FGC Vs MLG: Ball is in play

[BiPolarExxpress]

It really sucks having capcom voice the fgc. I know they're the largest, but seems a lot of people in and out of that community want it to happen. I wasnt around in the mk days, but watching videos and hearing about the events it sounded amazing. I feel injustice could do well in it too. Your casual gamer would probably think wow. Batman and Lex are on screen, that's pretty cool I'm gonna see what its about. Its what got me into the game actually, and we wouldn't have a lot of people with the WHENS MAHVEL and all that as much. DC could be a huge advantage. And with increased pots I'm sure we'd have higher level players into more games.

I read the article and editorial, give me a break. Past events picked up DOA, what does that have to do with us? Instead of blasting a company that could get us in the spotlight why not work with them? In the business world you always try and get larger companies under your belt, mom and pop companies only can sustain for so long.
Plus, a comment about many Dr pepper ads were on there. They wouldn't need to advertise with GGA Max there

Anyways, rant of randomness completed.

 

[CrimsonShadow]

I don't understand why certain people constantly hate on MLG and eSports in general. To be fair, I don't think the statement that "the community rejected MLG" is fair, because we really loved MK there and the community embraced it. I'm sure that likewise, if they picked up Injustice, we'd support it 100%.

However, it only takes a few bad apples to spoil the bunch; and as always, the people in the FGC with the least positivity to contribute are always the most vocal.

What people don't get is, like any other sport, the FGC will not cease to exist just because there's esports alongside it. Little league and community tournaments don't just go away because MLB exists. As long as people love fighting games, they will continue to gather together and play somewhere.

In either case, if people want more organization and better payouts and "grow the scene", they are going to have to broaden the audience at some point. Otherwise, people will have to hold the fact that some things won't change.

 

[AK Black Preon]

I don't understand why certain people constantly hate on MLG and eSports in general. To be fair, I don't think the statement that "the community rejected MLG" is fair, because we really loved MK there and the community embraced it. I'm sure that likewise, if they picked up Injustice, we'd support it 100%.

However, it only takes a few bad apples to spoil the bunch, and as always the people in the FGC with the least positivity to contribute are always the most vocal.

What people don't get is, like any other sport, the FGC will not cease to exist just because there's esports alongside it. Little league and community tournaments don't just go away because MLB exists. As long as people love fighting games, they will continue to gather together and play somewhere.

In either case, if people want more organization and better payouts and "grow the scene", they are going to have to broaden the audience at some point. Otherwise, people will have to hold the fact that some things won't change.

Well as I've said for a while. From the outside looking in (those who aren't in the FGC). When they think FGC as a whole, the first thoughts are Capcom games and their respective streams and stream monsters and "When's mahvel and Soul Fist and Happy Birthdays". So sure its not fair, but how SRK/EVO are deeply rooted in one another, it makes sense that this skewed capcomcentric view rises. But you can't help but wonder how much of it stunts communities' overall growth.

 

[DarthArma]

I love my ad blocker....

 

[MortySeinfeld]

On a side-note, MLG is in an interesting position at this point in time. The PC gaming landscape has shifted quite a bit.

When you look at what games are popular on the PC front, League of Legends (LOL) and Starcraft II are currently your two Juggernauts.

League of Legends and Blizzard games have been pulled from MLG because there are efforts to compete for the PC gaming audience as well.

I believe League of Legends has partnered with DreamHack and now hosts their own tournaments with huge prize payouts (millions).

Blizzard has pulled StarCraft II from MLG and had recently acquired IPL (IGN Pro League), in an effort to grow their own PC gaming tournaments as a direct competitor to MLG/DreamHack/etc.

It can be assumed that Blizzard would host the following games:

- StarCraft II
- Diablo III
- World of Warcraft (Arena)
- Hearthstone
- Heroes of the Storm (soon to be competitor on the MOBA front)

To compensate for these games being pulled, MLG has had to modify their roster and currently support the following games:

- Call of Duty: Ghosts
- DOTA 2

I am sure now would be a time that acquiring a piece of the FGC audience is starting to look more appealing to MLG.

 

[@MylesWright_]

Is it possible for the NRS community to exile themselves from the FGC and run with MLG

 

[AK Black Preon]

I love my ad blocker....

BUT IS AKUMA A GOOD CHARACTER OR A BAD CHARACTER? You must know the answer...

I only turned off my ad-blocker to read. And now I never have to leave my self susceptible again.

 

[AK Black Preon]

Is it possible for the NRS community to exile themselves from the FGC and run with MLG

Then we'll have a 24 part On Blast Show series... about the "Civil War in the FGC"... as ignorant as it sounded to type it. You know deep down in your heart of hearts it would happen.

