23 Jul 2003 10:40
A Korean games maker has created an online hit that's got millions in Asia hooked and left at least one set of politicians unamused.
Ragnarok Online has become so popular that last month it prompted Thai authorities to prohibit players from enjoying the game past bedtime.
The game was created by Korea-based Gravity Interactive. A "massive multiplayer online role-playing game" or "MMORG", such games are played over the Internet and can support millions of users globally.
To cope with such demanding real-time multiplayer requirements, MMORGS typically have large data centres in multiple locations worldwide, backed by smaller in-country servers.
Seeded some months ago as a free beta for gamers with support for several Asian languages, the game's popularity grew, and when a monthly subscription fee system kicked in, players in Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan and Singapore gladly paid up.
Helped by rising Internet penetration rates, and the proliferation of broadband and Internet gaming cafes in the region, the game's popularity has skyrocketed. In Japan, Ragnarok Online has a following of over 200,000 while in Thailand, the number of registered users totals almost 700,000. Gravity did not provide user statistics for other Asian countries.
According to market research firm IDC, the popularity of Internet gaming in Asia has even topped online buying. In countries like China and Malaysia, IDC said the number of online gamers now outnumber online shoppers by a ratio of two to one.
Of heroes and heroines
Ragnarok Online shares its theme and style of gameplay with popular online PC games such as EverQuest and Diablo, a genre dubbed "heroinware" by some gamers.
To begin their quest, users first have to register with their local Ragnarok operators to obtain usernames and passwords. This allows consumers to download a program to run the game and log on to one of its multiple servers.
The basics of Ragnarok Online are simple. Players begin as a novice and wander through imaginary lands to gain experience points and valued items by killing monsters. They can also interact with others in real time though a chat screen and work as teams. After gaining enough experience, players can then upgrade skills and join one of six job classes -- archers, acolytes, merchants, thieves, magicians and swordsmen.
Gamers can also sell hoarded artifacts to merchants in exchange for currency, which can be used to purchase weapons and magical potions to aid their quest.
The game currently has an open-ended goal and the basic objective is to upgrade a player's avatar to the highest level possible, with 99 being the cap.
A double-edged sword
Ragnorak Online' rise to fame in Asia has not been without hiccups. In the initial stages of beta testing, gamers often complained of major bugs and the inability to support a large user pool.
In June last year, the game's server was also hacked into and user identities and passwords of registered players were leaked onto the Internet. Gravity at first responded by rolling the game's data back two days and compensated gamers for the "time warp" with extra experience points and items.
To the dismay of stranded players, the firm eventually shut down its servers to repair the damage. Despite the teething pains, supporters of Ragnarok Online argue that the game has triggered a positive chain reaction.
In countries like Thailand, where computer ownership is relatively low, Internet cafés and gaming centres have sprouted up and operators have reported a significant revenue boom from Ragnorak Online's growing popularity.
Avid gamers say the game has also improved their computer skills and familiarity with the Internet. However, the game has also spawned a "black market" where users can now sell their virtual weapons and characters for cash.
The Thai authorities and some parents feel that the negative impact of Ragnorak Online far outweighs its pros.
Concerned with the popularity of the game among youths, who play at the expense of sleep and studies, Thai authorities last week instituted a ban on online games from 10 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Under the ban, both local and overseas game servers, including those running Ragnarok Online, will be blocked from 15 July to 30 September. Thai officials said the restriction could be extended and it is also mulling a registration system so users cannot profit from playing online games.
According to Dr. Maressa Hecht Orzack, director of Computer Addiction Services at Harvard University-affiliated McLean hospital in the US, the social aspect is a primary factor in most cases of game addiction.
"Many of these people are lonely; have never felt like they belonged," she said. "People get a sense of belonging in the game. In some cases, it provides the only friends they interact with," she told CNETNews.com in a previous interview.
In addition, psychologists point to the nature of goals and achievements in most RPG games as the other contributor to the problem. As in Ragnarok Online, players are required to build up their characters. It is common for gamers to become subconsciously hooked onto a relentless pursuit to upgrade their avatars, experts say.
Given the complexity of game addiction, it remains to be seen whether the Thai government can curb this issue through tough legislation. However, initial results seem to suggest their efforts could well be futile, as irate gamers in the country are simply turning to other activities such as clubbing and LAN (Local Area Network) games to fill the void.
News.com's David Becker contributed to this report.
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