• Welcome to Smashboards, the world's largest Super Smash Brothers community! Over 250,000 Smash Bros. fans from around the world have come to discuss these great games in over 19 million posts!

    You are currently viewing our boards as a visitor. Click here to sign up right now and start on your path in the Smash community!

Inside Super Smash Con - An Interview With Justin Wykowski

LiteralGrill

Smokin' Hot~
Joined
Dec 9, 2012
Messages
5,976
Location
Wisconsin


There have been a lot of questions surrounding Super Smash Con ever since its trailer was shown on VGBootcamp's stream. In the description of the trailer, the first thing that stands out is the message "This event is being organized by Justin Wykowski." Many people have been asking questions about Super Smash Con and the man behind it, as there is little information available on either. To help shed light on the general mystery surrounding such a huge event, I approached Justin to see if he would be interested in sitting down for an interview, and he obliged. We cover all the basics; from the convention, to Project M, to just a little bit about himself, and more.

---​


SmashCapps: Alright! Let's start with letting people get to actually know the guy behind Super Smash Con before we get to the event stuff since people have been really interested. Give us a bit of a bio on yourself like what you do for a living, what you do in smash etc. Pretend I'm your Facebook profile for a minute!

Justin Wykowski: Sure thing! As far as Smash is concerned I'm exclusively a 64 player, normally playing as Captain Falcon, Pikachu, Kirby, or Link. Like many, I played since it first came out, but really only got into the competitive scene a few years ago. I've gotten better over the years, but would not consider myself a "really good Smasher" by any means. Most recently, I tied for 49th at Apex 2015. As far as my business background - I, along with a few friends, own a small business called Block Party Bricks, which specializes in everything LEGO! We primarily found our success in the secondary market, selling through online marketplaces as well as conventions and trade shows.

SC: So you said you've sold Lego products at conventions and trade shows, so you probably have at least some experience with going to events professionally, but is this the first convention you've personally ran yourself?

JW: Correct. We have a lot of experience being vendors and/or sponsors at various events, as well as becoming very close friends with one the major show's organizers, which allowed me to learns the ins and outs from the organizing end as well. But yes, this is the first I've run solely.

SC: The trailer for the convention only mentioned you as running the event, is that true or are some of the folks you just mentioned seriously invested in event planning as well?

JW: They are invested as being advisers and mentors to our event, but it is just me and a new set of colleagues on the official "team" so to speak.

SC: That's a great lead in for another important question! We've seen that Juggleguy, Nintendude, and GimR (through VGBootcamp) are working with the event. For people who might be curious, what did it take to contact these guys and hire them on to run the event? In other words, what is the process behind finding staff for an event like this?

JW: Really all through various ways - but really I owe a lot to luck and help from some great people in the community,

SC: Well I have to say you managed to get an incredible group of people working with you there! I'll have to get into some tougher questions now. With such a big pot bonus promised and such a large amount of convention space, a lot of people were surprised that there were no sponsors listed in the initial trailer. Are there any sponsorships lined up that we just don't know about, or can't hear about yet?

Super Smash Con Trailer

JW: The event is being treated as a business investment and we're excited to invest in the Smash community as well as the gaming community as a whole. There will be sponsors to be announced providing other value for the weekend, but the pot bonus and convention space is from us.

SC: So just to make it clear, it's not that there will be $30,000 guaranteed in prizes total, but this is an addition $30,000 added on to whatever comes up after entry fees?

JW: Correct.

SC: And all of that is coming out of your pocket or through business with your Lego based businesses?

JW: Correct.

SC: Forgive me since I don't know much about the Lego business but know a bit more about running conventions. Is the Lego market something very profitable? I'm just amazed with how much a convention generally costs that this is doable.

JW: It really is amazing how deep some of these niche's go - we've been to multiple LEGO shows that have over 20,000 attendees in one weekend!

SC: Wow! I really had no idea it could be something that big. So with this kind of large capital having to be invested, what inspired you to come and do it in the Smash community coming primarily with experience in Legos?

