A network gamer concentrates on vanquishing his foes at Virgo game centre. Pic: Lwin Maung Maung

FOR Mg Nay Lin Zaw, a high school student from downtown Yangon, network computer game centres provide the only relief from a daily routine that includes long hours at school, private tuition and scheduled study periods that never seem to end.

Whenever he has a small gap of time between studies, he rushes to the network centre near his home to relax as he plays computer games like Counter-Strike, Age of Empires or Championship Manager.

“I spend most of my pocket money on network gaming. Sometimes, there’s nothing left for snacks and I even have to borrow from friends,” said the lean 15 year old. “My parents don’t say anything because they gave me the right to manage my money how I like. They don’t stop me because I’m not doing anything immoral.”

Mg Nay Lin Zaw is only one of a growing number of middle-class urban teenagers who are obsessed with network games. They have replaced home-based TV games in popularity as advanced technology has prompted the development of three-dimensional graphic interfaces and now allows multiple players from remote locations to play against one another.

Players gather at game centres throughout Yangon and pay an hourly fee to log onto a computer and join in the fun.

A typical example is Virgo game centre in Sanchaung township, where teenagers and 20-something males, and even a few middle-aged men, pay K300 an hour to play. While most only come for two or three hours at a time, some stay for up to 10 hours.

“I became crazy about network games when I was 16 and now I play on a regular basis,” said one Virgo customer, 20-year-old Ko Aung Kyaw Soe. “My parents are neither negative nor positive about my obsession but they always tell me not to stay at game centres too late.”

He said he prefers network games to home computer games because the centre has a cheerful atmosphere and all his friends can participate.

“I’ve played four to six hours a day since I finished matriculation but I don’t feel bad about the time or money I spend because you can’t put a price on the satisfaction I get from it,” he said.

Another player, Ko Htet Win Lwin, also claims not to regret the time he has spent playing network games even though he blames his short-sightedness on the countless hours he has spent in front of computer screens since childhood.

“I’ll keep playing network games even after I’m married and become a father,” he said.

Ko Htet Win Lwin insisted that playing computer games was not a waste of time as it has helped him become familiar with computer and network interfaces and has increased his typing rate. He added that he thought shooting games like Counter-Strike helps hone quick-thinking skills, while strategy games like Age of Mythology improve the player’s creativity and intelligence.

“Games like Age of Empires are also based on real historical events, so they help me learn historical facts that are hard to memorise in the classroom,” Mg Nay Lin Zaw said.

The gamers also agreed that adult fears about players taking the violence from the games out into the streets were unfounded.

“I’m happy to see my enemies get stuck to death while I’m playing the games, but I won’t bring such violence into the real world because killing goes against my commitment as a Buddhist,” Mg Nay Lin Zaw said.

Far from promoting violence, players said the games provided an outlet to ensure that the pressures of life were relieved in a safe and constructive manner.

“Adults aren’t the only ones who suffer from depression or stress – students have these problems too,” said Mg Thein Tun Zaw, a second-year computer science student. “If I have a quarrel with my girlfriend or I’m under pressure from a difficult school assignment, I can go to a gaming centre and expel my displeasure by blowing up virtual enemies.”

While the parents of some game-obsessed teenagers are not always thrilled at the pursuits of their children, many say that spending their time and money at network gaming centres is better than toying with drugs, alcohol or gambling.

“My son is addicted to playing network games, leaving home for the gaming centre in the morning and coming home at night during holidays,” said U Myint Lwin, who in his younger days was selected to play for the Yangon Division football team.

“I understand his obsession because when I was a kid I was crazy about playing football, but I would rather see him playing a game that made him sweat instead of just straining his eyes,” he said.