CFP: Counterstrike in Central Asia
The Central Asia Democracy Project is issuing a call for papers on the popularity in Central Asia of Counterstrike. (Note for all retired gamers like me: it’s the Half-Life add-on, not the Command and Conquer sequel, as I had originally thought - the latter would have been really interesting from a historical perspective.) The game must tax the feeble computers at the Internet cafes, about half of which are used by kids playing it. Yet despite what must be incredibly poor ping numbers (do they still use that measurement?) they still play it. Why CounterStrike? Does it reflect some characteristic of the under-15 generation in Central Asia or is it an element of globalization that has reached even the back roads of the Tien Shan mountains? Email me with answers; if there are any logical or interesting explanations, I’ll post them here.
The computers in Almaty cybercafes are, for the most part, hardly feeble. Asus and other Asian manufacturers ship parts for computers to Kazakhstan and other countries in the region where they are assembled by local companies. It is quite possible to get hardware with cutting edge specifications for prices less than or on a par with the West, and many young men I know will gladly save up for months to buy the latest ATI or nVidia video cards to play new games.
Some cafes still cater to clients that need Internet access and a place to print documents, but there are also plenty that cater specifically to gaming. Samsung has even opened one they specifically call a gaming center (in the same building as the Gros supermarket on the corner of Satpaev and Lenina).
On a summer afternoon it is not unusual to see 20-30 young men sitting at terminals, wearing headphones, and playing CounterStrike 1.6.
Comment by narcogen — July 19, 2005 @ 4:21 am