JW: Truthfully it was a combination of two things. At first, I was inspired by these LEGO shows and seeing the success my friend had on his first ones - it got me thinking if there was a niche or community I could provide such an event for. My first thought was of course gaming in general, but last year while watching a 64 tournament I had the "aha" moment that we could do an awesome combo event!

SC: Well I think I'll ask you a bit more about the event itself. You said you didn't have any other major sponsors yet earlier, so can I take that to mean despite popular belief Nintendo is not currently involved in the event in some way?

JW: Correct.


With no Nintendo involvement, what's up with Project M at Super Smash Con?

SC: This one is going to probably be tough so I'll just be blunt. Can you make any comment on Project M or any other mods being allowed at the event in some capacity?

JW: Absolutely. I know this is another big one for people. We really didn't want to make any promises we can't keep in the teaser, so PM was left out there. But we don't mean to exclude it or to say it's not part of the community - we definitely respect and appreciate what the mods have done for the community. We want them to have a presence and are excited for people to learn about them.

SC: I'm guessing the worry is what would happen if Nintendo DID step in then, correct?

JW: Correct.

SC: People will be very happy to hear Project M will have a chance to be there! We know there will at least be 4 major Smash tournaments going on, alongside maybe Project M doing something, what other kids of events will be going on at the con? Can you give us a few hints if anything particularly special is planned?

JW: Yeah unfortunately I can't spoil too much as we want there to be plenty of surprises. But I will drop a couple hints: there will be a fun way to show the casuals the competitive community, and there will be a unique smash-related event that I doubt anyone will be able to predict.

SC: Now that sounds awesome! Will anyone else be allowed to stream at the event, or will all the streaming be covered by VGBootcamp?

JW: That has not been finalized yet.

SC: I guess a tiny bit alongside that, is Twitch involved with the event in any way right now?

JW: Not at this time.

SC: Alright. Onto the event itself a bit, especially with Smash 4 being so young there is a lot of talk on rulesets with things like customs on vs off, 2 stock vs 3 stocks, how long the timer should be, stages, and bunches more. Where do you plan to draw inspiration for your ruleset? Also if your ruleset is already decided, could we hear a bit about it?

JW: Smash 4 is definitely young from a competitive standpoint and will continue to change for a good while. So the best we can do is to continue to watch other high level tournaments and see how things evolve and try to keep an ear to the ground to see the community's response as well.

SC: So we've covered tournaments, and cool events, how about booths? Has there been a lot of interest in booths so far, and has the interest been up to your expectations?

JW: Definitely! We're very excited about both the variety and the quantity. Everyone seems incredibly excited - and so are we!

SC: So there's obviously going to be a TON going on, especially with 100,000 square feet of Smash! How many people are going to be on staff for this, and do you expect a large need for community volunteers?


Inside Of The Dulles Expo Center During Nation's Gun Show From Vic Socotra

JW: Staff numbers won't be final for a little while, but we don't anticipate having to reach out to the general community for volunteering needs. We actually have many volunteers lined up already!

SC: So if someone wants to volunteer, host a booth or panel, or just plain get involved, what's the best way to get in contact to do so?

JW: The best way is to email us at info@supersmashcon.com or fill out the contact form on supersmashcon.com. We love hearing random ideas too!

SC: I think I have everything about the con itself set up and covered, but was there anything I missed you would like to tell people about the convention?

JW: I guess just that we know that there wasn't too much info in the teaser, we really just wanted people to mark their calendars and keep the weekend free. We don't want to keep everyone in the dark and want everyone to know all full details will be released later in April when registration goes live.

SC: Excellent! One last question to end things off on a fun note and let people get to know you a bit more: What is your favorite moment in smash, and why?

JW: Probably the first tournament I went to actually - it was small but in the second round I beat a fairly top player at the time, it was ridiculously close and I just loved the taste of the pressure and the hype afterwards!

SC: First tournament hype! Well Justin thank you a ton for doing this. I really think this will be excellent for letting people know about Super Smash Con, any final words for readers?

JW: See you in August!!

Justin declined answering any questions that would disclose any specific financial information about the event.

