Fighting Games as a Competitive Sport?

Video game cannot be considered a sport because for any video game you are require to have a TV, or some device to output the video game.

When you play basketball, hockey, or any other sport, do you need a TV to play?
And sure people might need a TV to watch sports but it’s not a requirement, but you definitely don’t need a TV to play sports. Although one could say board game don’t require a TV, so my reply to this is I don’t consider board games a sport.

Sports and video game require both physical and mental strength but sports focus more on the physical, and Video/board game focus more on the mental side.

So imo, I don’t think it’s about trying to make videos game fit into “sports” but rather trying to establish a new sector/category for video/board game to be on par with sports.
Pretty much this whole debate is only for the name/title (for video game to be consider sports), kinda reminds me of the gay marriage debate.
 
XDaiKonX said:
So where does Dance Dance Revolution stand?
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that is a wonderful question!!!!!!

wasnt there stupid little comps for that game as well. not only making apperences in various movies, tv shows etc. that game requires not just menatl but physical.

This whole debate bout calling gaming a "sport" is irrelevant. we can discuss names for what we do later.

I think the whole question of this thread was....FIGHTING games a competative sport. IMO the guy a couple posts ago hit something on the head there. FPS's all have the same general foundation....point, shot, jump, get cover. Fighting games change to drasticlly from game to game even in the same series. FPS's I think would be more exciting to watch than a fighting game. That coming from a spectators opinion of course.
 
I think Page raises a good point. So much of it is in presentation. Having announcers that know the game (AND have charisma) makes a world of difference, which is why the cheesey/awkward DOA and G4 announcing is cringe worthy and off-putting, whereas stuff like Rockfeller's or AI SF4 stuff is interesting and (well, AI more then Rock, lol) actually relevant to the game.
 
Dave, it's all good man I'm not here to argue around, was just putting down some thoughts. I think mental games are definitely worth public recognition, otherwise I wouldn't still be involved with fighting games and various other genres even though I spend most of my time with my sport. It should not be classified as a sport though, nor does it need to be. Competition is competition and it's always good to see people push each other to perform. Poker can piggy back on ESPN because it's the existing sports channel where people expect to see competitive games, it would be too difficult to gather the resources for a poker only channel. Competitive gaming is also marred by the problem of inconsistency when it comes to decent games that everyone can agree to play, so there are more factors at work in keeping gaming out of the public competitive eye than just the mass misunderstandings associated with gaming. How can we have a program on competitive gaming when every scrub who can afford a copy of said game think they're the nicest.
 
Hudathan said:
Dave, it's all good man I'm not here to argue around, was just putting down some thoughts. I think mental games are definitely worth public recognition, otherwise I wouldn't still be involved with fighting games and various other genres even though I spend most of my time with my sport. It should not be classified as a sport though, nor does it need to be. Competition is competition and it's always good to see people push each other to perform. Poker can piggy back on ESPN because it's the existing sports channel where people expect to see competitive games, it would be too difficult to gather the resources for a poker only channel. Competitive gaming is also marred by the problem of inconsistency when it comes to decent games that everyone can agree to play, so there are more factors at work in keeping gaming out of the public competitive eye than just the mass misunderstandings associated with gaming. How can we have a program on competitive gaming when every scrub who can afford a copy of said game think they're the nicest.
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i totallt agree. the gaming community within itself is in termoil over things like bans, marketing, finacing, etc etc etc. we have a long hard road to go but I believe its getting there. and i believe before I die i will see it sky rocket into popularity. calling it a sport?????...i agree thats debatable to. but thats for a different thread i think. the american public loves to be entertained by ANYTHING competitve. look at the tv show survivor, or american idol, those are comps. we just have to figure out how to tell american that this shit is fun to!!
 
I could care less whether itz considered a sport or not. All I care is how mainstream this game gets as well as pro gaming in general.
 
Cool topic.

I guess I'll add my two cents. Although alot of things have already been said.

Everything depends. I'm sure all of you have seen SBO in japan. Have you seen all the sponsers and shit japan has..? How hype they are? There on a stage in a dome, lol...with a serious ass announcer. I think its all in the sponsers. If japan can do it so can we, lol. Its still not technically a sport but I think people can make it as serious as one.

