Critical Edge: Cut Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face?

[Dr. Hates]

The issue is that nobody's saying we shouldn't open new doors. It's just fucking ridiculous to treat this as an either/or proposition, especially while encouraging us to roll over for any changes league folks might want.

Look at how he's framing the debate, then step back for a moment and really consider whether it's an accurate assessment of both who we are and the options we have in front of us. The whole thing is a frothy mixture of paranoia, misrepresentation, and sowing discord for its own sake, strung across a meager skeleton of obvious shit everybody already knows in order to make it sound plausible.

The fact that anyone can read both this and the responses and come away thinking we have to pimp out our community or somehow turn our backs on the SRK crowd and larger FGC (who will likely contribute many new players to our ranks, if our game is good and we're not all imbeciles about it) in order to be involved with leagues shows the bewildering extent to which the original post muddies the issue.

 

[Alstein]

I honestly don't see how what Jaxel said would alienate anyone outside of folks who think the only fighting games should be Capcom fighters, and quite honestly, those people are going to be alienated by non-Capcom games no matter what.

It is a fact that the Cannons/EVO hold a ton of power in the FGC, and also a fact that they have done things that have not been popular with some communities (Smash and GG players have the most complaints)

The one essential thing that needs to be kept in any transition is this:

If I choose to enter a game, I can get my name on the bracket, and if I win enough, I can try to face the best and make a name for myself. I may only have a 1% chance, but I can do something with it.

 

[roflmahwaffles]

It is a fact that the Cannons/EVO hold a ton of power in the FGC, and also a fact that they have done things that have not been popular with some communities (Smash and GG players have the most complaints)

GG was removed, because Marn was bracket-fixing asshat. He is the biggest and possibly the sole reason as to why GG was removed from EVO. The majority of the smash community tend to act like man-children, and can be even more elitist than the trolls on SRK (or at least the ones that I have met).

The one essential thing that needs to be kept in any transition is this:

If I choose to enter a game, I can get my name on the bracket, and if I win enough, I can try to face the best and make a name for myself. I may only have a 1% chance, but I can do something with it.

The problem is that they AREN'T going to do this. You think MLG is going to be able to sustain 1000 players going in for SF4? Then again, the SC community is smaller so maybe this will fit you guys better. If it goes well for you guys, then maybe more people on SRK will start warming up to esports.

 

[Alstein]

If VF at WCG is any consideration- odds are what they'll do is put the first couple of rounds online. That will cause rage.

 

[soakrates]

He basically accuses Evo of purposefully marginalizing SC games because of personal bias, even though they had good reasons not to include them. He also says the FGC was "shit" before SF4, in addition to saying the SC community is not a part of the FGC. Any way you slice it, those are polarizing opinions coming from someone many believe to be a community leader.

And open entry is not the only essential element of FG majors, because people don't just go to them to enter the tournaments. FG majors are also one of the best ways for people to play against competition from outside their area in casuals and money matches, or even challenge a top player on the spot, which are things they don't get to do very often. They're also great for holding impromptu side tournaments and promoting games that might not get enough exposure. I don't know how open to BYOC areas the leagues are, but I've seen at least one MLG representative say that they would probably not be at MLG events. You can bet that a lot of people will probably not support them if that's the case.

If pro leagues really want to jump into the fighting game arena, the best way to start would probably be to sponsor or otherwise help the current FGC ecosystem in some way. The FGC's player-based model is proven in a lot of key areas, but perhaps MLG or another league can help improve viewership or efficiency, or add to the prize pot.