Does the Smash Community Act Entitled?

[BindingBlade]

What craps we give make no difference anyway. It's not like Sakurai is pining the forums for ideas about Paper Mario or some other off-the-wall character like Savvy Stylist or Stork.

 

[HeavyLobster]

I hate this idea that gamers and communities within them are entitled. None of this is charity. Nintendo is not making this game for free and giving it to you for free. Nintendo is continuing to make SSB games TO MAKE MONEY. You may say, "but, they make games to make people and their fans happy!" Well, of course they do. More and happier fans creates a solid and growing consumer base, which they use to MAKE MORE MONEY.

As a consumer of these products, I can express my opinion on the products. Whether the company in question accepts my criticism and adjusts their product is up to them. I should not be belittled by someone for voicing my opinion, and that's exactly what throwing around the word "entitled" does. You're saying that I should just sit back and accept what is giving to me, but what you forget is that I'm giving them something as well. This is an honest exchange of goods. Both parties can voice their opinion on the deal. Is a person "entitled" for requesting heated seats in a car? No, the consumer is just voicing their opinion of what they want in the product.

Also, Pic's of the Day are not a gift to us. Yes, Sakurai does not have to do them, but they do give him something in return. The PotD serve to get the fanbase excited and convince them to buy the game, and hopefully the current fanbase will get others excited. If someone isn't satisfied, then they should say so. If the producer wants to adjust the product based on feedback then they can.

You're right that as a consumer you have every right to demand whatever will make a product "worth it" to you, and choose not to buy it if it isn't. The only problem I have is when things delve into truly ridiculous/unpleaseable territory and people refuse to shut up about minutia so that those who do enjoy the product are unable to do so because of a flood of extreme negativity from a vocal minority. As long as the criticism is presented in a thoughtful and respectful manner, there isn't anything wrong with it. The real problem isn't really "entitlement" so much as it's people being jerks over the internet.

 

[Nat Perry]

You're right that as a consumer you have every right to demand whatever will make a product "worth it" to you, and choose not to buy it if it isn't. The only problem I have is when things delve into truly ridiculous/unpleaseable territory and people refuse to shut up about minutia so that those who do enjoy the product are unable to do so because of a flood of extreme negativity from a vocal minority. As long as the criticism is presented in a thoughtful and respectful manner, there isn't anything wrong with it. The real problem isn't really "entitlement" so much as it's people being jerks over the internet.

Pretty much covered that below. There is a line where criticism is inherently ridiculous, though; you can present a dumb criticism in a thoughtful and respectful manner but that doesn't make it less dumb, unfortunately.

An example of whining was for Tomodachi Life. Like, really? You feel left out in a creative alternate world not entirely reflective of reality? Wow, ok, I guess I feel left out playing Portal because there's no alternate male lead. I guess I feel left out in Fire Emblem Awakening because I can't have polygamous marriages. I guess I feel left out in Zelda because I can't kill innocent NPCs, and that's so unrealistic in a game where heart-shaped containers increase my health! I guess I feel left out in Animal Crossing because my character can't have a naturally darker skin color. I guess I feel left out in Donkey Kong Country because there's no human characters in it. I guess I feel left out in Mii Maker because my hair is blue and they don't have a blue option, dammit! Let's make and sign petitions for this noble cause and make Nintendo say something about it, because this is a real damn issue in our society and it's something worth fighting for, for God's sake!

As for trivial matters...does anyone really think that they creators and developers care what we consider "deserving" of the roster? Or any dumb things we think are of substance in the game? No, they don't give a crud what they see here.

 

[Farorae]

Can't really generalize either way. Smash is like any other community, some people are going to act entitled and some aren't .

 

[STiCKYBULL3TZ]

I would say the Smash community definitely acts entitled. But I would say the majority of the entitled ones come from the competitive side of the community. When it comes to Nintendo games Smash is one of, if the THEE, most popular game on any of the last 3 consoles. The competitive community played a large part in this and is continuing with these next iterations of the game.

Think about this...

Microsoft has Halo, Gears of War, and Killer Instinct (probably more) that are exclusive to them and are large competitive communities. Not sure of Sony's exclusive and large competitive communities but both companies have Street Fighter, Tekken, Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat, etc.

As far as large and popular, competitive communities go, Smash is pretty much the only one Nintendo has. A lot of people feel because they delivered so much support and brought the game to the pedestal they are owed their needs for the game. Again, most of these people I say come from the competitive community. Generally, casuals have their suggestions and know what they would like but would be happy with what's given to them because it's Smash. Competitive folk say what the game should and shouldn't have and get upset or dismiss the game for doing the opposite

 

[Nat Perry]

Relevant

 

[Senario]

I would say the Smash community definitely acts entitled. But I would say the majority of the entitled ones come from the competitive side of the community. When it comes to Nintendo games Smash is one of, if the THEE, most popular game on any of the last 3 consoles. The competitive community played a large part in this and is continuing with these next iterations of the game.

Think about this...

Microsoft has Halo, Gears of War, and Killer Instinct (probably more) that are exclusive to them and are large competitive communities. Not sure of Sony's exclusive and large competitive communities but both companies have Street Fighter, Tekken, Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat, etc.

As far as large and popular, competitive communities go, Smash is pretty much the only one Nintendo has. A lot of people feel because they delivered so much support and brought the game to the pedestal they are owed their needs for the game. Again, most of these people I say come from the competitive community. Generally, casuals have their suggestions and know what they would like but would be happy with what's given to them because it's Smash. Competitive folk say what the game should and shouldn't have and get upset or dismiss the game for doing the opposite

I wouldnt say that. It is a product and we have a right to express discontent if the produxt doesnt meet expectations. It is not entitlement as this is an exchange of currency for a product.

 

[Road Death Wheel]

Yeah we are entitled to get what we want. its petty and spoiled but thats how being a consumer works. Its the providers job to pander to me if the want the sale. I unlike other people wont buy something i don't enjoy. or like. im pleased with smash 4 though.

 

[Ryuutakeshi]

Oh, great, now you're making it look like we wasted $40-$60 on something we technically don't own. But I do own a copy... TIME TO MAKE A KNOCK OFF GAME. It will have the same coding, but hacked textures, and be called "King of Smash".

I think you misunderstood me. You do own the individual disk that you bought, but you don't own the franchise. What Sakurai and/or Nintendo does with it does not require your consent. People claim Sakuri doesn't know what he's doing or that he's not listening, but that's only because Sakurai isn't submitting to every little thing demanded of him.

 

[BindingBlade]

Yeah we are entitled to get what we want. its petty and spoiled but thats how being a consumer works. Its the providers job to pander to me if the want the sale. I unlike other people wont buy something i don't enjoy. or like. im pleased with smash 4 though.

