No Fighting Game Love comes from a lack of interest in those genres.
No Fighting Game Love comes from a lack of interest in those genres.
I believe the ideal form of esport is one that focuses solely on individual talent rather than teamwork, as it highlights personal abilities over reliance on others. Some argue fighting games qualify as esports due to their high production quality, such as in the Capcom Cup finals. Do you think the lack of teamwork is a reason people avoid watching?
Really? You limit sports and esports to team-based activities only? To be clear, titles like Starcraft 2 and Hearthstone are already recognized as high-level competitive games. All traditional track and field events are also regarded as elite sporting contests. Swimming is included too. Single-player formats don’t fit your view. Fighting games face similar criticism to UFC and boxing—people often see them as crude, with players just shouting at each other. The recent home violence incident hasn’t improved the situation much. Another point: these games are seldom featured in major tournaments. There are some in MLG and DH circuits, but most are on smaller stages like ESL. While there are bigger events such as EVO and Apex for Smash, there’s no major publisher pushing them forward. Blizzard, Valve, Riot are active, but Nintendo and Capcom haven’t shown the same commitment. Unless Nintendo has taken a different stance against Smash so far.
Nintendo occasionally supplies resources for competitions (at least the systems I heard about). You might notice the Nintendo and Capcom brands appearing in matches, though details remain unclear. It seems disappointing that they don’t back Smash properly. I came across a video discussing why Smash might never become a mainstream eSport—someone mentioned only the top five players are likely to win. Right now, just three people are earning a living from it (Mang0, Mew2King, Zero). The ranking system works like this: those in the top five have a better chance, the next ten might still succeed, and beyond that there’s still room for improvement, but most players feel it’s not worth the effort. In contrast, games like LoL offer much larger prize pools. Anyway, /rant
They focus more on actively promoting events, coverage, and streams rather than just sponsoring them. It seems Evo stands out as the main sponsor for a wide range of games, with no other companies involved in the deals. There aren’t major gatherings like Blizzcon or The International, and because Evo supports many titles, it doesn’t drive intense attention to just a few popular ones.
Can't really gamble on fighting games. The esports betting and following teams are more appealing. Some teams exist in Smash, but it's less engaging for solo play or small groups. Most fights end quickly, so watching them isn't very entertaining. I prefer longer shows where the outcome is uncertain.
There might be intense wagering in fighting games. For example, the Capcom Cup brings together 32 top players weeks beforehand. Fantasy formats are gaining popularity at major competitions, which surprises me since gambling seems unlikely. I appreciate the point about duration because matches in fighting games are much shorter than those in RTS or MOBA games. Still, I think this adds more excitement, as events like Evo attract over 2,000 participants in one tournament for titles such as Street Fighter. The sudden drops of strong competitors before the semifinals or top eight really add drama. I also believe the fast-paced nature contributes to higher excitement, since players jump straight into action without long waits for progression or resources.
Besides the clock, the group aspect matters too. While I’m not as focused as some fans, I enjoy watching CS GO games to see how teams work together and use strategies. In fighting games there’s mostly just hitting and kicking (I’m keeping it simple). On the flip side, MOBA/RTS games didn’t interest me because they take too long.