What decides exactly if a tournament is a major?

[Sajam]

I think people focus too much on the prestige behind calling things a major/regional but I might just think about things differently.

The terminology behind these tournaments don't matter, if you want prestige you have to beat the best. Winning Capcom Cup, an 8 man invitational tournament is way more impressive than something like a 100 man major that a couple out of towners attend. Who cares if somebody wins a major/regional, you should give them props based on their play and the quality of opponent they beat along the way. If somebody cares more about the title the tournament they are headed to is than the competition they are playing against then they are competing for a different reason.

Like I said, maybe I just think differently about it but that's how I feel.

 

[Juggs]

A "major" is just something we label tournaments in attempt to give them more value. Since the term is subjective, you could label nearly any tournament a major. In reality, it being a major or not is completely irrelevant. All that matters is the quality of players and the quantity of players. I'd take a 64 man "local" with 90% of that games top players, over a 132 man "major" with only 10% of that games top players. But like I said, it's all subjective.

EDIT: Lol, pretty much what Sajam said

 

[pherleece]

honestly i think people who think DTN is a major are idiots. sorry to everyone who thinks this cause I have spoken to a few people about this already. I live 15 from the venue and it wont cost me a cent cause my girl has a free pass for the railroad and I'm not going cause i missed pre-reg and i just don't think it's worth $40 especially cause they have no track record. Its like in WWE where people self-proclaim something that most people have to earn like Brock Lesnar self-proclaiming himself the #1 contender for the championship. You know who told me DTN was a major? They did.

i will agree that it is a regional at best

 

[EGGXI]

A "major" is just something we label tournaments in attempt to give them more value. Since the term is subjective, you could label nearly any tournament a major. In reality, it being a major or not is completely irrelevant. All that matters is the quality of players and the quantity of players. I'd take a 64 man "local" with 90% of that games top players, over a 132 man "major" with only 10% of that games top players. But like I said, it's all subjective.

That's fair I guess, but you say that you would take a 64 man "local" with 90% of the best players, how do you determine who the best players are?

 

[Icy Black Deep]

Which then begs the question, what is the criteria for being a tournament that grants seeding points? The people who run it? Essentially then a tournaments value is determined by EVO organizers?

We like to call them "illuminati".

 

[LEGEND]

the term "Major" should be stricken from our vocabulary, imo

why should only one word be used to lable the significance of any given tournament?

seems like a bad system

 

[Juggs]

That's fair I guess, but you say that you would take a 64 man "local" with 90% of the best players, how do you determine who the best players are?

Players that are consistent and consistently perform well. Not necessarily players who place well, but that is also included. This is for me personally though, again, the "best" are also subjective. The number 1 thing I look at when determining how good someone is is how consistent they are. But as I said, that's just how I look at it, others may look at something different. And to be clear, it's not JUST consistency, but that's definitely the most important to me.

 

[trustinme]

If perfect legend wins then its a major,if he doesn't win then he didnt know the match up.

 

[Mikemetroid]

I'm pretty sure a major is any event that grants EVO seeding points/has major popularity(like Summer Jam)

 

[Killphil]

A major is any event that Mikemetroid doesn't make grand finals in.

 

[haketh]

I would consider a major any tournament that grants seeding points towards EVO.

DTN, FF, KIT - I consider these all to be high profile tournaments, but unless they grant seeding points they're not majors. Seeding points are worth more than money in the sense that they provide preferential placement at EVO - which is supposed to be "the big one."

Anything else just leaves the door wide open for interpretation.

Win Frosty? Great. Win DTN? Great. But what have you really won? A couple hundred bucks and an ego boost.

Without seeding points there really isn't much of a point to these tournaments outside of some bragging rights and a way to pay off that stupid plane ticket.

Just my $0.02

THis would be true if we're only talking certain games. Certain tournaments are Majors for specific games. Tournaments like NEC and FF are majors for anime games, ther games not so much.

honestly i think people who think DTN is a major are idiots. sorry to everyone who thinks this cause I have spoken to a few people about this already. I live 15 from the venue and it wont cost me a cent cause my girl has a free pass for the railroad and I'm not going cause i missed pre-reg and i just don't think it's worth $40 especially cause they have no track record. Its like in WWE where people self-proclaim something that most people have to earn like Brock Lesnar self-proclaiming himself the #1 contender for the championship. You know who told me DTN was a major? They did.

i will agree that it is a regional at best

Wow, that's fucking pathetic. And I'm not talking about DTN.

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

Which then begs the question, what is the criteria for being a tournament that grants seeding points? The people who run it? Essentially then a tournaments value is determined by EVO organizers?