The problem with making video games a sport, mainly...as stated before is that things change too much. Its too easy to find inconsistancy. Broken combos and etc, where as there is no broken shit in other sports...mainly because its physical. Also, you will have every scrub praise they are nice and will try to compete with people who actually know what they are doing. This would sound like a good thing but in honestly, it would be real bad.

Do you know how many people play fighting games? LOL. Tournaments would never end, its hard for many of the gaming communitys to hold a 100 man tournament. When you have thousands...dudes, its uncontrolable.

Another thing is, Soul Calibur definitely wouldn't be the first game on the list. I love SC, but if it would be any game, it would be Street Fighter because its been around for so damn long and has been the most consistent. Even then, it would be so boring just to see

" Power wave, Power Wave " " Haduken, Haduken, haduken, haduken, haduuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuukeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen?!?" Lol..

Video games can be mad entertaining to americans if the announcer is hype like the players are. Once again, look at SBO. That shit is mad serious. However, fighting games becoming a sport, I think its impossible. I love the sound of it, but I have no clue how they would organize that shit. The forums are as organized as shits gotten in years, and honestly....thats not very organize ^_^;
Topic can be on Setsuka's just frames, and people will start talking about lesbians and meatloaf. You guys know its true too. Javachat?!

However, I do think we should make shit as serious as SBO here. Cause Japan makes Evo look like a get together, lol.
 
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Guilty Gear is awesome and balanced. If any fighting game should be a sport, thats it. Real talk!
 
Just a thought. You know how all these ban threads erupting a few days ago. Somewhere down the line there will be an agreement or a compromise. This will happen later in the late stages. Later, the rules will be established, the tiers about finished, and there will be old champions and new champions, etc. From there it might make small changes to the rules but will be inherently the same. From there it can become mainstream. But then comes the next game, SC5, and it all starts over. Theres new in-game stats and properties. And the scrutinizing starts over again until it flushes out.

This is a constant cycle you won't see in mainstream sports. It would be like every other year, the diameter of the rim and ball changes size for basketball. And every time it changes, people will debate the proper width of the court, the distance of the 3-point line, argue what constitutes as a foul, goaltending, traveling, etc. By the time the rim and ball changes diameter again, the arguments and scrutinizing starts over because of the new ball they have to adjust to. It doesn't happen this way in sports, the initial scrutinizing of the main rules was finished. All thats left is to play the game.

At this point, I really dont see fighting games making it.
 
Promiethius said:
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Guilty Gear is awesome and balanced. If any fighting game should be a sport, thats it. Real talk!
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this is it...the best post...


Also, I think in the long run fighting games have potential to make it at least somewhat big. The community is much more socially & culturally diverse than any other group of gamers, and there are easily more colorful personalities (a major weakness of poker, for example). Add that to the fast-paced and dramatic nature of the games themselves, and I think you could make a great TV show provided you have the right announcers and production values.

And fighting games are actually much less "broken" than sports without the right rules. Basketball, for example, used to consist of one team holding onto the ball for several minutes at a time before taking a shot, and the other team doing the same; a Lakers-Pistons game in 1950 had a final score of 19-18, which helped lead to the creation of the shot clock. Baseball, way back in the 19th century, used to have a tactic to get guaranteed base hits (the rule this exploited was changed in 1877). And so on.

I don't think you would need man-made rules like that in fighting games. The one thing I could see being necessary for TV is some sort of "shot clock" equivalent rule - and even in that case, the games themselves could start adding a negative penalty ala GG/Blazblue. In general, patching would likely take the place of sports' rules committees.

Oh yeah, and the whole "is it a sport?" argument is just as meaningless as "is Smash Bros. a fighting game?"
 
Guilty Gear: I don't believe there's a version on Xbox. The latest version I know of is on the Wii as well as PS2. It's really not all that different from your typical 2D fighter. In fact, it's kinda like Soul Calibur had a baby with Street Fighter (because most characters use some kind of weapon), but that kid started rebelling and getting into the whole emo punk rock & roll crowd. It's got tons of features & depth to it, and actually isn't that bad. My roommate got me into it, but I refuse to play anyone other than Ky Kiske (I think that's his name). He's one of the very few normal people there. It's got someone who fights with shadows, a boy dressed as a nun that fights with teddy bears & yo-yos (Bridget has a huge shota following), a ramen cook not unlike Ranma's Shampoo, big beefy man with tiny tiny legs, a psycho comedy manga-style character who fights with a paper bag on his head, even a boss character that fights with a guitar. It's extremely over-the-top and, frankly, I find the flavor annoying, but it's a worthwhile fighter.

