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Korean Ragnarok and its Impact on Philippine Contemporary Culture1 Prof. Eloisa May P. Hernandez Department of Art Studies

INTRODUCTION Ragnarok, the massive multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG), developed by Gravity Corporation of Korea, is the most popular and the pioneering MMORPG in the Philippines. Level Up! Games (LUG) is the exclusive distributor of Philippine Ragnarok Online (pRO) 2 in the country. The study focuses on the impact of the Korean Ragnarok on Philippine contemporary culture. pROs almost ubiquitous presence in internet cafes, websites, television, national dailies, music, film, and other media proves and ensures its phenomenal popularity in Philippine daily life. But within the game itself, several issues abound such as virtual economy and virtual crimes, addiction, building online relationships, and gender bending. This paper is a preliminary study on the impact of pRO on Philippine contemporary culture. What values are acquired from playing the game? How is Korean culture received or rejected by Filipinos? How do they appropriate Korean culture through pRO? What are the implications of the issues surrounding Korean Ragnaroks assimilation in Philippine culture? I conducted an online survey as part of this research by posting the survey on pRO egroups, LUG message boards, and several players forum. I also sent the survey questionnaire to more than 250 former students from the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo de Manila University. As of today, there are about 30 respondents. To further substantiate my study, I also conducted personal and online interviews with pRO players through the Yahoo Messenger and pRO chat rooms. I visited several internet cafes to interact and observe players.
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The researcher would like to acknowledge the support of the Onofre D. Corpuz Professorial Chair for the conduct of this research. 2 pRO will be used to denote Philippine Ragnarok Online to differentiate it with Ragnarok in general

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WHAT IS RAGNAROK? Ragnarok3 is an MMORPG based on Ragnarok: Into the Abyss Manhwa (Korean Manga) written by Lee Myoung-Jin. An MMORPG is an online role playing game (RPG) where a player creates an avatar or a character in the game and controls every movement that the character makes in a virtual world. It is massively multiplayer, meaning there can be an unlimited number of players concurrently playing the game. Ragnaroks virtual world is Rune-Midgard, a fictional yet persistent world, meaning even if a character logs off from the game, it does not end. The game continues in real time. MMOGCHART.com estimates that there are 17 million Ragnarok players worldwide. Ragnaroks beta version was released by LUG in the Philippines in June 2003. Players in the Philippines had free access until September 2003. There are eight official servers for LUGs Ragnarok: Chaos, Odin, Lydia, Urdr, Loki, Sarah, Iris, and Fenrir. Philippine Ragnarok Online (or pRO) is a closed server such that only computers using Philippine-based internet service can access the game, barring players outside the Philippines to play in pRO. In a move to beat piracy, LUG distributed Ragnarok for free - a player can download the game from the internet or though a CD available nationwide in internet cafes, magazines, and during special events. LUG sells prepaid game cards for players to access the game online.4 Computer games, especially RPGs (role playing games), have gained popularity in the Philippines. Before the advent of computer games in the Philippines, Filipino gamers patronized video games such as watch-based games, Game and Watch, Pacman and Space Invaders on Atari,

According to Micha F. Lindemans, Ragnarok ("Doom of the Gods"), also called Gotterdammerung, means the end of the cosmos in Norse mythology. Ragnark does not mean "Twilight of the Gods"; that phrase is the result of a famous mistranslation. "Ragnarkr" or "Ragnarkr" means "doom of the powers" or "destruction of the powers" (where "powers" means "gods"). (www.pantheon.org/articles/r/ragnarok.html) 4 Playing the game costs P 50 (US$ 1) for eight hours of game time, P100 (US$ 2) for 1 week of unlimited play and P350 (US$ 7) for one month unlimited game time. A newbie (new player) receives a free 30-hour game time.

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and Nintendos Super Mario Brothers. Filipino gamers shifted to early computer games such as Doom, Tomb Raider, NBA Live, Red Alert, and Counterstrike. MMORPGs, in general, have enjoyed immense popularity in the Philippines. Considering that MMORPG was introduced in the Philippines only in 2003 with an initial 30,000 players, it flourished in 2004 with 350,000 players. There are currently 500,000 and it is expected to grow to 700,000 players in 2006. But according to Ben Colayco, Manager of LUG, pRO has an estimated 3.6 million subscribers and 50,000 concurrent players5 during peak times. Opportunities in the Philippine Online Gaming Industry asserts that With an estimated 40% annual increase in subscribers, online gaming has ceased to be just an ordinary pastime or amusement; it has become the most dynamic segment of the entertainment software industry in the Philippines. These figures suggest that the Philippines is one of the fastest growing market for MMORPGs in Southeast Asia. The success of pRO did not even entail a media blitz from LUG. It spread through word of mouth, posters, flyers, and campus visits from LUG targeting students. They did not have radio, TV and billboard ads. There are currently 22 MMORPGs in the Philippines competing for the attention of Filipino online gamers such as Pristontale, Khan, Gunbound, Rose, Mu, Hyper Relay, and Tantra (which ABS-CBN Interactive initially claimed as the first MMORPG made in the Philippines but is actually developed by HanbitSoft). Most of these games are developed in Korea. U.S. developed games, such as Half Life II and Empire Earth, are a distant second but is expected to
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The demographics of player in the survey conducted are as follows: Age M F 12 & below 1 1 13 to 20 11 4 21-30 6 4 31-40 5 1 Only 2 of the respondents are married, the rest are single. Most of them are college students while there are a few in elementary and high school. Almost half of the respondents are employed in various fields such as computer graphics, education, banking, marketing, and business.