But people are acting like Smash should be tailored to them specifically and get all ****sy if it's not.

 

[Road Death Wheel]

But people are acting like Smash should be tailored to them specifically and get all ****sy if it's not.

thats how its supposed too be if im not happy i can complain because I myself don't like it. i could care less if everybody else hated it as long as i like it.

 

[Violenceman]

thats how its supposed too be if im not happy i can complain because I myself don't like it. i could care less if everybody else hated it as long as i like it.

I think things would be fine if that is where opinions stayed; at a simple case of I like it or I don't. However this isn't really an issue of entitlement. It is more an issue of arrogance. The problem isn't that everyone has their own idea of what they want in the game, it is that a lot of people believe they know what would be best for the game; what would make for the perfect or "correct" Smash bros game. And in and of itself, that's not even a bad thing; of course we all have our own idea for what would make the best Smash game.

However, that mindset can take a simple and wholly respectable opinion like "I don't like this feature" and turn it into "This feature is bad game design", which then becomes "Sakurai does not know how to make a Good Smash game anymore", which then culminates in "Anyone who likes this feature does not know what a good Smash game is". It's a whole fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate situation. This of course causes anyone who likes that feature to lash back out in order to defend their "correct" Smash Bros game and it all goes downhill from there.

"This feature is something I don't enjoy" is worlds different from "this feature is bad", but the two have become synonymous to such a hyperbolic level that we can't seem to help but jump all over each other whenever someone so much as posts an opinion on a game element we don't agree with.

 

[Road Death Wheel]

I think things would be fine if that is where opinions stayed; at a simple case of I like it or I don't. However this isn't really an issue of entitlement. It is more an issue of arrogance. The problem isn't that everyone has their own idea of what they want in the game, it is that a lot of people believe they know what would be best for the game; what would make for the perfect or "correct" Smash bros game. And in and of itself, that's not even a bad thing; of course we all have our own idea for what would make the best Smash game.

However, that mindset can take a simple and wholly respectable opinion like "I don't like this feature" and turn it into "This feature is bad game design", which then becomes "Sakurai does not know how to make a Good Smash game anymore", which then culminates in "Anyone who likes this feature does not know what a good Smash game is". It's a whole fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate situation. This of course causes anyone who likes that feature to lash back out in order to defend their "correct" Smash Bros game and it all goes downhill from there.

"This feature is something I don't enjoy" is worlds different from "this feature is bad", but the two have become synonymous to such a hyperbolic level that we can't seem to help but jump all over each other whenever someone so much as posts an opinion on a game element we don't agree with.

poetic i always enjoy reading a very educated post. i agree.

 

[el_profe]

I'm new to the scene, so from an outside perspective, I'd have to say yes. Too many posts on the past on r/smashbros were akin to 'It's not exactly like Melee, so **** it.' The community there has gotten more positive lately, but there is still a loud, entitled minority.

It's as though some veterans don't want to learn new techniques. "If I can't wavedash, I'm not playing!" Not everyone says this, of course, but lurking the community since Feb, it's an attitude I saw over and over. Since E3, I feel that's changed, thank God.

Smash 4 will be a test: are Smashers eSports or not? Can they evolve? Can they adapt? Or will the whiners rule the roost?

Time will tell. Overall, I feel the Smash community is conservative -- it dislikes change. But change is coming.

 

[Senario]

I'm new to the scene, so from an outside perspective, I'd have to say yes. Too many posts on the past on r/smashbros were akin to 'It's not exactly like Melee, so **** it.' The community there has gotten more positive lately, but there is still a loud, entitled minority.

It's as though some veterans don't want to learn new techniques. "If I can't wavedash, I'm not playing!" Not everyone says this, of course, but lurking the community since Feb, it's an attitude I saw over and over. Since E3, I feel that's changed, thank God.

Smash 4 will be a test: are Smashers eSports or not? Can they evolve? Can they adapt? Or will the whiners rule the roost?

Time will tell. Overall, I feel the Smash community is conservative -- it dislikes change. But change is coming.

Lol well this is a can of worms. Can you guess what happened when brawl came out? A lot of people tried to adapt, a lot of pro players too. And what they found is that the game was woefully disappointing to them in terms of fun and competition.

I'm not saying that saying the game is bad is 100% right now but there are some fair criticisms. And if the new game isn't exactly great for competitive we really have no control over what is used for competition. Players will naturally gravitate towards the game that is more fun to them. There will always be a honeymoon period after a new game comes out where everybody will try it but unless it is a satisfactory experience the older game will be used more often. =/ Just saying, I really hope Nintendo took their notes from E3 to heart. Especially when it concerns any of the pro players who understand the game at a very deep level.

Can't exactly blame people if they have more fun with an older version though. Not really your or my business and you can't force them to move if the new game isn't fun to them. Just like you can't convince me to buy any new paper mario games because lately...they've been pretty bad. I need some good amount of convincing to start picking them up again.

 

[Deleted member 245254]

I know people like to act like the this so called "entitlement" is a terrible thing but I wouldn't even call it that honestly.

Think about it could you imagine a community where we didn't complain? Things would never get changed, I honestly think without people complaining about brawl, smash 4 would not have nearly as many new elements that are suppose to be geared toward competitive play.

Just blindly accepting things isn't good. Granted yes people might take it to far sometimes where their not happy unless they get one specific thing and yes I'd call that entitled..but if we don't make it heard what we want..how can they even change it?

Think about how Nintendo reps asked people at e3 what they wanted changed. Could you imagine if everyone was just happy with the game as is? Nothing would change. But because people told them what they want to see we might now get a better game then we wouldn't have otherwise.

However there is a difference between complaining and constructive criticism. Constructive criticism is what gets **** done.

People notice the trend of criticism sometimes having an effect so they give it their best shot and try to emulate, and unfortunately not everybody is good at voicing their own opinion. Those people end up complaining instead.

The sheer intent of believing your voice is all the influence necessary for a change to be made is indeed entitlement, and it is surely rampant here.

 

[Moldy Clay]

For those of you who think you should act entitled, you don't seem to understand that you're all individual fans. And that not everyone thinks the same. It's not just a fighting game, and never has been, and is not just a party game. It's not designed for a specific demographic, or a specific person.

So that's great that you want certain characters or certain hings to be catered to you, as a consumer, but they aren't making you an individual Super Smash Bros. game. The only way you can make that difference is if enough people honestly care about whatever it is that you're fighting for.

Not everyone wants Ridley or K.Rool or obscure characters. Not everyone wants it to be more competitive, and not everyone wants it to be more casual. Nobody is the same, and nobody plays the same or holds the same things in high regard. So there will be people who will absolutely love everything SSB4 will have to offer, legitimately. And there will be people who will hate absolutely everything about it. That's just how it is.

