As we reported last month, an investigation has uncovered widespread corruption in the upper echelons of Korea’s pro gaming circuit, with many of the nation’s top gamers accused of throwing matches in exchange for cash.
Eleven “athletes” are currently under investigation for throwing eleven matches between 2006 and 2008, with illegal gambling cartels handing the players between USD$1,760-5,730 as “compensation” for losing a match most would have expected – and bet on them – to win.
In addition to the gamers, three online gambling companies are also under investigation, after it’s emerged that they had not only brokered the deals, but had been operating a “training institute for professional gamer hopefuls”, which doubled as a recruitment hub for fixing matches.
If you’re not familiar with how big a deal this is for Korean gaming – and Korea in general – take a look below at the kind of crowds a Starcraft match can attract.
StarCraft players indicted for game fixing [Korea Times][image credit]
Zachary Keeping
Monday, May 17, 2010 at 6:04 PMStarcraft is serious business
lcb
Monday, May 17, 2010 at 6:14 PMYup, it is an industry within itself. As big as football, handegg and any other sport.
Big business.
Dominic Davies
Monday, May 17, 2010 at 6:42 PMWell.. Not as big as Football.
Cymelion
Monday, May 17, 2010 at 7:32 PM“Well.. Not as big as Football.”
Do you mean Soccer?
lcb
Monday, May 17, 2010 at 7:38 PMLol i mean within their country, we might need to look up statistics. Maybe kotaku should look up how starcraft compares as a sport with the more traditional sort in terms of the gdp it generates
Joshy206
Monday, May 17, 2010 at 6:11 PMI must be pretty into RTS’ too… that aerial screenshot makes me want to control the Korean people.
Right click-Sport-Throw Match
Darius
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 10:28 AMlolol
Needs A New Username
Monday, May 17, 2010 at 6:39 PMToo many nerds: Spawn more social lives
Darius
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 10:31 AMyes!
this article inspires all kinds of awesome
Thermal Ions
Monday, May 17, 2010 at 6:41 PM“with illegal gambling cartels handing the players between USD$1,760-5,730 as “compensation””
Those players were getting ripped off. For sure the cartels were making bucket loads more than that measly amount. Unless of course the “bonus compensation” was not having your fingers / hand / arm / legs broken.
Strand0410
Monday, May 17, 2010 at 8:07 PMA little background from someone who still plays SC:BW, follows pro and star leagues and got into the beta.
A progamer’s career is finite. 24 years is considered ‘over the hill’ and then there’s Korea’s compulsory military service, which is often the end of a career as it lasts 2 years and prevents a player from practising or keeping up with new developments. Work for a progamer once he’s lost his touch is also bleak. The few lucky ones will be hired as coaches or commentators while most will just have the money they earned to keep them company.
Additionally, many are teens who are just very, very good at the game and support their families. The player in the picture is from Hwaseung Oz, a notoriously cheap team that pays their Ace (Jaedong) 200k USD a year, little more than half other players of his calibre. Due to non-free agent rules in esports, a player is ‘locked’ in their team unless another is willing to go double. When Jaedong’s contract was about to be renewed, not a single team bid on him. With a team that worked him like a horse, and unwilling to find new talent to support him, what does he owe Oz? Hell, they traded the few promising ones to competitors once they showed talent. If the temptation exists for S-class players like Jaedong, I’m not surprised at all to find out that the bulk of the implicated players are ‘average’ progamers.
I’m not condoning their actions. If anything, they’ve let their fans down. Fans who tuned into their games to see their heroes play, not knowing that the outcome was already decided, and covered with crocodile tears. But you can’t demonise their actions. If you were a progamer whose days were numbered and shady men offered you 5 grand to throw a game, wouldn’t you at least consider it?