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be more competitive with the much-anticipated arrival of World of Warcraft, Everquest, and Star Wars Galaxies. Other peripheral businesses benefit from pROs phenomenal popularity. The Philippine internet caf industry owes its resurgence to pRO. Once limited to services such as internet surfing, network games, chatting, and word processing, internet cafes experienced a 75% growth in profit with the advent of pRO in 2004 (Opportunities in The Philippine Online Gaming Industry). Prepaid internet cards, internet dial-up services, broadband/DSL, and Wifi providers also benefit from pRO. Internet providers are distributing their own MMORPG such as Bayantels tie-up with ABS-CBN Interactives Tantra and PLDTs subsidiary Netgames offers Khan.

PLAYING RAGNAROK pROs popularity may also be attributed to the fact that it is very easy to learn and play. My 10 year old nephew, Dale, taught me how to play the game in a matter of minutes. After 2 hours of playing, I have a Base Level 14/Job Level 12 Archer named eloimay in the Chaos server in pRO. A newbie creates a character6 which will represent him/her in the game. The gender of the character is based on what gender a newbie indicates when creating a Ragnarok account. The newbie chooses from several attributes namely Agility, Dexterity, Intelligence, Luck, Vitality, and Strength, to build a character. If one attribute is increased, another decreases. A newbie has to consider the role and build very carefully since the character cannot be changed once it is created. Each character has a Base Level (blvl) and a Job Level (jlvl). It is usually written as Base/Level, a character that is 12/1 has a base level of 12 and a job level of 1. Base level means personal growth of the character; he/she becomes stronger, faster, or smarter. Job Level indicates

Otherwise known as an avatar, an icon or representation of a user in a shared virtual reality. From the Sanskrit word Avatara which means descent (Wikipedia).

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the progress of the character in his/her given profession.

The higher the number the more skills

they acquire in the game. They become better archers, swordsmen, or mages. A newbie begins as a novice 1/1 and upon reaching Job level 10 they can apply for a job either as a swordsman, archer, mage, merchant, thief, or acolyte. An interesting feature of Ragnarok is character transformation. Once a certain job level is reached, a character transforms into a 2nd class job. For instance, an archer can become either a hunter or a bard/dancer. An advanced class was introduced to add excitement to the game. A hunter can transform into a sniper, the bard into a minstrel, and the dancer into a gypsy. Advancing into the 2nd class jobs and advanced job classes means more skills and powers for the character. The physical look of the characters also changes as they level up, looking more mature. A character gains experience by killing monsters. Though generally a man versus monster game, there are also guild wars such as War of the Emperium where guilds battle each other to take control of castles which will give them access to items and treasures inside the castles. The Philippine server Urdr is a PvP7 server, a character can kill other characters anytime. Each character has an HP bar (Hit Points) and an SP bar (Skill Points). HP is the health or life points, if it reaches 0, then the character dies. SP shows the characters capacity to use job-related skills, if it reaches 0, then the character cannot fight or shoot arrows. Both regenerate when the character is resting or sitting down. Ragnarok uses 2D anime-styled characters in a 3D environment. It does not really have a story or an ultimate end-goal (for instance, in Super Mario the ultimate end goal is to rescue the Princess). There is no projected end to the game, such as finally winning the war or rescuing a damsel in distress. Characters do not really die when they get killed by monsters they just go back to the place where they last saved their game before they got killed, though they lose experience points. This means that a character can exist as long as the actual person behind the

Player versus Player 2 players can engage in combat

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character is alive.8 It also means that Ragnarok can exist as long as Gravity Incorporated and/or LUG decide to shut it down. There are several interesting features in Ragnarok such as the chat box, chat room, party, and in-game guilds. Everyone can chat publicly with whoever is online on the chat box. They can also create a chat room where members can chat privately. They can also create a party where two or more people can help hunt and kill monsters together. They can locate their party mates location in the game and if they are online. They can also join in-game guilds. These features encourage players to communicate with one another, help each other, and foster an active online community of pRO players. Ragnaroks in-game economy involves the buying and selling of items taken from defeated monsters in exchange for zeny, the official Ragnarok currency. There is also a merchant character class whose main job is to trade, buy, and sell. There have been reported cases of cheating or scamming, for instance logging out immediately after receiving the zennies without transferring the objects for sale. To keep players interested, LUG continuously adds some features such as small quests and in-game events. They are currently promoting the forthcoming chapter Episode 10: Heritage.