But not having a character, stage, song, or something is petty. Obviously they are not as popular or important as you wish they were OR the team simply didn't have time or ideas for this iteration. Only thing you can do is hope for next time. Just like how many people wanted Little Mac or Mega Man in Brawl, and we finally got them.

The whole play style thing, and catering to one or the other, is just impossible. As it is, obviously Sakurai made an effort with all the things he's trying to do that are specifically for competitive players, while he adds modes for casual players. Issues with that is a matter of being ungrateful he's even trying simply because he gets it wrong, or it doesn't match up with your ideas.

You can spout "customer is always right" however you want, but that only works when it's service and you're being tended to individually. Being entitled, as an individual, about a product designed for -everyone- is not how it works. The only thing you can do, as a consumer, is either not buy the game at all, or, if you bought it already, take the game back for a refund. You are also welcome to tell Nintendo how you feel, via Club Nintendo surveys and/or a phone call/e-mail. You have that right. They're not making you buy it, and they're not demanding you like it, and you don't have to take it as a consumer.

But just be aware that "I hate this game because it doesn't have my most wanted character and it's not competitive enough" are not going to carry any kind of weight unless there's a massive uprising of people who feel exactly the same. You know, like people demanding Xenoblade or something, or the Mass Effect 3 ending nonsense. But you have to find people that care THAT strongly about whatever it is, if you want to make some kind of change. And honestly, the probability is that more people DON'T care, because it's not that important, or there are enough things they are happy about that they can overlook the things they aren't.

There are differences between having a legitimate complaint and whining about not getting your way, and how important it is that you voice your opinion on them. Most of the things people act 'entitled' about are not legitimate things that would ever matter, and are specific to them, which is not something that can be resolved.

As for Pic of the Day, saying it's not a 'free gift' is just reaching. Sakurai flat out said that the pictures were just pics that the staff took, FOR THEMSELVES as jokes and because they thought they looked cool. They just started releasing them to the public to look at so we could constantly see new pictures of the game. Not liking a picture and complaining about it is not something you're entitled to. You can not like the pic, but getting mad at Sakurai for not posting new info completely misses the point of what the pic of the day is. The pics are for fun.

 

[Senario]

For those of you who think you should act entitled, you don't seem to understand that you're all individual fans. And that not everyone thinks the same. It's not just a fighting game, and never has been, and is not just a party game. It's not designed for a specific demographic, or a specific person.

So that's great that you want certain characters or certain hings to be catered to you, as a consumer, but they aren't making you an individual Super Smash Bros. game. The only way you can make that difference is if enough people honestly care about whatever it is that you're fighting for.

Not everyone wants Ridley or K.Rool or obscure characters. Not everyone wants it to be more competitive, and not everyone wants it to be more casual. Nobody is the same, and nobody plays the same or holds the same things in high regard. So there will be people who will absolutely love everything SSB4 will have to offer, legitimately. And there will be people who will hate absolutely everything about it. That's just how it is.

But not having a character, stage, song, or something is petty. Obviously they are not as popular or important as you wish they were OR the team simply didn't have time or ideas for this iteration. Only thing you can do is hope for next time. Just like how many people wanted Little Mac or Mega Man in Brawl, and we finally got them.

The whole play style thing, and catering to one or the other, is just impossible. As it is, obviously Sakurai made an effort with all the things he's trying to do that are specifically for competitive players, while he adds modes for casual players. Issues with that is a matter of being ungrateful he's even trying simply because he gets it wrong, or it doesn't match up with your ideas.

You can spout "customer is always right" however you want, but that only works when it's service and you're being tended to individually. Being entitled, as an individual, about a product designed for -everyone- is not how it works. The only thing you can do, as a consumer, is either not buy the game at all, or, if you bought it already, take the game back for a refund. You are also welcome to tell Nintendo how you feel, via Club Nintendo surveys and/or a phone call/e-mail. You have that right. They're not making you buy it, and they're not demanding you like it, and you don't have to take it as a consumer.

But just be aware that "I hate this game because it doesn't have my most wanted character and it's not competitive enough" are not going to carry any kind of weight unless there's a massive uprising of people who feel exactly the same. You know, like people demanding Xenoblade or something, or the Mass Effect 3 ending nonsense. But you have to find people that care THAT strongly about whatever it is, if you want to make some kind of change. And honestly, the probability is that more people DON'T care, because it's not that important, or there are enough things they are happy about that they can overlook the things they aren't.

There are differences between having a legitimate complaint and whining about not getting your way, and how important it is that you voice your opinion on them. Most of the things people act 'entitled' about are not legitimate things that would ever matter, and are specific to them, which is not something that can be resolved.

As for Pic of the Day, saying it's not a 'free gift' is just reaching. Sakurai flat out said that the pictures were just pics that the staff took, FOR THEMSELVES as jokes and because they thought they looked cool. They just started releasing them to the public to look at so we could constantly see new pictures of the game. Not liking a picture and complaining about it is not something you're entitled to. You can not like the pic, but getting mad at Sakurai for not posting new info completely misses the point of what the pic of the day is. The pics are for fun.

I think the whole problem with this is...well great if you say we should be happy with it I say if we really are that dissatisfied simply don't buy the game. It is as easy as that. That is how buisness works, and despite it seeming like an individual request there a lot of people who share opinions on competitive play. When the community shares a similar opinion I doubt it is an "Individual concern".

Now characters? That is mostly nit picking as they are just characters. But how the game plays for it to be fun for all audiences is not an illegitimate concern. As consumers we have a right to express distaste of a product if it is not satisfactory to our tastes, it is the company/producer's job to make it appealing so it will sell. Competitive and casual play do not interfere with one another due to so many differences.

To be perfectly honest I hate the word "entitled" because people often throw it out like it is some kind of evil word. People have a right to what they expect out of something. Are bosses entitled because they expect a certain amount of performance from you because they are paying you? No. And neither should the fans of the game feel like their concerns fall on deaf ears. That is not a good long term strategy for any company.

Regardless of how good or bad the game turns out competitively. If worst comes to worst and melee is back at EVO after the honeymoon stage is over Nintendo is going to ask why their new game isn't being supported and it is up to them if they want to respond to it, or just lose customers.

 

[Imber]

You can say being "entitled" to some obscure character is dumb but saying "lol don't buy the game if u don't like it" to someone who waited years for its release is even dumber. It's easy to sit back and criticize other fans for complaining too much when your favorite character is already in the game or you can't relate to the way another person likes to play. These people aren't "entitled" they just want to be heard. As a fan, there is nothing worse than feeling ignored.

 

[Yoshi Kirishima]

Yes. The Smash community especially.

 

[PixelPasta]

Not any more 'entitled' than any other fanbase.