---​

Hopefully this has given everyone a chance to learn a little bit more about the upcoming convention as well as the man running it. You can find out more about Super Smash Con by visiting their website or by checking them out on Twitter. You can always find me on Twitter by following @SmashCapps to stay up to date on any news and interviews here as well.
 

Scarlet Jile

Smash Lord
Joined
Oct 19, 2005
Messages
1,223
Location
The Woods, Maine
NNID
ScarletJile
I'm a little trepidatious about someone approaching Smash from an entrepreneurial perspective.

Is that really what's best for the Smash community? This feels a little bit like someone trying to start a business more than develop a grassroots scene.
 

TopKek.GG

スーパー かわいい <3
Joined
Jun 24, 2014
Messages
287
Location
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Very smart move not mentioning PM from the get-go, since he is unsure of how things will go in terms of sponsorship.

I hope PM will be a main event there, and I can't wait to see how this all pans out. :D
 

BWG_Zeta

Smash Extrordinaire'
Joined
Dec 14, 2014
Messages
165
Super smash con should be really hype!!!
Can't wait to see how it all goes :D
 

atomicblast360

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Jun 7, 2014
Messages
278
Location
Hamilton, New Jersey
NNID
AtomicBlast360
So PM might be there in some way, but it likely won't be a part of the main tournament, possibly a side event. Anyway Hyped to see Brawl make a come back not gonna lie, but Smash 4 and Melee are where it's at right now for me.
 

Fig Newton

Smash Cadet
Joined
May 21, 2014
Messages
41
Location
Smash Realm
NNID
Figglypuff
I'm seeing this a lot and I might get a lot of flack for it but people are only hyping because "OMG MAYBE PM CAN BE AT THE CON". That's not entirely the point of this interview. The whole point of it is to see and find if us, the Smash community, can really trust a guy we don't know much to host a large event like this. I love PM as much as the next guy but there's still some questions we need to ask ourselves to see if the Super Smash Con will be a credible event. Who knows, maybe Nintendo can just come charging into this event and PM will not be possible.

I'm not saying it will or will not happen but there is potential for it so it would be wise to not be hyped about the event just for a game that might have a chance appearing in the event. Look at Dashcon, it was a major flop and is proof to the public to just not approve of just someone hosting a large event and not being skeptical about it.
 

Jon_14

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Nov 19, 2013
Messages
133
Location
Maryland
NNID
Jon_14
3DS FC
1993-8945-7042
I'm seeing this a lot and I might get a lot of flack for it but people are only hyping because "OMG MAYBE PM CAN BE AT THE CON". That's not entirely the point of this interview. The whole point of it is to see and find if us, the Smash community, can really trust a guy we don't know much to host a large event like this. I love PM as much as the next guy but there's still some questions we need to ask ourselves to see if the Super Smash Con will be a credible event. Who knows, maybe Nintendo can just come charging into this event and PM will not be possible.

I'm not saying it will or will not happen but there is potential for it so it would be wise to not be hyped about the event just for a game that might have a chance appearing in the event. Look at Dashcon, it was a major flop and is proof to the public to just not approve of just someone hosting a large event and not being skeptical about it.
Now I want SmashCon to have a really big ball pit X_X
 

Sleek Media

Smash Lord
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
1,399
If you guys want to play pretend that you are "athletes" and that "esports" are the same as real professional sports, then you also have to accept everything that comes with professional sports. That means sponsorship, management, and *gasp* capitalist endeavors.
 
Joined
Oct 27, 2013
Messages
226
Location
Illinois
NNID
CRQ-L-07
3DS FC
4854-6608-1552
Nintendo is currently not involved, nor is Twitch. The money and venue are coming out of this guy's pocket.

Holy moly, that's some bank he must be making off Lego. But yeah, I guess everyone has nothing to worry about at present. I mean, sure the whole legal issues thing is keeping PM from sharing the spotlight, but hey more Smash!



Also where's the 3DS tourney
 

Seal

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Dec 30, 2014
Messages
300
Location
Chicago
JW said:
there will be a fun way to show the casuals the competitive community
Calling it: theater-style Smash Doc viewing.
 