BEYOND RUNE-MIDGARD: RAGNAROK IN THE REAL WORLD The world of Ragnarok in the Philippines has gone beyond Rune-Midgard. LUG and pRO players have gone out of the virtual world of Rune-Midgard and conducted activities such as Philippine Ragnafest 2005 in June 2005. According to LUG, more than 13,0009 gaming enthusiasts participated or visited Ragnafest 2005 (www.ragnarok.ph). The final round of
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Except when the account is deleted by gamemasters (GMs) or Ragnarok police. The single largest ever held at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, the countrys largest convention and exposition venue

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Ragnarok Philippine Championships 2005, the biggest tournament in Philippine online gaming in history, was the main event of Ragnafest. The countrys best Ragnarok players battled it out for the right to represent the Philippines in the world championships held in Korea10. Team Hatred of Lydia went through five months of eliminations before being crowned Philippine Ragnarok champions. According to the Ragnarok website, Games and Amusement Board chairman Eric Buhain, guest of honor during the opening ceremonies, said that tournaments like the RPC can lead to the recognition of video gaming as a legitimate and professional sport (www.ragnarok.ph). Ragnafest 2005 also featured several activities that proved that pRO players are not just computer geeks. Cosplay11 featured pRO players dressed up as their favorite character. It also conducted the 2nd Ragnarok Online Annual Art Competition where winners received actual cash prizes and zennies for their guilds. Guilds also had the chance to show their best wares in a Guild booth competition. LUG held the RO Film Festival12 to inspire filmmakers to produce short films about Ragnarok such as Hack You by Paolo Alvarez, Ragnarok Offline by Pittypat, Scam by Edwin Guillermo and Aesir, Just a Dream by Gabriel Bie, and How to Tame A Monster by Sheena Sy. They were screened during Ragnafest 2005. These short films were also shown at the Gravitys 3rd Ragnarok Image Festival in Seoul, Korea on July 7, 2005 (www.ragnarok.ph). LUG encouraged Filipino composers and musicians to produce ROK ON!, a collection of six songs inspired by Ragnarok Online. It featured songs by Moonstar88, Kamikazee, Kjwan, SVC, Pikaso and Seven Shots, and Typecast. The Ragnarok Online Comics Creation Competition was held at the Komikon last October 22, 2005 at the UP Bahay ng Alumni. Ragnarok has also penetrated the national media such as the newspaper comic strip Ragnarok: Path to Heritage!, with story by Marc Reyes and illustrations by Taga-ilog. Then there

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In the first ever Ragnarok World Championship 2004 (RWC 2004) on July 17-18 in Seoul, Korea, the Philippines was represented by Unholy and Rebirth. 11 Costume play 12 Alvarez won 1st place, Pittypat came in 2nd, and Guillermo and Aesir placed 3rd in the film competition.

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is RagnaBeat, a weekly column on the Monday edition of Manila Bulletin under the Technews section. It focuses on Ragnarok articles, tips, features and announcements. MASSIVE is the first TV show about Massive Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) in the country with news, player interviews, in-game and offline events. Produced by LUG and MTV Philippines, it airs on MTV Philippines. ABS-CBN and LUG recently released the anime series Ragnarok: The Animation and it airs daily over ABS-CBN 2 (www.ragnarok.ph) . LUG also tied up with other companies for merchandizing. This ensures that Ragnarok can be seen practically everywhere - from board games, puzzles, bags, pillows, t-shirts, notebooks, coloring books, caps, visors, chocolate drink, and even hotdogs. Besides official merchandize from LUG, pirated Ragnarok items flood centers of piracy such as Greenhills, Quiapo, Divisoria and Baclaran. pRO players also have very active online communities. Besides chatting while they play the game, they also have egroups (like Philippines_Ragnarok, Ragnarok-Online, pRO_players), websites, blogs, and forums dedicated to discussing different aspects of the game such as game advice, character built details, guild announcements, and trading zennies for other items or for real money. pRO players have even developed their own set of words that they use to communicate with one another while playing (or even in their egroups and in real life), something akin to Filipino texting or SMS language. Luke Andrew Nepomuceno compiled examples of pRO lingo in his unpublished research Philippine Ragnarok Online as Philippine Popular Culture:

pRO lingo Amp

Meaning and example (anak ng puta, son of a bitch) - Used for cursing other people or as an interjection Ex: Amp ka!! Bakit mo nilure yung monster dito? (Son of a

Synonyms amf, ampness, amfootz, amfufu, tae, taena

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bitch, why did you lure the monster here?) Chicksilog (chick na may itlog) homosexual Ex: Ha? Chicksilog si ~NorLenE~?? Waaaah!! Kala ko babae! 1 (Huh? Norlene is a homosexual? I thought shes a girl.) Danda Droga beautiful females (potions) awakening potions, berserk potions [an in-game item] Fafi Fanet Gundam (father) used for male priests or male characters (ugly) panget (robot) letting an illegal program play RO instead of you, a bot bobot, bobotski, darna, ghost, multo Mami Meralco (mother) used for female priests or female characters (level99) idea of paying MERALCO for the light of a characters aura Ex: Wow!! Umiilaw na!! nagbabayad ka na sa MERALCO noh? (Wow!! You are lighted, you paid Meralco, right?) Resu Sawsaw (resurrect) derived from the priest skill resurrection (kill stealer) one who kill steals13 sawsawerz, sawsaw Tibag Uu Wafu (sirain) to destroy something (only used during sieges) (oo) yes (gwapo) antonym of fanet used for handsome looking kk, yapz fafa, fafs, papi chixisilog, ixilog

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Kill stealing is attacking another players monster without permission. It is an illegal activity.