We have to remember that, at the end of the day, we are consumers. And consumers do have an entitlement to make judgements about the product, regardless of how 'ridiculous' they are considered to be - because they are the ones purchasing it. The consumer makes the discretion about whether the product is worth it, and will spend their money in a way they feel appropriate.
Sure, if somebody makes an overly harsh or ridiculous complaint about the product, they're probably a jerk.
But that problem doesn't stem from the fact that they are entitled: It's because they're a jerk.

What I'm trying to say is, we are all entitled - because every consumer is. Heck, I'd argue that every human is. So instead of looking at entitlement as the issue, we need re-evaluate they way in which people express their judgements and opinions. Is it feedback, or complaining? Constructive criticism, or just plain whining?


As a side note, I feel like this community's true problem is how we constantly judge one another about what the 'right' way to play is.

 

[Nat Perry]

Complain: to express dissatisfaction at something that can be changed

Whine: to express dissatisfaction at something that be cannot changed

Here's some examples of complaining and whining about Nintendo products that pertain to this year.

Examples of complaining:

• Giving Smash Bros. feedback at E3
• Requesting for Nintendo to be more supportive of competitive Smash (EVO, general acknowledgment, etc.)
• Filling out Club Nintendo surveys

Examples of whining:

• Zero Suit Samus' jet heels
• Club Nintendo Platinum gifts for 2014
• Gay marriage for Tomodachi Life

 

[BindingBlade]

Complain: to express dissatisfaction at something that can be changed

Whine: to express dissatisfaction at something that be cannot changed

Here's some examples of complaining and whining about Nintendo products that pertain to this year.

Examples of complaining:

• Giving Smash Bros. feedback at E3
• Requesting for Nintendo to be more supportive of competitive Smash (EVO, general acknowledgment, etc.)
• Filling out Club Nintendo surveys

Examples of whining:

• Zero Suit Samus' jet heels
• Club Nintendo Platinum gifts for 2014
• Gay marriage for Tomodachi Life

I think that last one really isn't whining.

 

[LancerStaff]

I'd say the "hardcore" side of SSB whines about ten times as much as the "casual" side, which, along with many other things, is what's given the "hardcore" side this bad image.

Really, if you say you're a competitive smasher, most will laugh at you.

 

[Networker1]

As a lurker and content smasher... I suppose it depends where you look, there will always be entitled people, and the discontent person is often the loudest.

 

[victinivcreate1]

I'd say the "hardcore" side of SSB whines about ten times as much as the "casual" side, which, along with many other things, is what's given the "hardcore" side this bad image.

Really, if you say you're a competitive smasher, most will laugh at you.

And its the causals that continually down talk us. Every fighting game has a hardcore scene. Get over it.

 

[Nat Perry]

I think that last one really isn't whining.

It's whining alright. The game was already finished, people were asking for something that wasn't intended to be in the game and that couldn't be implemented with a patch. Also it wasn't like in Smash Bros. where there tends to be created expectations based on past game experiences of previous games in the series; this was the first Tomodachi title to come to the United States.

Think about it, it would require significant change to the game to put it in. Not to mention the game is not a simulation as it is an alternate world, as the Nintendo rep stated. That's why the Sims has that and not the likes of Tomodachi Life or Animal Crossing.

Like I said before, that's like saying that you feel excluded in Fire Emblem Awakening because you can't have polygamous marriages, or that you can't kill NPCs in Zelda, or that you feel excluded because you lack racial options in Animal Crossing or Pokemon. Like, really? How is that exclusion? There is no Nintendo game on the same level of simulation as the Sims and such. They really are more like alternate worlds to play in.

It's as ridiculous as the feminists who swap Zelda and Link's roles in Zelda games. Okay, what does that do for you? Do you feel included now? Can you connect with the character more now that you've swapped their genders? It's dumb.

It's also as ridiculous as Mario Kart 8 being accused of being racist. They're not gonna throw in a black character just to throw in a black character, that's racist in and of itself.

Pulling from movies here - it's also as ridiculous as making Elsa from Frozen black. The movie's is based on a Danish story that takes place in Scandanavia. Scandanavians are white, not black. That's why Elsa's white.

Nintendo's shown time and time again that they put features in a game as they see fit, and not to appeal to certain group's personal agenda.

 

[Johnknight1]

I'd say the "hardcore" side of SSB whines about ten times as much as the "casual" side, which, along with many other things, is what's given the "hardcore" side this bad image.

Really, if you say you're a competitive smasher, most will laugh at you.

I see you feel entitled to act like a holier-than-thou jerk.

Also, you are the person I am entitled to laugh at the most.

You still owe me a month of saying "Johnknight1 is better than me" after that Lucina sig bet.

And yes, I am ENTITLED to that.

 

[mintjelly]

As someone who is also in the Pokemon community, I can tell you that players in the Smash community act nowhere near as entitled as players in the Pokemon community; especially those players who follow the Smogon ruleset/tiers. Pokemon players act like they're the greatest thing ever, and deserve all the shiny 6IV Pokemon; most players I've come across go as far as scamming other players for their Pokemon or creating hacked Pokemon. In the Smash community, you need to work for your skill in order to get far, unlike in Pokemon.

 

[Nat Perry]

I'd say the "hardcore" side of SSB whines about ten times as much as the "casual" side, which, along with many other things, is what's given the "hardcore" side this bad image.

Really, if you say you're a competitive smasher, most will laugh at you.

I don't know anyone that would laugh at someone who says they're a competitive Smasher besides the kind of person that looks down on someone who is passionate about anything related to video games.

As someone who's seen more than enough competitive Smashers whine (or Smashers that whine about Brawl in general), of course I will have negative preconceptions of them in my mind based on what I've seen. That doesn't mean I get to be an аss or mistreat them, it means that I get to treat them right and learn their point of views before hurling mindless judgments.

 

[PixelPasta]

Complain: to express dissatisfaction at something that can be changed

Whine: to express dissatisfaction at something that be cannot changed

Sorry, but where are you getting these definitions? Since when is there a distinction regarding whether it can be changed or not?
According to most dictionaries, domplaining means expressing your dissatisfaction or annoyance about something. Whining is pretty much complaining, but in a feeble and peevish way.

It's whining alright. The game was already finished, people were asking for something that wasn't intended to be in the game and that couldn't be implemented with a patch. Think about it, it would require significant change to the game to put it in. Not to mention the game is not a simulation as it is an alternate world, as the Nintendo rep stated. That's why the Sims has that and not the likes of Tomodachi Life or Animal Crossing.

That's like saying that you feel excluded in Fire Emblem Awakening because you can't have polygamous marriages in Fire Emblem, or that you feel excluded that you couldn't choose your race in Animal Crossing, or that you lack more racial options in Pokemon X and Y. Like, really? How is that exclusion? There is no Nintendo game on the same level of simulation as the Sims and such. They really are more like alternate worlds to play in.

