There is sport and strategy but no physical exertion - the world's first cyber Olympics started today with 389 players from 37 countries competing for 300,000 dollars in prize money.
While the Olympics Games aim to go faster, higher stronger, the five day World Cyber Games will produce champions in the computer online games of FIFA 2001, Quake 3, Starcraft, Unreal, Age of Empires II and Counter Strike.
Hosted in the world's most Internet-crazy nation, even South Korea's President Kim Dae-Jung has recognised the importance of the event, the first official world games after a successful practice last year.
"Cyber games are a business with high added value, based on knowledge and cultural creativity. It also serves as a link that interconnects young people of the world," President Kim said in an opening message.
Following elimination rounds, the winners of the cash prizes will be decided on December 9th.
South Korea, which has a professional Internet games championship, has the biggest contingent of 20 qualifiers.
South Korea leads Asia's Internet industry with home high-speed broadband usage at near saturation point. The number of internet users now stands at 24.1 million, or 56 per cent of the population.
AFP