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male characters. Wak (huwag) no

The success of pRO has inspired Filipino game designers to develop our very own MMORPG. Anak Bathala14 has been hailed as the first MMORPG in the Philippines. Created by Nordenx (Norman Antonio de los Santos), the Philippine gaming community is anticipating its release by the end of November this year.

ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS: RAGNAROK IN PHILIPPINE CONTEMPORARY CULTURE The almost ubiquitous presence of Ragnarok in various areas of Philippine daily life such as television, national dailies, music, films, language, websites, and internet communities attest to its impact on Philippine contemporary culture. However, there are several issues that have significant implications on Philippine contemporary culture. These are:

pROs Virtual Economy and Virtual Crimes There is a bustling virtual economy in pRO that has spilled over into real life. pRO items and characters are sold in real life for real money. High level characters and rare items usually demand higher prices. pRO egroups are teeming with items and characters for sale. These virtual items are also being traded for real objects such as prepaid game cards, cellular phones, and cars. The usual places for these transactions are MRT and LRT stations. These virtual items are also sold in malls surrounding universities and colleges such as the University Mall near De La Salle University, one of the countrys leading private schools) in Manila.

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Anak Bathala (Anak Bat-ha-la) is Tagalog for "God Spawn". Anak Bathala is anything that is directly created by God, a God, or Goddess

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This is not just a Philippine phenomenon. According to Cory Ondrejka in Changing Realities: User Creation, Communication, and Innovation in Digital Worlds, the global market for virtual game items was estimated at $880 million...players, driven by a combination of time pressure, a desire to play with higher-level friends, and a need to conspicuously consume, provide a demand for these items. To curb the virtual economy, LUG conducted a Midgard Bagsak Presyo!, an in-game event where Novice and First Job Class characters can buy items for 100 zennies only. In July 2005, LUG announced that selling items and characters of Ragnarok as illegal. It is not their property since we own it. This is contained in the terms and condition we provide before you sign up into our games, says Sheila Paul, marketing head of Level-Up! Philippines, as quoted in a newspaper article. LUG insists players do not even own any part of the game world and merely pay to use it. The virtual property is actually owned by the game developer or publisher. (Oliva, Philippine online games spawn virtual economies). The demand for rare items has driven some players to commit virtual crimes such as hacking into other players accounts to steal their virtual items. My 17-year old nephews pRO account was hacked and one of his rare items was stolen. A best friends brother had his account hacked and some Php 4,000 worth of items were stolen. According to Lisa Gokongwei- Cheng in The Business Of Online Gaming,

In Internet cafes, thieves program computers to steal user names and passwords, allowing them to steal another players virtual items. Accessories like "skirt of virgin" and "poopoo hat" are very much in demand in this virtual world. So, a weird sort of crossover crime is being invented, where real-life crime is committed to steal objects that dont exist except online.

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LUG has not been successful in preventing these virtual crimes from happening. pRO GMs police the game from virtual crimes but have largely been ineffective. Several respondents said they quit playing pRO because a virtual crime has been committed against them. When asked why they stopped playing pRO, a respondent replied I got sick of how tedious the game play was and how the company behind the game (LUG) didnt know how to police repeat offenders. They dont know how to manage a game. There was a lot of blatant cheating going on. Someone admitted, I was tired of the unfairness and the inability of LUG and Gravity to deal with the problems that were inherent in the game. A student stopped playing because I lost an important item in the game. Nick Yee exposes some disturbing facts about this virtual economy on his study about MMORPGs in the United States. He writes,

In fact, these transactions are so profitable that entrepreneurs in South America and South-East Asia have set up sweatshops where teenagers play these games 8 hours or more a day for the sole purpose of accumulating and then selling virtual items and currency for a profit. And so ironically, in fantasy worlds where real world nations do not exist, we see the same outsourcing we see in real life the production of virtual capital by developing countries for consumption by American gamers.

Zennies are also being exchanged for real money. The exchange rate before was Php 100 for 1 million zennies. It has since dropped to Php 80 for 1 million zennies. It is now around Php 20 for 1million zennies. A recent transaction on an egroup was the sale of 600 million zennies for Php 5,000. In the online survey that I conducted for this research, about 65% of the players said that they do not engage in buying or selling pRO virtual items for real money, though about 35%

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admitted to doing so. Some get their money for playing the game by selling items and zennies. These economic activities fuelled by Ragnarok blurs the line between play and work. Indeed, playing pRO has turned into an economic activity for the ever- ingenious and resourceful Filipinos. It has provided on-line gamers a source of income. But virtual crimes are turning pRO into a dangerous virtual world.