It's as ridiculous as the feminists who swap Zelda and Link's roles in Zelda games. Okay, what does that do for you? Do you feel included now? Can you connect with the character more now that you've swapped their genders? It's dumb.

You are comparing things that really are not at all alike.

Wanting Nintendo to swap Zelda and Link's roles in a Zelda game is a bit silly, because it goes against the franchise's canon continuity.

On the other hand, wanting Nintendo to implement the option of gay marriages in Tomodachi Life, is a legitimate concern. It is legitimate for one main reason: the game is about Miis. You are encouraged to create yourself. And if you aren't presented with all of the options you need to accurately create and express yourself, is that not a design flaw on Nintendo's part? You are right in saying that it is an alternate world to play in, but that doesn't change the fact that the character is you.
Besides, marriage is already an integral feature in the game, its just exclusively for heterosexual couplings. Its a design oversight - when including marriage they omitted a significant type of marriage. It's not like people demanded something that was never even there before, they just wanted more options for an existing feature of the game. Now, I'm not saying people never asked for this in a 'whiny' way, I'm simply trying to say that the concern is most definitely legitimate.

And I hate to veer this even more off topic, but not having racial options in a game about customization is a form of exclusion. I'm not saying Nintendo is actually racist, or anything like that - I'm simply saying that it's just not as inclusive as it probably should be. Animal Crossing is a game about self-expression and personality, so it is only appropriate to offer an inclusive range of options to accommodate for other people.


Anyway, back on topic:

I don't know anyone that would laugh at someone who says they're a competitive Smasher besides the kind of person that looks down on someone who is passionate about anything related to video games.

As someone who's seen more than enough competitive Smashers whine (or Smashers that whine about Brawl in general), of course I will have negative preconceptions of them in my mind based on what I've seen. That doesn't mean I get to be an аss or mistreat them, it means that I get to treat them right and learn their point of views before hurling mindless judgments.

You are absolutely right.
There are whiners in both the 'casual' and 'competitive' sides. That's not the point; there's extremists everywhere. The point is, we can't let jerks change our perceptions about the community as a whole - because if we do that, we'll often end up being jerks too.
Like I said, this community's biggest problem is being judgmental. So many people look down on others because they play different than them...

 

[Johnknight1]

Yes we act entitled.

However, not all forms of entitlement are bad.

For instance, seeing as how I am an American living in American (many people in many nations can say this), I am entitled to my free speech (with certain limitations; you can't just threaten to kill somebody or lie to make money). I am also entitled to owning property and land.

Now, if somebody says I have "entitlement issues" because of that, I can tell them to piss off and go back to some non-free country, and I wouldn't be wrong in the slightest.

We are entitled to certain things.

Now Smash players are entitled to what they own.

You paid however much money you did to own a copy of Smash 64, Melee, and Brawl. You can play them whenever you want, and no matter what Nintendo or any other company or party says you can play them when you want however much you want with or without their permission.

You can pay for and play or not pay for and not buy whatever Smash game you want to protest. You are ENTITLED to that RIGHT that you are given.

They can't legally force you to play or not play the game.

They also can't legally force you how to or how not to play the game.

And if they can, screw that, I'm going to sue them and the federal government for taking away my First Amendment rights.

Because those are my entitlements, and DANG IT, THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!

===

Now, let's make this into a compelling post.

===

The Smash competitive community has worked hard to make itself into a real thing with real streams, real tournaments, real players, a real scene, and a real good environment.

In nearly every instance they have succeeded. They have earned the right to being entitled to being a big scene, as well as to be successful.

Time and time again the Smash community has had that taken away.

First, during Brawl's development all Masahiro Sakurai did to Melee players was rag on them and the competitive community. Quite frankly, he was being a straight up pr*ck, and there's no 2 ways about it. He said it was too hard and the community was too hardcore. He talked about how much better Brawl would be, with the simpler aim to make a leveler playing field.

He tried to take the Wii trend of "casualifying it" (which by the way hurt Nintendo in the long run) with the intent of detracting "hardcore" players.

In other words, in game communism. Because communism always works.

He failed spectacularly at this goal. It was hilarious.

He apparently never realized that Brawl requires a lot more patience to get into competitive, and also requires a ton of skill.

He also didn't realize that Smash in just a mere concept can be competitive. Anything where the point of the game is to win is inherently competitive especially games where all the control is in each player's hands. Unless you take the control entirely away from the players, the game will be competitively viable.

It's also funny because despite Sakurai shouting that Melee is for "maniacs" Melee is probably the more popular game for non-competitive players generally speaking among people who have extensively played both games. So Masahiro Sakurai literally skipped over these people, and acted like they didn't exist.

He also acts like the 64 community as a whole doesn't exist, and has rarely mentioned them ever.

===

Now after all this Sakurai drama this the Melee competitive kept strolling on. The Brawl competitive community was huge from a get go.

However, both ran into issues soon. Melee was dropped from MLG and EVO, whereas the Brawl community was told by EVO and Shoryuken what do do when they ran EVO 2008 with items on in Brawl AGAINST THE BRAWL PLAYER'S WILL. The Smash competitive community earned their stripes to have their voices heard for their game, and they were ignored. Because of this, the Brawl tournament at EVO 2008 was a disaster.

It especially sucked, because the Melee tournaments the years prior were fantastic. Melee got dropped from EVO and MLG for Brawl because of that, and now both had blown their chance for a good while. Melee's scene should be more entitled to success because their players kept going and growing. They didn't get a chance at either EVO or MLG for another 5 and 6 years respectively.

Brawl's scene should have been entitled to another chance at EVO. They were entitled to it after they got pissed on and treated like stupid children (and then years later that entire Shoryuken community pissed their pants on a Capcom Tekken x Street Fighter livestream, and had a real meltdown, lol).

The Melee and Brawl competitive scenes both worked hard to keep going. Both games grew initially, especially Brawl.

The Brawl competitive community earned a place at MLG. It was entitled to have earned that place, because of all the hard work, the number of entrants and viewers, and all of the interest the game and scene had.

Now, 2 players had issues, but those were largely ignored sans banning those 2 players. However, a few months later, Nintendo blocked MLG's right to stream Brawl. Subsequently, Brawl was dropped form MLG (while PlayStation All-Stars, a vastly inferior competitive game, was picked up shortly after).

The Brawl community WAS entitled to be pissed. They should be pissed. They should have sent letters to Nintendo threatening to boycott them and never play their games again. It would have been perfect timing because this was 2010 when public reception for Nintendo was starting to go South. But nope, the Brawl community by and large wasn't entitled enough TO WHAT THEY EARNED!!! They let this happen, and, years later, that defeatist mentality came back to bite them.