Yeah I said "sounded" with keys. taptaptaptaptataap tap tap tap clickity tap tap @AK coolcmcgee tap tap tap level 3 bane charge

 

[FrothyOmen]

@MortySeinfeld solid analysis. I do not follow starcraft 2 anymore, so I was unaware MLG had to pull it. I also didn't know about LoL. Really sucks for MLG, I certainly hope that we can get some fightmans there to fill the void. DOTA2 and CoD: Ghosts will certainly bring some numbers, but another game to round out the package would be ideal so long as MLG/Capcom or MLG/NRS (or MLG/other dev) can cut a good deal. I wish there was a way to help make that happen.

 

[AK Black Preon]

@MortySeinfeld solid analysis. I do not follow starcraft 2 anymore, so I was unaware MLG had to pull it. I also didn't know about LoL. Really sucks for MLG, I certainly hope that we can get some fightmans there to fill the void. DOTA2 and CoD: Ghosts will certainly bring some numbers, but another game to round out the package would be ideal so long as MLG/Capcom or MLG/NRS (or MLG/other dev) can cut a good deal. I wish there was a way to help make that happen.

Although I don't play KI. I wonder what a Killer instinct MLG would fetch in terms of viewership.

 

[FrothyOmen]

Although I don't play KI. I wonder what a Killer instinct MLG would fetch in terms of viewership.

I don't know that it would attract very much at all. Doesn't Amazon own double helix now? I don't know how the dynamic between Amazon and Microsoft might work, but they've certainly got the cash to front some sponsorships and maybe make that a reality. Who knows.

 

[CrimsonShadow]

On a side-note, MLG is in an interesting position at this point in time. The PC gaming landscape has shifted quite a bit.

When you look at what games are popular on the PC front, at this point in time League of Legends (LOL) and Starcraft II really are your two Juggernauts.
.

DOTA2 is creeping up on SC2 and has def. already surpassed its popularity in North America and in most asian countries outside of Korea (Russia, China etc). While SC2 will never go away due to it's heavy popularity in SK, I think that DOTA2 might be the new 2nd place juggernaut worldwide and it may be here to stay.

 

[FrothyOmen]

DOTA2 is creeping up on SC2 and has def. already surpassed its popularity in North America and in most asian countries outside of Korea (Russia, China etc). While SC2 will never go away due to it's heavy popularity in SK, I think that DOTA2 might be the new 2nd place juggernaut worldwide and it may be here to stay.

Most people consider DOTA2 to be the superior game, but LoL was there first and has that staying factor already. I know so many people who started with LoL and have moved to DOTA for a better experience. Wonder what Blizzard's MOBA will bring to the table, I expect a flop. Too late into the game imo

 

[CrimsonShadow]

Most people consider DOTA2 to be the superior game, but LoL was there first and has that staying factor already. I know so many people who started with LoL and have moved to DOTA for a better experience. Wonder what Blizzard's MOBA will bring to the table, I expect a flop. Too late into the game imo

I think Blizzard said that their MOBA is very different and focused on a different target audience. I can't remember all of the details, but when I checked it out it seemed like it wouldn't be a direct competitor to Lol/DOTA.

 

[AK Black Preon]

I don't know that it would attract very much at all. Doesn't Amazon own double helix now? I don't know how the dynamic between Amazon and Microsoft might work, but they've certainly got the cash to front some sponsorships and maybe make that a reality. Who knows.

I thought Microsoft was getting a NEW development team to continue anything KI related and Double Helix was just getting a hand shake and a good luck on future endeavors. I don't think Amazon and Microsoft are actually going to combine efforts to perpetuate KI's momentum.

 

[HellblazerHawkman]

You know, I don't see the problem. It's not like MLG owns the IP's, so we can do our own shit still. Commentators might suck cause I doubt they'd let the "whoever is around commentates" thing we do go at MLG events, but it's not like we aren't used to bad commentary. Only thing I could see being an issue is what we have as Majors becoming MLG only because who the fuck would fly to SCR (random example) when MLG is running something at the same time with a 20x larger payout. But we could work with them, maybe get out shit backed by MLG, not just overtaken? Like, I don't think they'd want to trash EVO or anything because that would only stand to piss us all off, payouts aside.

Biggest roadblocks are gonna be TO's I guess, but mostly the Capcom crowd. But hey, if we get MLG sponsorship, we could get bigger than the Capcom crowd and they won't get to dictate what the NRS players do (goes for other scenes as well)

 

[CrimsonShadow]

@FrothyOmen the craziest thing to me in all this, is that the whole MOBA faction is dominating the gaming landscape right now.. And it didn't even exist a few years ago.