Once you pop, you cant stop: Addiction to Ragnarok According to Nick Yee, about 50% of MMORPG players would consider themselves addicted to the game. In an online survey I conducted, out of 30 respondents, 14 said they are addicted to Ragnarok, 3 said they were very addicted, 4 said they were addicted before, and only 8 said they are not addicted.15 Addiction to MMORPGs has been blamed for the childrens failing grades and cutting classes. Ragnaroks popularity in Thailand16, for instance, spurred government to institute a curfew for students and underage players. Ragnarok, as a game, inherently encourages players to play for extended periods of time to gain more experience and to level up quickly. In the survey, I asked how many times a week do they play, 20% said they play 1 to 2 days a week, 20% answered 3 to 5 days in a week, and 30% said they play 5 to 7 days a week. In terms of game time in a day, 30% said they play for 1 to 3 hours a day, 30% said that play for 4 to 6 hours, and 30% said they play more than 6 hours a day. The time consuming nature of Ragnarok contributes to players addiction to the game. When asked about the bad effects of Ragnarok, several respondents answered addiction to the game as one of the bad effects. One respondent admitted, I was addicted to it once I usually play for about 6-7 hours everyday then. I even skipped some of my classes just to go

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Other respondents chose not to answer the question Ragnarok had 600,000 players in Thailand when it was introduced

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home and start playing. Some confess to low grades due to spending more time playing Ragnarok rather than studying or attending classes. Some respondents complained about lack of sleep due to their addiction to the game. They also complained about other physical effects of their addiction to Ragnarok such as, Tires my eyes ruins my sleeping patterns since I play at dawn most of the time and I dont get much sleep and exercise. Some realize that they could have done something more worthwhile than playing the game. One respondent posited, Every week I spend a lot of money to play Ragnarok. The time that I spend playing Ragnarok should be spent doing other worthwhile things. One admitted, Sometimes, there are better things to do with your time - like living in the real world. To address the issue of addiction, LUG initiated the "study-hard, play hard program where registered pRO players who get the highest grades in school get special prizes and gifts. Participants should come from registered schools and should have the approval of their teachers. The Midgards Most Outstanding Students of 2004-2005, or Ragna Cum Laude, came from schools such as St. Marys, Philippine Science High School, Don Bosco, Mapua and La Salle (www.ragnarok.ph). This program encourages students to prioritize their homework and studies before playing pRO. In fact, one of the 10 Commandments of pRO is Thou shall finish your homework and chores before entering Rune-Midgard. (We hated doing then too, but now we play computer games for a living. So it was worth it.) Another effort of pRO to curb addiction of children is the Unplugged program where parents have the ability to block their childrens account for whatever reason. Though, of course, the children can go to an internet shop instead to play pRO. LUG knows that the issue of addiction might cause a backlash; hence, they have programs to encourage students not to neglect their studies. It is difficult to ascertain the success of these efforts. Meanwhile, the effects of addiction can be felt by the players themselves. One

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admits, (I) can't stop playing once I started (it) affects my time for studying at home. One quit playing the game because. It started to affect my grades. A respondent sums up the issue about addiction to Ragnarok aptly, it's like Pringles quotation Once you pop you cant stop.

Ragnarok as a Highly Social Virtual World: Building Online Relationships Ragnarok has several built-in features that encourage socializing and establishing relationships online such as the chat box, chat room, party, and in-game guilds. MMORPGs, in general, encourage socializing amongst players. Mikael Jakobsson & T.L. Taylor argues in The Sopranos Meets EverQuest: Social Networking in Massively Multiplayer Online Games that social networks form a powerful component of the gameplay and the gaming experience. Unfortunately, MMORPGs such as Ragnarok have been blamed for the increasing antisocial behavior of children and adults. Some are thought to prefer facing the computer monitor rather than interact with people in real life. According to Nick Yee, Another caricature of video gamers is that they are solitary hermits, but the data on MMORPG players show that 80% of MMORPG players play with someone they know in RL17 (a romantic partner, family member, or friend) on a regular basis. The respondents to the survey that I conducted for this paper reveals that 50% play alone at home or in a computer shop while 50% play with friends, significant others, or family members. One mentions that I just play or log-in to say hi to my in-game friends, my real-life friends and my cousins (usually from the province) who are also playing RO (Ragnarok online). The same respondent adds that he likes playing Ragnarok because Friends (both in-game and real-life) and cousins are there. Its better than chatting since you get to play (or look at something) while you chat with them. Nick Yee reveals that,

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RL stands for real life

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Many MMORPG gamers play with a romantic partner or a family member. About 16% of male players and 60% of female players play with a romantic partner, and about 25% of male players and 40% of female players play with a family member. Many of these players say that playing together has changed their real-life relationships in unexpected ways.