Now, consequently, Melee was growing fairly fast after 2011 (roughly when this happened) whereas Brawl was only kind of growing. Over the years more and more things happened, and in early-ish 2013, Melee basically surpassed Brawl in the competitive community size.

Now, where the Melee scene leaders refused to be complacent by and large, the Brawl scene was the opposite. Now, both scenes had a lot of issues (like Melee's Smash World Forums Back Room being run by Unknown, who did a ton of illegal and disgusting things, which lead to its' closer and a lot of issues in the smash community seeing as how he ran the SWF Melee Back Room like a Midwest fan club to an extent), but generally speaking everything was going okay.

Then both games had the opportunity to be in EVO 2013. Now, the Melee scene was larger, and the Brawl scene, through the kindness of their hearts, mostly deferred to Melee, and both got Melee into EVO 2013. It was an amazing effort, and it raised nearly $100,000 for Breast Cancer research.

EVO and Shoryuken had done this as a way of asking for forgiveness, and forgiveness we were given. After all, what's the point of grudges? So now, the Smash community has all this hype and all this goodwill. The hype keeps growing and growing and growing.

Then, 3 days before EVO 2013, crap went down.

After all the crap Nintendo put the Smash scene down, some straight up pr*ck at their company told the EVO staff to remove Melee from the community, not caring that dozens of people traveled from other countries and not far off from a thousand people came for Melee at EVO.

They didn't care about the Smash fans. They cared about burying Melee and putting Smash 4, their new golden child first.

This wasn't the Nintendo that celebrated their history, this was the Nintendo that buries anything they don't like among their fans because it doesn't do what they want them to do. This is the Nintendo that fans of competitive Smash Bros. play have had to deal with since at least 2005.

The kind that actively wants them to go away.

Fortunately, EVO's staff told them of this, but Nintendo (of America) flat banned all streaming of Melee to be banned, and any offenders to be kicked out. We we literally like Harry Potter: The child that lives under the stairs that the parents don't want anyone to know exists.

The embarrassment that should go unmentioned to outside sources.

So naturally, us, members of not just the Melee community, but the Smash Bros. competitive community, got pissed.

We threw a freaking riot, and it was a beautiful, destructive, and honest thing.

We were mostly respectful. I personally sent multiple e-mails, spammed the crap out of Nintendo on Twitter, posted all over SWF about it, went off on Reddit, and went off on FaceBook. people sent giant fan letters to Nintendo, and we kept talking. We had livestream protests with thousands of viewers, we got media coverage from every major video game media company, and quite frankly, we let our years and years and years and years and years of disdain for being treated as second class citizens at best get through to the world.

We were ENTITLED to be pissed, we were PISSED, and we quite frankly had a perfect opportunity to PISS ON NINTENDO. Nintendo felt ENTITLED to routinely humble us (just like they felt ENTITLED to the WiiU being a gigantic success even though for it's first year it was a bomb because they weren't ENTITLED to it being a hit), despite not having EARNED IT like the Smash Bros. competitive EARNED that spot for Melee at EVO 2013.

To them, we were "the bad guys."

And, in the words of Razor Ramon, we told them straight up... "Bad times don't last, but bad guys do."

And we were right.

And finally, some people at Nintendo had the galls to say "we screwed up, and we need to fix this now and forever."

In less than 5 hours after the battle started, the war was over.

Smash fans: 1
Nintendo: 0.

Nintendo wrote an apology. They allowed Melee to be streamed and get the full main event showcase.

Whether they did it for media or whatnot initially was unknown, but, for then, they knew they couldn't tell us what to do.

We were to big for them to contain or hide from the media. We were the poster boys of what was RIGHT with Nintendo and Nintendo fans, we were the biggest Nintendo fans, and we were the most vocal Nintendo fans, and ironically Nintendo was the only thing holding us back.

And so Melee was back on EVO, and it probably had the biggest impact of any game there.

In time, Nintendo grew to appreciate the Melee competitive community, especially Nintendo of America. They aren't ashamed of us. In fact, the Melee competitive community is, in many ways, becoming a favorite son.

Whether MLG Anaheim 2014 or EVO, Nintendo was on the forefront for pushing for Melee.

However, that doesn't mean issues still don't exist. Brawl is continually swept under the rug by Nintendo. MLG Anaheim 2014 had room for both Melee and Brawl, and yet either MLG or Nintendo struck down Brawl. In a press release statement for MLG Anaheim 2014, Nintendo mentioned the Melee community and their love of them, but not the Brawl community.

I get it. The Brawl community by and large can be immature. They have a lot of their top players trash their game. But you know what? They're still smashers. They shouldn't be so passive. They should aggressively being strong and defending themselves. They should refuse to die. They should let Nintendo know, "hey, we hate being thrown under the rug. Treat us good, or we're going to get the gaming media on your butt like the Melee community did."

And you know what? The Melee competitive community should help them MORE with that.

The Brawl competitive scene is ENTITLED to being out in the open more. They have EARNED IT, just like the Melee competitive scene has. They shouldn't be pushed out of events like Zenith 2014. That's freaking stupid. They got the numbers to keep wanting to come back.

They should feel ENTITLED enough to mad about it, because they earned it. The Brawl competitive community should boycott tournaments run by TO's that don't want them (Melee players did that to that one stupid pr*ck Texas TO that wouldn't allow Melee, and now he's irrelevant), and they should let it be known to the Smash community as a whole that THIS ISN'T RIGHT! Have it trend on Twitter, Reddit, SWF, and Facebook groups. Don't just take it sitting down and walk away. I'm not saying boycott Zenith 2014 (rather protest it), but what I am saying is Brawl should be in more tournaments where Melee and especially Project M are at. Protest not being there until you are there, instead of just whining about things/

Also, even though it is small, the 64 competitive community has EARNED the right to feel ENTITLED to more recognition, but it isn't. What gives? I think the Smash community as a whole should push for them to get more of a spotlight than just 2 or 3 tournaments.

The Project M community meanwhile has done a great job pushing themselves. Nothing more needs to be said.

Meanwhile, it remains unknown what Nintendo's goals are, beyond pushing Smash WiiU (and maybe 3DS) as a tournament game. Hopefully they don't try to force other Smash games out of the picture competitively. If they do, I say we all should LOUDLY protest this, because us competitive players of other smash games are ENTITLED to the SPOT OUR GAMES EARNED!

Of course, Smash WiiU (and 3DS) should get a spot, but it should never be the only spot.

If Nintendo does push all Smash games but the latest one out of the way, then we are literally back at square one.

Also, while I'm at it, Sakurai has in the past bashed Melee competitive play and its' fanbase.