Last edited:

epicmartin7

Smash Master
Joined
Jan 9, 2015
Messages
3,626
Location
:noitacoL
NNID
epicmartin
To me, PM really had an involvement in the Smash Community's development and since Super Smash Con is all about celebrating the communities with these games, I think it would be a perfect fit. I'm very hopeful that there might be a major tourney similar to the other Smash games or at least a little side event :). Getting really excited and looking forward to it!
 
Last edited:

Z25

Pokemon Illusionist
Joined
Jan 6, 2014
Messages
27,926
Location
Mushroom Kingdom
NNID
Zoroarkrules571
3DS FC
0533-5240-0946
Sounds really cool! Thanks samsh capps! I bet the mode we won't expect will be mewtwo mayhem! :troll:

Nah betting on something similar to the villager tree chopping game.
 

MegaMissingno

Smash Ace
Joined
Jul 28, 2014
Messages
574
NNID
missingno
Nintendo is not going to step in, they don't care. Dunno what they're worried about.
 

The Petalburg

Smash Rookie
Joined
Mar 22, 2015
Messages
20
Location
Oregon
Lol don't they have enough Smash stuff on the east coast?

Why not start a con in a real grassroots place like in Washington or Oregon or something ya know?
 

TheHypnotoad

Smash Ace
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
615
If you guys want to play pretend that you are "athletes" and that "esports" are the same as real professional sports, then you also have to accept everything that comes with professional sports. That means sponsorship, management, and *gasp* capitalist endeavors.
eSports can go **** themselves. Everything has to be so uptight and politically correct these days, it sucks the fun out of it. The Foundry is definitely one of the best Smash streams right now because it's actually natural, people aren't censoring themselves just so they can get more sponsorship bux.
 

Dreamer_

Smash Rookie
Joined
Nov 4, 2013
Messages
20
Location
Shiver Star
3DS FC
3496-9337-7244
It's being held in VA? That's only like an hour and change away from where I live. Hmmm this may be an interesting first tournament for me to attend if I convince someone I know to drive me there....
 

THE_MAAFIA

Smash Ace
Joined
Jan 1, 2014
Messages
832
Location
Philadelphia, PA
I actually VS'ed Justin at Apex, he's a cool dude, gotta brush up on his 64 skills though ;) never thought this guy would run a major tournament, heh it's crazy how life is
 

Venus of the Desert Bloom

Cosmic God
Super Moderator
Premium
BRoomer
Writing Team
Joined
Jul 30, 2007
Messages
15,217
NNID
VenusBloom
3DS FC
0318-9184-0547
Time to stop playing Smash Bros. and instead play with Legos!
 

ZomBiehn

Semi-Pro
Joined
Oct 14, 2014
Messages
226
Location
Bangor, ME
NNID
ZomBiehnU
3DS FC
3153-5961-0908
See this "SmashCon" idea is awesome, all kinds of competition and vendors and all things Smash,I'd give a left kidney to go to the first ever smash con, I just hate where its located, that's a long haul especially after the APEX and CEO and EVO trips
 

l_wan

Smash Rookie
Joined
Dec 2, 2014
Messages
23
Location
Atlanta, GA
3DS FC
1650-3162-8641
YOOOOO
This is hype.

It'd be cool to have a 3ds side tourney as well. I hope I can go, it's on my birthday weekend!
 

LittleMacAndCheese

Smash Rookie
Joined
Jul 22, 2014
Messages
22
NNID
sonicj
3DS FC
4124-6305-9419
The hype is beyond real. I hope this is streamed by vgbootcamp so people who couldn't make it could still experience the hype matches
 

NotaSkeleton

Smash Cadet
Joined
Aug 3, 2014
Messages
53
I'm a little trepidatious about someone approaching Smash from an entrepreneurial perspective.

Is that really what's best for the Smash community? This feels a little bit like someone trying to start a business more than develop a grassroots scene.
Isn't that the reason why Project M is slowly being phased out? Everything seems to be turning into a business, which I don't really mind, but it brings issues that clash with the nature of Project M. It's as if the bigger the channels become, the less likely they are to include Project M in their catalogue. This is why we need more smaller channels who can fill the hole left by VGBootCamp.
 
Top Bottom