When I asked who introduced Ragnarok to them and who taught them how to play, 30% of the respondents said they were taught by friends and classmates. The other 30% were taught by family members or significant others. I mentioned earlier that it was my nephew, Dale18, who taught me how to play. He also introduced me to the game by continuously asking for money to play Ragnarok. I decided to find out for myself why he constantly had to play Ragnarok. A respondent said Ragnarok provides bonding time with sibling. They started playing Ragnarok because of friends and family members and they continue to play the game with them. Some have made friends online and have even met them in real life in EBs19. Nick Yees research shows that Many players have made good friends or fallen in love in the game. A respondent admits, It drained me emotionally when I got involved with a player. Some even get married to other characters20 and even adopt virtual children. Luke Andrew Nepomuceno narrates in his unpublished research on Ragnarok that: I have personally interviewed 3 different couples that thank pRO for the serendipity it gave them. Bonnie and Clyde (not their real names), one of the 3 couples that agreed to have an interview with me, admitted that they were acquainted with each other online thru a friends friend that was also a pRO gamer. They have been a couple for a year and a half now and thank their lucky stars for the release of Ragnarok Online here in the Philippines because if not for
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I owe the germ of the idea for this research to him. EB stands for eyeball, where online communities meet in real life 20 they enjoy some privileges as married couples like sharing items and giving life

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pRO, they wouldnt probably have met each other. All three couples noted that their relationship became a bit more fun since their partner shares something in common with them they both play pRO. For them, playing the game becomes less boring because they have their partner to spend time with.

Ragnaroks highly social environment attracts many players to the game. When I asked what the good effects Ragnarok has brought to their lives, several respondents answered that it enabled them to meet new people and to socialize. One said, it improves your social skills since you get to interact with different kinds of people. Another admits, I met a lot of friends there. Another respondent said, made a lot of friends online and it sort of broadened my horizon. It changed my personality a lot and I learned a few things about social interaction. Respondents share that they like playing Ragnarok because of its socializing effects and its interactivity. A respondent likes Ragnarok because, unlike other computer games, this has a community which can be shared with other people online all through out the country. Another echoes this sentiment, You get to play and interact with other people around the country. Another said, Its interactive and you get to spend virtual time with your friends. Another admits that the game provides anonymity yet remains social, I liked talking to people that I didn't know in real life, and to help them out. A respondent narrates in detail some of the social aspects of the game, But I think that most important factor is that you get to meet a lot of people and make new friends. You can invite them to party with you to battle monsters or hunt rares21. Having someone you can chat with while leveling up breaks up the monotony. Guilds are also a very important aspect of Ragnarok and other MMORPG such as Everquest. According to Jakobsson & Taylor in The Sopranos Meets EverQuest: Social Networking in Massively Multiplayer Online Games, Guilds are officially sanctioned organizations of (a minimum of ten) players with a basic hierarchical leadership structure. Guilds
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plural for rare items

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provide characters membership into a private chat channel, a tag under their name stating their guild, and generally participation in bulletin boards or email lists. Guilds in pRO participate in guild wars called War of the Emperium. They also participate in Ragnarok competitions. Though some pRO guilds are hunting guilds (more focused on battle), they are numerous guilds that are for socializing. All these contribute to make pRO a highly social and interactive virtual world.

Gender Bending in pRO A characters gender is assigned upon ones creation of a Ragnarok account. If a player registers as a male, then his character will be a male. In Ragnarok, there is no difference in terms of skills and abilities of male and female characters. One can create a character and assign a gender that is different from ones real life gender. This phenomenon is called gender bending. Nick Yees research shows that men are 3-5 times more likely than women to gender-bend in MMORPGs. In my survey, there were seven male players with female characters and two females with male characters. Rok On!, pRO music album, features a song by Kamikazee Chicksilog, about a character called Maldita who turns out to be a man. One of the gender bending males is my 10-year old nephew who admitted that his character is a female. When asked why, he said other players do not pick on female characters that much and that they also tend to be kinder to female characters, hence making it easier for him to move around Rune-Midgard. His explanation, apparently, is reasonable because Nick Yees research reveals that female avatars are treated better and more likely to receive gifts and help from other players (who are mostly men). Nick Yee offers another explanation. He posits that,

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in games where third-person perspective is used, men prefer to stare at a female body rather than a male body. This is tied closely to the Laura Croft Syndrome - the appeal of being able to view and, more importantly, control a female body that is sexy but deadly... In other words, avatars such as Laura Croft are appealing to men because it gives men the satisfaction of dominating a powerful female body.

Another disturbing gender issue on MMORPG is the sale of male and female characters. Edward Castronova, in his research on The Price Of Man And Woman: A Hedonic Pricing Model Of Avatar Attributes In A Synthetic World, concludes that Everquest22 male characters sell more than female characters of the same level. Female characters sell for US$ 40-50 less. Castronova writes, Female avatars may be discounted because of assumptions about the effectiveness of the player; perhaps it is assumed that the players of female avatars are just not as good as the players of male avatars. He suggests that this could stem from discrimination in real life. There are no available data on how much Ragnarok female characters are sold in relation to male characters. Nick Yee suggests that, Early visions of cyberspace as a place that would free us from our physical bodies and stereotypes associated with those bodies now seem naive. If anything, MMORPGs have shown us that our bodies and stereotypes about those bodies follow us even into virtual worlds of play. Gender bending in Ragnarok perpetuates the stereotype that women are weak. Male players who use female characters capitalize on this stereotype to attract and solicit help and kindness from other male players. This makes it easier for them to level up in the game. It does not necessarily mean that the male players will sell their female characters, since they may not fetch a high price, as evident in Castronovas research on Everquest. But it can make it easier for
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One of the most popular MMORPG in the U.S.