Well, now he's bashing the Brawl competitive fanbase as well.

Us Melee competitive players crapped on him routinely for being the pr*ck he was being. We buried him on the internet, which is why he avoided the internet. He was ENTITLED to being treated the same way he treated us.

Currently, with Smash 4 Sakurai still feels ENTITLED enough to bash the Melee community. We aren't taking this standing, and even players in the Invitational and commentators like D1 and Prog routinely object to this, and let their objections be known. To be fair, Nintendo of America seems to agree with them.

I want to see the Brawl community express similar disdain. I want them to piss all over Sakurai for pissing on their community and their game as if it is trash. They should tell him they're tired of being thrown into the trash, and that Sakurai should stop with the insults.

They should let it be known he isn't what makes Smash, WE ARE!!!

(besides that, everything great about Melee and Brawl was generally someone elses' work)

We, the Smash fans, should always know that WE MAKE SMASH INTO WHAT IT IS, not the developers.

They merely create it. It's like they put the gold in the mountains, but we craft it into rings and necklaces, and beautiful objects. They (especially Masahiro Sakurai) should be THANKING US for caring enough to do that and buy their game (to support their living), not telling us we're wrong.

So yeah, that's where we're at now with entitlements.

So really, the one with biggest REAL entitlement issues (based on nothing you earned) in the past are:
-EVO, although they fixed it.
-Shoryuken, although they fixed it.
-Nintendo (specifically Nintendo of America), although they (seemingly) fixed it. Nintendo of American even somewhat promotes the competitive community (mostly to promote Smash 4).
-Masahiro Sakurai himself, although at best it is unknown if he's fixed it, and at worst his stances have never changed.

Mashiro Sakurai has felt entitled to tell Smash fans how to play, when to play, why to play, and where to play.

It's some sort of God complex he must struggle with.

So really, if we want to point the finger at one person who acts entitled to things they AREN'T ENTITLED TO (telling the players how to play, instead of just saying, "play and have fun"), it's the series creator, Masahiro Sakurai.

Oh, and I didn't even go into Smash development issues with Masahiro Sakurai acting entitled. That's a whole other can of worms to open.

 

[N3ON]

If you think there are concerns of entitlement now just wait until the game releases and people react to all the things they wanted that got omitted or changed.

Yes, the Smash community is entitled. Most fanbases are entitled. Smash is worse than a fair number of them, but it's not a problem unique to this community. Some of the community has hopes which turn to expectations which are then felt as owed to us, which creates entitlement. Some is precipitated by Sakurai's penchant for indulging the fanbase, so if gawd forbid we don't get a daily pic one day, people would lose their ****. Meanwhile some of the community feels they are entitled to a certain form of Smash because we received it before, even though many aspects of it were a fluke, and they don't realize we're not the demo Sakurai cares most about, and their vision of Smash isn't the same as his. Yet many feel it should be.

However the most entitled members of the community are those that so strongly feel their way of Smash is the "right" way, others who might provide conflicting opinions on how they view Smash are treated by these people as terrible users with terrible opinions, even though it's not like their own views of what Smash should be are in line with the creator's anyway. That's entitlement.

It's not a problem we're going to reach a solution on though - entitlement comes with the territory. The most we can hope for is people not judging others based on how they view Smash, or what of Smash they find the most important, because there's no one right way to view the game. And also to remember as consumers all we're owed is the game, not the game as you specifically would like to see it.

 

[Johnknight1]

Honestly most of you people don't comprehend and understand what the word "entitlement" means.

It's seen as inherently bad often because people aren't intelligent enough to have the mental capacity look up the definition of the word "entitled" in a dictionary and understand the true totality of it.

Many of you understand that people saying "I think the government should give me a house" is entitlement.

However, many of you lack the mental understanding to realize that "I don't think that bully should be allowed to physically harm me" is also an entitlement.

Now you can debate about the former entitlement (whether or not the person deserves it), and it's a person by person statement, but the latter statement, NO, that's a ENTITLEMENT WE ALL DESERVE!!!

Quite frankly, it doesn't take a 1st grade understanding of English to understand that.

It's the same thing with the word "manipulate". It is neither inherently neither good or bad, but rather, it is all a "it depends" situation.

It's whining alright. The game was already finished, people were asking for something that wasn't intended to be in the game and that couldn't be implemented with a patch.

Except for the fact it was already in the game without the patch, and all they needed to do was change a few things.

But Nintendo, being the lazy bums they are, refuse to change that.

That's why the Sims has that and not the likes of Tomodachi Life or Animal Crossing.

Children can't get married is most countries in case you didn't know, and in Animal Crossing all you play as are kids.

I don't get why people like you feel ENTITLED to insult people asking for other options.

It's just options.

Options like these never made anything inherently worse, only less exclusive and more inclusive by design.

 

[Nat Perry]

Sorry, but where are you getting these definitions? Since when is there a distinction regarding whether it can be changed or not?
According to most dictionaries, domplaining means expressing your dissatisfaction or annoyance about something. Whining is pretty much complaining, but in a feeble and peevish way.

Complaining in a feeble and peevish way is another way of saying complaining in an immature fashion. Immature people tend to complain, but not do anything about it. Perhaps a better way to say it is that whining is expressing dissatisfaction towards something they cannot change or they themselves will not change.

You are comparing things that really are not at all alike.

Wanting Nintendo to swap Zelda and Link's roles in a Zelda game is silly, because it goes against the franchise's canon continuity.

On the other hand, wanting Nintendo to implement the option of gay marriages in Tomodachi Life, is a legitimate concern. It is legitimate for one main reason: the game is about Miis. You are encouraged to create yourself. And if you aren't presented with all of the options you need to accurately create and express yourself, is that not a design flaw on Nintendo's part?
Besides, marriage is already an integral feature in the game, its just exclusively for heterosexual couplings. Its an design oversight - when including marriage they omitted a significant type of marriage. It's not like people demanded something that was never even there before, they just wanted more options for an existing feature of the game. Now, I'm not saying people never asked for this in a 'whiny' way, I'm simply trying to say that the concern is most definitely legitimate.

And I hate to veer this even more off topic, but not having racial options in a game about customization is a form of exclusion. I'm not saying Nintendo is racist, or anything like that - I'm simply saying that it's just not as inclusive as it probably should be. Animal Crossing is a game about self-expression and personality, so it is only appropriate to offer an inclusive range of options to accommodate for other people.

I was just stating that people were whining because it didn't cater to their interests. Adding gay marriage in the game would require big changes in the game as well, namely the procreation aspect, maybe adding in adoption, changing how they interact, etc. I think it would be a bigger thing to add than people believe.