Evo makes a selection every year

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

I'm pretty sure a major is any event that grants EVO seeding points/has major popularity(like Summer Jam)

I'm sure a lot of EC majors don't have 50% out of towners but Nec usually does

There's a massive amount of people who come to WB and SJ but never go anywhere else

 

[NRF CharlieMurphy]

The problem lies with putting ALL of the fighting games into ONE tournament. Basically forcing a label onto everything in its scope.

In a perfect world, the one we had with MLG, money would be the ultimate factor.

 

[CrimsonShadow]

In the FGC majors are usually majors by tradition. It's not some calculation you make based on the size. It's similar to US Golf and Tennis where after some years into the sport's development, certain tournaments are just designated as majors and people show up and travel to them because of it.

In the FGC usually the big tournaments put together by people that run majors are also usually considered majors. So for example, TFC.

But just like in golf, I don't think there's a formula where you can just calculate what a major is. It's either by tradition or it gets earned over time.

 

[Vandy]

The real answer:

Perception.

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

The real answer:

Perception.

KIT is a major

 

[PTG Slayer]

Well, I think this argument is pretty simple if you compare it to a sport. I played basketball for the AAU league in Chicago. What made a tournament we visited major depended heavily on two things. . .

1.) The rank of the teams that attended
2.) The size of the trophy/prize.

I think the prize, and notability/variety of players attending a single tournament is what the actual tournament a "Major" or not. Like what was stated above, if there was a tournament with 100 people from New York, and it was in New York, technically, it's a regional. Even if the prize was 10k bucks. Now flip it, get 30 of the most renown players from different states in the same room, for the same prize, and you have yourself a Major. At least imo.

 

[CrimsonShadow]

I think the prize, and notability/variety of players attending a single tournament is what the actual tournament a "Major" or not. Like what was stated above, if there was a tournament with 100 people from New York, and it was in New York, technically, it's a regional. Even if the prize was 10k bucks. Now flip it, get 30 of the most renown players from different states in the same room, for the same prize, and you have yourself a Major. At least imo.

Does it really work that way though? Like if a bunch of people decide to travel to FF, I don't think that makes it a major.

In golf majors are determined beforehand, not after the fact, regardless of who actually attends -- and I think that model is more in line with how the FGC usually works.

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

Does it really work that way though? Like if a bunch of people decide to travel to FF, I don't think that makes it a major.

In golf majors are determined beforehand, not after the fact, regardless of who actually attends -- and I think that model is more in line with how the FGC usually works.

I agree w ptg slayer

Probably best answer

 

[RM Jonnitti]

A major to me is one that appeals to multiple communities and gets at least 30+ in smaller communities like anime, 3d and old school games, and have 200+ for capcom. they have people travel for them, sometimes international or from opposite ends of the country. this would include big E events, SCR, NCR, Final Round, UFGT, CEO and tournaments like that. Those events attract people from all over the world and players of all different games. If an events draws over 50 for non capcom or NRS, its hard to say its not a major.

A regional is one that fails to appeal to multiple communities in that regard and dont have as many people traveling, maybe for one game. There usually is a clear focus on one game and a lesser focus on others, and it tends to be whatever the region's most popular game is. DTN would be an example of that, where players are traveling for Street Fighter and Marvel because they are popular in NY, but is getting less recognition by players of other games like Injustice, 3d or anime. Honestly DTN looks like its going to be pretty whack if you aren't a capcom player. KIT i would consider to be a regional as well, since it seems like mostly southeast US players going from what I understand (i could be wrong).

 

[CrimsonShadow]

I agree w ptg slayer

Probably best answer

Lol, well in that case SCR wasn't really a major since it was majority same couple of states as comp. Likewise with NEC last year when it was mainly NY/NJ with just a couple of guys travelling from WC, almost no one from the Midwest etc.

I think it's really rare to get 30 of the best players from all different states; usually the attendance at majors for our games is heavily concentrated from one area unless it's a special time where guys resolve to make it like NEC this year or EVO.

 

[Big Pampering]

if we are talking about major tournaments in the sense of accomplishments it won't be that simple. Some players can win a major by beating consistent top 8 placers, but then you have another guy winning a regional by beating consistent top 4 placers. If you ask me it really is about the people you beat and not about the money prizes, number of entrants etc.

 

[Relaxedstate]

Support offline events!!! Whether you consider them majors or not; is and will always be arbitrary.

It is awesome that DtN is back: A very healthy sign of growth for the FGC.

I encourage all who are able to attend.

You get props for top8 and prestige depending on the people you beat.

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

Lol, well in that case SCR wasn't really a major since it was majority same couple of states as comp. Likewise with NEC last year when it was mainly NY/NJ with just a couple of guys travelling from WC, almost no one from the Midwest etc.

I think it's really rare to get 30 of the best players from all different states; usually the attendance at majors for our games is heavily concentrated from one area unless it's a special time where guys resolve to make it like NEC this year or EVO.

Well it is called so cal REGIONALS