophic addicted to the nineteenth century, "Electronic Heroin", which is often used to describe online games, still has a special response.Studies have shown that online game addiction may lead to changes in nerve changes that can be observed like drug users, including harm to dopamine reward systems, which have increased their concerns.

National media reports that there are more than 24 million young people in China that are addicted to Internet addiction. Officials use this figure to explain many disasters in this country: the unable to use the Internet that cannot be used as the main as a mental illness, moral corruption, and even juvenile crimesreason.In 2005, an outstanding judge in Beijing estimated that 90%of young people crimes were related to Internet addiction. Teacher Tao in Wuhan also cited similar numbers.Regardless of whether these worrying remarks make sense, indulgence games are obviously a problem for those who have been disturbed or destroyed by their lives.News reports about people died for a few days of games that people died in a few days implied that possible problems, just like a Chinese media report last July that a young unmarried couple sold their two children to the dealers, so thatLet them buy virtual items in the game.

"Scientists have found that playing computer games for a long time ... may cause young people to get out of control," Teacher Tao told me."This is why some people would rather play games without eating or go home. There are more than 20 students who have this problem here -they do not go home and quarrel with their parents, some people even hit them." In another dialogueMr. Zhong Tao said that Internet addiction is "the number one problem for all families and schools."

Of course, it is difficult for experts like Marcera to push all the problems to online games.She questioned the relationship between the so -called game and the crime of adolescents: "I think this is a real word in the Chinese media. In fact, there are too many young people who are online gamers or they also play games.So, of course, if they trace each game for each game, they will find these correlations.

"I don't deny that some children have bad behaviors in the game," she added."I disagree with the word Internet addiction, but I have played with children who have been playing with 72 hours except to the toilet. I ca n’t afford to talk. This is indeed a problem."

People who play for a lifetime

Observing the members of IG trained in the apartment, I wondered what the teenagers who took them and those who ran to participate in the Internet addiction training camp were different.These players stay in front of the computer for 12 to 14 hours every day to sharpen their technology.They were so focused that I found that most of them were even on the rest day -Sunday stared at the computer screen, only playing LOL.PDD, wearing headphones, basically ignored his girlfriend. Whether she came to take some computer accessories or brought him some "I will play games for a lifetime," once he said to me."I think I will never stop." However, after all, playing games requires the strong support and spiritual dedication of the body; and in the past few times I came, I didn’t see all all all I saw all of them.What happened."We are young, we like sports," Lucien said while eating with me, Vivian, a girlfriend of e -sports commentator, and me, and Marcera."We like basketball, football. We like karaoke. We don't stare at our computer every day." Lucien said IG was going to swim the next day."You can treat us as a football club -the same."

The rise of a strong team like IG also illustrates why the government of the same fight for Internet addiction has regarded e -sports as an official competition since 2003.National organizations help operations or sponsor some game events, such as the annual World E -sports Competition, which was launched in Kunshan, China in 2012 and 2013.China's State Sports Administration even has an office office that monitor the development of e -sports culture.

This kind of approach to online games is contradictory, but it has its own strange logic.Multiple online tactical competitive games (MOBA) such as LOL and DOTA2 (two e -sports names in China), and the real -time strategy game (RTS) that has an end of the StarCraft (RTS) is considered to be like World of Warcraft.Large multi -player online role -playing games (MMORPGS), which has been playing continuously, is completely different and even more legal."Generally, the most harmful and most addictive games are these large multi -player online role -playing games without an end," Marcera said."These games have no purpose, as if they enter the channel for young people to enter this virtual fantasy world. A gaming game usually lasts 20-40 minutes." Of course, she added that this can not stop someone from like like one after another after another.As smoking, playing continuously after another.

More importantly, the Chinese government has learned that it does not hinder the development of the prosperous industry.Clubs like IG are a standard for China's new economy to some extent, because it is more like a new technology company, not the home with problems with problems with problems.The thin, young Lucien is a glory and professional face in the club. He handles IG things, maintains and supervise the relationship between the relationship and the sponsors and supervise these players and coaches.As a graduate of the Fudan University Law School in Shanghai, he opened a legal company before changing his job.The term Lucien speaks for any young entrepreneur or ambitious professionals in the West (or China, in this respect).He wants to help develop the emerging e -sports industry in China. He believes that the e -sports industry is more promising than its novelty and rapid development than law.Lucien hopes to open a school, and players in the school can train and take cultural courses at the same time.

After 22 or 23, the player's response speed and the collaboration ability of the eyes have dropped rapidly, and they have to retire.

The club's LOL coach, 26 -year -old Snow, is very kind, and is also a white -collar struggler.Snow sits behind the solo table behind the training room, wearing a large blue ear wearing headset, and the headset emits blue light from time to time.When the team was trained, he recorded their game on the computer; then, they gathered at the table to watch the video and get the feedback.

Wearing a shirt and a messy hair, Snow spoke very lightly, but expressed his game quickly and clearly, indicating that he thought a lot.After graduating from university studying industrial engineering, he took risks to enter the financial industry; he opened a store on Taobao -a large e -commerce platform in China to exchange foreign currency exchange, but found that he was not really suitable for this job.

In 2013, another job opportunity appeared in front of the IG fan SNOW: Although it is a bit old for professional participation (after 22 or 23, the player's response speed and the ability of the eyes and hands have dropped rapidly, they have to retire), he decided to decide, he decided to decideTry to be a coach.Together with management and selection players, the coach is quite common for former professional players who have passed the "shelf life", and it is also a choice for games like Snow."Basically, I tried different methods to improve the team, but I found that these players were very talented and had their own ideas," SNOW told me."I think if I impose my thoughts to them and tell them how to do it, it will damage their understanding of the game ... I can not interfere with them during the training, and I let them use their talents, my whole body and mindPlay games.For them, e -sports provides mediums for those ambitious dreams in many options that are expanding.It is possible to become a star on one day.