It makes you think -- what could happen in the future?

 

[CrimsonShadow]

But we could work with them, maybe get out shit backed by MLG, not just overtaken? Like, I don't think they'd want to trash EVO or anything because that would only stand to piss us all off, payouts aside.

This is pretty much exactly what MLG is doing with Smash Bros. and what their 'Grassroots Program' is supposed to be.

 

[HellblazerHawkman]

This is pretty much exactly what MLG is doing with Smash Bros. and what their 'Grassroots Program' is supposed to be.

It makes sense, we already know how to run tourney's the way we like, it's less work for MLG and they still get their money. You stand to make better profit when you work with your consumer instead of telling them what they want.

 

[FrothyOmen]

I thought Microsoft was getting a NEW development team to continue anything KI related and Double Helix was just getting a hand shake and a good luck on future endeavors. I don't think Amazon and Microsoft are actually going to combine efforts to perpetuate KI's momentum.

Yeah man, I'm ignorant on the matter. I don't entirely know how it all works. Just talking out my ass.

 

[FrothyOmen]

@FrothyOmen the craziest thing to me in all this, is that the whole MOBA faction is dominating the gaming landscape right now.. And it didn't even exist a few years ago.

It makes you think -- what could happen in the future?

Hopefully Titanfall

 

[NoobHunter420]

WTF, the fgc loves the poverty.

 

[albinojiginosis]

As an outsider looking in I see the entire thing as a trip to crazy town. I understand that instinctive knee-jerk urge to shy away from what's already known and familiar, but money talks. While I can't necessarily vouch for how things were prior to 2010, I think Capcom's dominance on the genre as a whole combined with the unyielding nature of Japanese business culture had a lot to do with how things got the way they are now. Now that Capcom is in dire straits with their cash reserves, I feel that they're gonna either be forced to do business with an eSports organization to get those phat licensing dollars or just keep it business as usual. I mean, people are gonna buy their games and run bootleg events anyway so why not?

Ultimately fighting games are gonna have to be put on PC with REAL PORTS in order to get any traction. Believe it or not, the global PC market for video games is much larger than consoles due to the lack of self-imposed hardware limits by console manufacturers and them only shipping to certain countries. Everything that's not Halo or Call of Duty that has had any staying power on professional leagues and circuits has been on PC and the status quo still holds to this day. Due to the nature of consoles, you're essentially limited to peripherals that "potential" sponsors could advertise and promote which is crippling overall to potential ROI.

 

[Tony at Home]

The problem is MLG doesn't know which community to communicate to- and they default on Capcom (which is a bad choice) because they see them as the natural representative; just based on the way they normally do things.

MLG is used to choosing games purely based on how brand-new the game is and how popular it is. Capcom is a natural choice because they sell the most. They're the CoD of fighting games in terms of popularity.

But unlike with FPS games, fighting games don't drown out each other. The Evo lineup has SIX games. Go to an MLG championship, and they'll generally have CoD, a MOBA game, and Starcraft. Three. That's it. They won't have games like Tribes Ascend or Counter Strike Global Offensive or Quake 3.

 

[MortySeinfeld]

If I had to guess. EVO numbers would drop for a lot of games if they can go to other places "East Coasters" primarily and hit up NY/OH/TX/FL for events for bigger payouts. (MUCH bigger). And as you said it being a business, a lack of entrants is a lack of money, and for the SRK/EVO boys that's a no go. But my question is, does MLG provide their own streams? If so they probably feel as though their days of "MAX CPM" will no longer be a viable option select for them.

MLG does provide their own streams, they have been (and I believe currently still are) partnered with Twitch.tv for their hosting.

Another aspect of this whole thing is the production value of the stream itself and the technology that goes into it.

With an MLG event (or eSports in general), if you have ever seen the production studio behind the scenes and understand the technology that goes into making everything work; They use TriCasters/Soundboards/Mobile Production Quality Camera's/Speaker Systems throughout the venue/Animated Video asset management tools/etc.

This is the same equipment that is used for television productions and big budget productions in general.

When you translate that to the production value of FGC events, you are seeing home grown streamers that are doing some pretty amazing things from a guy that has a computer with X-Split installed and some webcams.

To run a TriCaster and throw together a production at the scale/scope of an MLG requires a lot of expertise and several moving parts, which is something I don't think a lot of our grassroots streamers have experience with. I think AJ with Leveluplive is probably one of our better resources within the FGC when it comes to production value.