#CareerBytes: You can now learn how to play video games
What's the story
Interestingly, there are several academies coming up around Seoul, which teach professional gaming to children. The eSports industry has grown around $13 billion. Naturally, in a gaming-crazy environment of South Korea, kids have started dreaming about money and glory in gaming. As a result, these cram schools are popping up. Most of them use pro gamers to conduct classes on gaming techniques and attitudes.
Gaming academy
What are these gaming academies like?
GameCoach Academy is one of the more popular gaming schools. It specializes in three eSports favorites- League of Legends, Overwatch and PUBG. There are around 120 aspiring gamers in the school. The teachers are hipster millennials and pro gamers. The hallways have bright lights, glossy certificates, and K-Pop music. The trainers teach playing techniques, gaming courtesies and how to handle pressure.
Gaming culture
The culture of gaming in South Korea
Professional gaming caught on in South Korea like wildfire and quite a few top gamers are from here. There are ESPN like channels, which cast StarCraft and PUBG matches around the clock. Gaming pros gain recognition and are often sought out for autographs by fans at gaming festivals. Notably, former StarCraft champion Lim Yo-hwan still makes more than a hundred thousand dollars a year.
Quote
Gaming, as a career, still needs convincing
Despite the opportunities in gaming, parents are not easily convinced. One parent says, "It wasn't an easy decision. But Min-ji wanted this more than anything he'd ever wished for...definitely better than seeing our kid seclude himself in a cyber-cafe and harbor a grudge against us."