The BBC, via Magnoy’s Samsara, reveals what South Korean players of massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGS) look like behind their avatars.:

Seang Rak Choi is Uroo Ahs

“Choi is a professor of public policy and law. His character Uroo Ahs buys and sells item in the game world, even when he isn’t there, running on scripts he writes for her.

He makes spreadsheets analysing different variables within the game and believes that using a little girl avatar helps in negotiations.

So far he’s amassed game items worth 150m Adena, the virtual currency in the game.” (Robbie Cooper)

AsiaPundit doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with having a male law professor choosing to adopt a female avatar - I’ve had professors with odder fetishes. But AP probably wouldn’t want to spend too much time around Choi. Bae Kyun-Eun, however, is another matter.:

Bae Kyun-Eun is Persia

Photojournalist Robbie Cooper captured images of gamers and their real-life selves. Here are their stories.

“Bae plays a man because she thinks that male avatars have more charisma, she wants to ‘project strength’, and all the ‘masters’ in the game have male avatars.

She says if she had to play the game alone she wouldn’t bother.

Initially, she was attracted to it because she thought it looked beautiful, but the social element has become part of her life. Her guild meets up regularly.”

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