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male players using female characters to obtain rare items and zennies that they can trade online for real money. It also contributes to the continuing efforts of males to dominate female bodies even in the virtual world. On the other hand, the discounted price of female avatars in Everquest suggests that the valuation for females, their work, and their bodies, are not considered as valuable as males. These phenomenons reveal that even in the virtual world of Ragnarok the grip of patriarchy is strong as ever.

Values and pRO: Learning from pRO Since most pRO spend a considerable amount of time online in front of the computer monitor playing Ragnarok, it is important to find out what kind of values they acquire from playing the game? What are the things they have learned from it? Interestingly enough, many respondents replied that they learned patience from playing the game. As mentioned earlier, Ragnarok is a time consuming game. It takes a long time to get to Level 99. Hence, patience is indeed a requirement for players to achieve Level 99. One player said, You learn to be patient coz it takes a long time before you reach level 99. One replied, The virtues of patience and the values of ties and friendship. Several respondents answered that they learned to strategize and to work with others in parties and guilds. They also mentioned that they learned to haggle or to bargain, and to manage their resources. One answered, Decision-making. Risk-taking. Several mentioned that they have learned teamwork from playing the game. Generosity is also a value that some players learned from playing the game. One player said, Patience is a virtue and power is an inevitable consequence of constant play. Also, generosity gets you very far. Though there are a lot of positive values that can be learned from playing Ragnarok, some players are also disillusioned by the cheating and scamming in the game. One said, Trust no-one. Another learned, That even in pc games, there are swindlers.

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A thoughtful respondent gives a balanced answer, Ragnarok is also like real life. You meet decent gamers who are reasonable and responsible. You also meet gamers who are scammers, looters and thieves. Just like real life. The values they learned in the virtual world of Ragnarok are values that they use in real life.

KOREAN CULTURE IN RAGNAROK There has been an influx of Korean culture in the Philippines lately. The most prominent are the Korean soap operas on Philippine television more popularly known as telenovelas (or kimchi-novela). The more popular Korean soap operas now are Green Rose and Attic Cat. There are also Korean actors and performers made popular by the soap operas who visit the Philippines for TV appearances and mini-concerts. Korean students enroll in Philippine universities and schools in degree programs and, at the same time, learn how the English language. Korean restaurants are very popular in the Philippines. Korean groceries, cars, appliances and other products flood the Philippine markets. Tourists visiting the Philippines come mostly from Korea. Among the most significant Korean exports to the Philippines are MMORPGs. But what is exactly Korean about these games? How is Korean culture received or rejected by Filipinos? How do they appropriate Korean culture through pRO? Since Ragnarok uses anime-style characters, a lot of Filipinos mistakenly thought that it came from Japan. When asked if the knew that the game came from Korea, one replied Im not really sure if it reflects Korean culture, it looks Japanese to me. Some even thought that it was made by Filipinos. But because of the games popularity, more and more people are finding out that the game came from Korea. But is Korean culture present in Ragnarok? Most players answered that they do not recognize Korean culture in the game. A player said, I suppose the pictures and characters as well as the anime look (a mix of the Japanese and their own type) imbibe a certain sense of the

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Korean culture into the game but I wouldnt say everything is 100% Korean. I dont even see it. I thought it was Japanese. Some did find Korean culture present in Ragnarok. One respondent said, (The) architecture of certain locations in the game reflects a Korean aesthetic. Another player thought, (the) settings and items are of Korean origin. Another player recognized, Some of the food items are Korean. An employee of LUG said, I think that the game reflects some of the Korean culture. Like the Sohee dress, which is the Korean national costume. Moreso, Asian cultures are alike. That's the reason, in my humble opinion, that RO is so successful in Asian countries. Because we are so alike. Though Ragnarok came from Korea, I think the game designers intended to incorporate various Asian cultures in the game to widen its appeal to the Asian market. Making it too Korean would limit their potential market. The names of the cities in pROs Rune-Midgard are a very interesting mix. Morroc, the desert city where novices can turn into thieves or assassins, sound a lot like Morroco. Payon, the city where archers are trained, is reminiscent of ancient Korean culture. Alberta, the port city where one can be a merchant, may have gotten its name from Alberta, Canada. Lutie, the Winter Wonderland, is also known as Christmas Town, is the home of Sta. Claus, may be mistaken as Alaska. Comodo, the city of pleasure where casinos and gambling are not illegal, is a cross between Hawaii and Las Vegas. Other Ragnarok cities in Rune-Midgard that are not in pRO include: Amatsu, styled after ancient Japan; Kunlun, designed in ancient Taiwanese style; Louyang, designed in ancient Chinese style, and Ayothaya, after ancient Thailand. These were part of the Global Project where new cities were added with themes based on the countries with licensed RO servers. (Wikipedia) As of today, there is no city made specifically for pRO.

