Problems with Internet Cafes and Online Games in Taiwan :: Computers

Problems with net Cafes and Online Games in Taiwan Asian countries have never been unfamiliar with bid software. From the very beginning when Japanese companies developed mingled game councils, Asian countries, such as Hong Kong and Taiwan, became large markets for computer and video games. In addition to the spread of gaming system technology in Asia, countries corresponding Taiwan, China, and South Korea that have abundant labor resources have developed sufficient, but inexpensive computer components and software in recent decades. Online games have existed in Asia since more(prenominal) than a decade ago, but did not come to the mainstream of software development until early 1997. Online games became mainstream with the introduction of the Internet caf. Although some reports show that the appearance of Internet caf and online games seems to boost the development of computer software design in Taiwan and increase the revenue for several computer component companies, it bri ngs new social problems. There exists a management crisis of the cafs, and censorship or copyright problems with software. While the Taiwanese government is trying to eliminate the problems by putting more restraints on this modern business, it in any case has the dilemma not to violate peoples freedoms and rights. In this paper, I will first discuss Internet cafs in Taiwan and the famous (or infamous) online game known as Heaven. Then, I will present some ethical issues brought about by this new high-tech business and the opinions voiced regarding the pros and cons of the political regulations. Finally, I will also discuss my points of view concerning to this matter. In 1997, the South Korean government, in an attempt to stimulate the growth of its economy, encouraged the development of online gaming software. In order to accommodate gamers, the Internet caf, which originated in England, became one of the most profitable businesses in South Korea. According to Business Weekly , there were around quaternion thousand Internet cafs in South Korea in the year 1999, but the number has mushroomed to twenty thousand in the year 2000. Moreover, the estimated revenue for Internet cafs in South Korea by the year 2001 grew to $1.4 billion U.S. dollars. Due to the popularity of this modern business, the Taiwanese gaming industry decided to follow and develop online games. So far, there are around 8 million Internet users in Taiwan, and approximately 40% of them are gamers.