As for its coverage, I think the best we'd be able to manage would possibly be a weekly half-hour show, talking about the latest strategies and high-caliber tournament coverage among all fighters. I think you could get away with it, but it wouldn't grab high ratings. G4 fails with its fighting videos On Demand, because it's plainly against a stupid AI with a stupid player.
 
rashreflection: Overpowered fighters would be the equivalent of Wilt Chamberlain smacking the ball out right when it gets to the rim. The goaltending rule was implemented to prevent a broken tactic without removing Wilt or blocking shots. This would be something to the likes of "no small stages" rule or something to that effect that people are thinking about to balance Hilde's doom combo. But a patch could also fix things. "Like a rules committee," as you say. Good analogy.

Anyway good points, rash.

As for poker personality: theres "Poker Kid" Daniel Negreanu. Thats why he is very popular among poker fans and casuals alike. Phil Hellmuth is also great for TV for his temper tantrums and insults. There are actually a couple more, but it takes being educated with the game to appreciate them.
 
Hot_Rod_Dave said:
ive never played this guilty gear. is it available on xbox?
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Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeealy?

There is Guilty Gear XX Reload on the old school Xbox which is BC I believe. You may find it used for dirt cheap. It's also on Xbox Originals. Don't get that one unless it's impossible for you to find a much cheaper copy.

If you have a PS2 you can grab GG Accent Core which is the new version.

I find Arcana Heart alot better than Guilty Gear IMO. <--- I'm gonna get slammed, LOL
 
...Pull the whole word "sport" out of this damn thing.

Fighting games are among the most competitive games there are. When you throw in the word "sport," you get all politicalky with professional sports players making too much money, video games vs other stuff, all that argument is bullshit.

Competitive? Yes. If people sitting on their fat asses watching football argue that being the best at these video games takes no work, they're just ignorant pricks.

Same thing with the whole e-sports discussion. Just call it a professional video game competition circuit. It's a competition, it's for money, it requires practice, and there's no politicalky with the word "sport." Done.

If you actually CARE about your hobby being a "sport," why? I'd be curious to hear the other side; personally, I couldn't care less about what other people call my hobby.
 
One other thing I just thought of. I hate to bring up poker again, but its a good comparison because its a game and not a true sport. I believe one of the things that brought poker to mainstream was the popularity of a movie titled: Rounders. Its a cult flick, but it made the game look "cool" even to those that don't know how to play the game. So maybe if something like that can happen to fighting games, it might help. It needs to be on a serous note and for adults though, not like that Fred Savage movie and the Nintendo power glove. Video games still hasn't quite gotten over the stigma that its for kids.
 
There's an audience for watching video games. All you have to do is get the presentation down so that the casual gamer and/or non-gamer understands what they're watching, and then get it on the right channel.

CGS didn't fail because it wasn't entertaining to the masses. It failed because it wasn't on MTV, Fox or some other major network. Same goes for that new WCG Ultimate Gamer thing... Sci-fi Channel and USA? It's not going to find an audience there.

As much as you may like or hate what CGS was doing, it if had been on MTV, it would still be around today. If you can get millions of Americans to watch a dancing or singing competition, you can get them to watch people playing video games.

Put American Idol on DirecTV's 101 or G4 (before it got big) and it would've been canceled too.
 
presentaion is definetly a key thing. marketing in general is key. it has to be advertised, the players have to have a gimick or some kind of sob story or something. DrDogg has a great point! put it on mtv, you will have a winning show for at least 3 years. cause that just seems like when mtv's shows get canceled and rotated. but it could branch off into other networks.

but what comes before all that is money. and a steady flow of it. I believe that to be our greatest obsticle by far right now. What major bill gates, CEO, high executive big shot with a ton of money finacial backer wants to throw money into a gamble like that. presented the right way to the right person, im sure it could happen. I think whoever did would have stumbled into "the next big thing". but we need a sucker to pitch that to!
 
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