Starcraft Is Life

South Korea's love of computer gaming is well-documented. Starcraft matches are contested between pros with big-time corporate sponsors on three different TV channels. Crowds show up cheering for their favorite pro to beat some other guy who also doesn't date ... ever.

The game of choice thus far has been Starcraft. It came out in 1998, but South Koreans have been pounding it out ever since.

So people's worlds will be shifting now that Starcraft II has finally come out. There could be a lot of big changes in the pro circuit, as well. Anyone who ever wanted to be a video game pro might want to bone up on Starcraft II and get over here right away.

'About 90 percent of South Korean households are connected to high-speed broadband and the nation has some 25,000 internet cafes, which took in $600 million last year, according to government figures. The gaming market is expected to be worth $5.5 billion this year with a 17 percent growth rate, according to the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).

StarCraft II was first released Tuesday in South Korea and other Asian nations. The original game sold about 11 million copies worldwide .

While gamers in South Korea are lining up to get copies of the new title, StarCraft II could be a game changer in the country's professional circuit, Fields said.

"In StarCraft II, the leagues aren't established yet, they're all building up -- it's going to be huge, but we don't know how long it will take, how huge it will be, whether (existing teams) will be good at the game or not," Fields said.'

Check out the article here about the Earth-mover that is Starcraft II. There's even a video!