PinoyRO: Making Ragnarok Pinoy

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The Filipinos gift of transforming a foreign object or influence into something Filipino is evident in several instances such as the Italian spaghetti into the Jolibee spaghetti and the American Jeep into the Pinoy jeepney. The same holds true for Ragnarok. Filipino gamers have transformed Ragnarok and made it PinoyRO. According to Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng,

The world of Ragnarok is a microcosm of Filipino society. Thats one reason it has crossed over from the domain of gaming fanatics to the mainstream. Thirteen-year-old Go explains: "I like it cause it has a Filipino flavor. You dont see many games where players speak in Tagalog." For example, says Level Up founder Colayco, a merchant character calls himself "Henry Sy" as a tribute to the legendary entrepreneur. There are stores in the Ragnarok universe called SM Morroc and SM Prontera. (Morroc and Prontera are towns in Rune-Midgard the Ragnarok world.)."

Players mentioned that they particularly like using Filipino and the pRO lingo while communicating with other gamers. A player mentioned that they use pRO lingo or ragnalanguage, even when they are offline. Even the political issues in the Philippines now are implicated in pRO. A player explains, The culture and language in pRO is still very much Filipino. After all, Filipino gamers comprise pRO hence we have achieved in making pRO truly Filipino. One good example would be that whenever the chaos server breaks down, chaos players would log in to another server and converge to certain place in Prontera to rally. A very Filipino thing nowadays. Thank God, the GMs havent learned to enforce CPR. One said, a mirror on current social and cultural problems what with the rampant cheating and crime referring to the pRO in-game culture.

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It has also revolutionized the concept of games in the Philippines. It is a far cry from piko, tumbang preso, patintero, habulan, and taguan.23 A respondent expounds on this: I think kids will learn the value of socializing with people. It also teaches them skills like merchandising and business sense. Research suggests that people playing video games develop a greater IQ than those who don't. Aside from this, the game has opened up a bridge where Filipinos get to connect with people from all across the country. Another contributes this idea, It has started a new kind of gaming in the Philippines. I think it created an identity for this young generation. Children and other players are now able to play with their friends who are not with them physically. They have also learned to make friends in the virtual world. They have fallen in love with people they have not actually seen before. They have also learned to buy, sell, and trade objects that they do actually own in the real world. They steal items that do not actually exist in real life. They are now able to change their genders inside the game. They are able to learn patience, teamwork, strategy, risk-taking and decision making without actually going through life experiences. pRO players have, indeed, revolutionized gaming in the Philippines. Now, if only they can control their addiction.

Works Cited Castronova, Edward, "The Price of 'Man' and 'Woman': A Hedonic Pricing Model of Avatar Attributes in a Synthetic World" (June 2003). CESifo Working Paper Series No. 957. http://ssrn.com/abstract=415043 Colayco, Tina. Email messages. Gokongwei- Cheng, Lisa, The Business Of Online Gaming. (December 17, 2003) http://www.newsflash.org/2003/05/si/si001725.htm http://www.philgaming.com/index.php/newshttp://www.mmogchart.com/ http://www.ragnarok.ph
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Jakobsson, Mikael and T.L. Taylor, The Sopranos Meets EverQuest: Social Networking in Massively Multiplayer Online Games http://www.fineartforum.org/Backissues/Vol_17/faf_v17_n08/reviews/jakobsson.html Lindemans, Micha F., Ragnarok ("Doom of the Gods"), www.pantheon.org/articles/r/ragnarok.html Nepomuceno, Luke Andrew, Philippine Ragnarok Online as Philippine Popular Culture. 2005. Unpublished paper. Oliva, Erwin Lemuel. Philippine online games spawn virtual economies (July 06, 2005) http://www.inq7.net Ondrejka, Cory R., "Changing Realities: User Creation, Communication, and Innovation in Digital Worlds" (January 19, 2005). http://ssrn.com/abstract=799468 Opportunities in the Philippine Online Gaming Industry, April 2005. Wikipedia: Avatar (Virtual reality) Wikipedia: Internet bot Wikipedia: MMORPG Wikipedia: Ragnarok Wikipedia: Virtual Crime Wong, Chin. Online gaming continues to expand (Sept. 5, 2005) http://www.info.com.ph/~chinwong/onlinegaming.htm Yee, Nick. A New Game Model: Bots, Nurturance and Solving the Grind. http://www.nickyee.com Yee, Nick. The Daedelus Project. http://www.nickyee.com Yee, Nick. Ragnarok Musings. (November 16, 2004) http://terranova.blogs.com/terra_nova/2004/11/ragnarok_musing.html

Personal interviews

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Baento, Balbe Dans, Anton Fondevilla, Herbeth Liao, Benzon Mina, Tenten Morales, Chrysoberyl Morales, Chrysodale Nepomuceno, Luke Andrew

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