I would love for more racial options in Animal Crossing. I guess it is exclusion. I think it would be great to have. But I disagree that it's a legitimate thing to whine about, however.

Anyway, back on topic:

You are absolutely right.
There are whiners in both the 'casual' and 'competitive' sides. That's not the point; there's extremists everywhere. The point is, we can't let jerks change our perceptions about the community as a whole - because if we do that, we'll often end up being jerks too.
Like I said, this community's biggest problem is being judgmental. So many people look down on others because they play different than them...

Agreed. Play Smash how you want.

Like I said before, Nintendo adds things as they see fit. They aren't going to add things to please a certain group's agenda. They're going to add things because they see it as fitting for the game.

 

[Morbi]

I have never had the displeasure of witnessing a word being misused so profusely; regardless, it is of my belief that if one asserts that another is "entitled," that they themselves are "entitled." Under the definition that we seem to be using, if you want the game to be ever so slightly different so that you might enjoy it more, you are "entitled." Asking for something that is not Sakurai's vision is apparently "entitlement."

In that case, yes. I believe that the entire community acts entitled. There is not one person in this community that is utterly content with everything regarding Smash 4. I highly doubt Sakurai is either. I am sure that there were things that he had to change and whatnot.

 

[Nat Perry]

Basically...

If you can't do anything about it, don't whine. If you can do something about it but refuse to do so, don't whine. If you can do something about it or can convince someone to do something about it, voice your complaint appropriately. Not that hard.

As for entitlement, everyone wants things, and when people don't get things they want they get disappointed/angry/frustrated. It's human, we all do it. I can't think of a single person that doesn't want what they want.

If you can't or won't do anything to change things, don't whine for everyone to see and hear. Keep it to yourself, because nobody wants to hear it.

 

[PixelPasta]

post

Wow. This is ridiculous. I don't even know where to start...
You are using negative connotation to portray Sakurai as a villain. Frankly, you are twisting the truth.
Guess what, whether you like it or not, the Smash series wouldn't exist without him.
I just can't let this go. He deserves more credit than you are giving him. Let me explain:

Spoiler

First, during Brawl's development all Masahiro Sakurai did to Melee players was rag on them and the competitive community. Quite frankly, he was being a straight up pr*ck, and there's no 2 ways about it. He said it was too hard and the community was too hardcore. He talked about how much better Brawl would be, with the simpler aim to make a leveler playing field.

When did Sakurai ever 'rag' on the competitive community during Brawl's development? Yes, he did say Melee was too hard, and if my memory serves me, he did talk about how Brawl would be less geared to hardcore players and will be more accessible to everyone - but there wasn't any judgement against competitive players or any talk of them being 'too hardcore'. He wasn't speaking in any hateful way against the fans of Melee, as you are implying.
And also, saying that Sakurai felt that Brawl was 'better' is simply not true - Melee is his pride and joy. To quote him; "Melee is the sharpest game in the series" (there is a possibility that the translation is slightly off).

He tried to take the Wii trend of "casualifying it" (which by the way hurt Nintendo in the long run) with the intent of detracting "hardcore" players.

Again with the negative connotation. You are describing this in a very biased manner!
He wasn't trying to 'casualify' the game with some ulterior motive of warding off the competitive players; that's just preposterous! He was trying to level the playing field. That doesn't mean he was removing the competitives in order to bring in the casuals - he was trying to make it welcoming to both.
Yes, it can be argued that he failed at doing that, as a lot of competitive players weren't satisfied with Brawl - but that certainly wasn't his intention. Why would he actively try to make a large fraction of his consumer-base not want to by the game? It makes no sense.

In other words, in game communism. Because communism always works.

Oh please. This is such a gross exaggeration, it's not even funny. I'm not going to dwell on this too much; it's just plain silly.

It's also funny because despite Sakurai shouting that Melee is for "maniacs" Melee is probably the more popular game for non-competitive players generally speaking among people who have extensively played both games. So Masahiro Sakurai literally skipped over these people, and acted like they didn't exist.

Where is all of this 'shouting' from Sakurai you are talking about? Again, you are phrasing this in a way that puts him in an unnecessarily negative light.
Also, just a little correction: when Sakurai says 'maniac', he isn't trying to insult Melee players. It has a different connotation in the Japanese language - to him, it just means the same as 'hardcore'.
If anything, get all up in arms against his translator, who didn't change the wording in a way that would help us English readers better understand.
While I'm on the subject, if there is anything he has said that sounds a little rude, there's a chance that it's due to a skewed translation - perhaps his translated Japanese speech comes off as blunt to a non-Japanese speaker. Anyway, carrying on...

I want to see the Brawl community express similar disdain. I want them to piss all over Sakurai for pissing on their community and their game as if it is trash. They should tell him they're tired of being thrown into the trash, and that Sakurai should stop with the insults.

Sakurai never 'pissed on the community and their game'. Seriously, why would he bash his own game like trash? It's clear from many interviews that he is generally quite proud of his own work. You can see it in the way he talks; he's got passion.

They should let it be known he isn't what makes Smash, WE ARE!!!

No, he is.
He is largely responsible for making Smash 64, Brawl, and of course, Melee too.
Sure, the Smash community gives him the money and keeps the franchise alive, but Sakurai and his team do the work.

(besides that, everything great about Melee and Brawl was generally someone elses' work)

Okay, this is getting sillier and sillier as this goes on.
Where is your proof?
How do you know that the 'great parts' of those games weren't made by Sakurai and was rather 'someone else's work'? As the director, he came up with a lot of the features, bear in mind.

We, the Smash fans, should always know that WE MAKE SMASH INTO WHAT IT IS, not the developers.

Again, you're wrong. The developers make the game. The game wouldn't exist without them, but it would without you.

It's some sort of God complex he must struggle with.

Again with this exaggeration. He is in control over the games, and thus has a sense of authority in that respect. But that doesn't mean he has a God complex; it's ridiculous to jump to such a conclusion.

So really, if we want to point the finger at one person who acts entitled to things they AREN'T ENTITLED TO (telling the players how to play, instead of just saying, "play and have fun"), it's the series creator, Masahiro Sakurai.

Pointing fingers is not the right thing to do, and we should not encourage it. It's bad enough that we are pointing fingers at eachother, let alone at the creator of the games themselves! I'm not saying he's perfect, but he deserves a lot more credit than you are giving him. He isn't trash-talking people like you imply he is. The real trash talk can by found right here: in your post, and the many others like it.
I must say though, the most misinformed part your rant was when you implied that Sakurai doesn't want the players to have fun.
I mean, come on. The man clearly has a passion for what he does - just watch the Smash direct, you can see it in his twinkly eyes.
And he most definitely cares about his fans; there is lots of evidence towards that.
For example: he is striving for a balance between Melee and Brawl to appeal to both sides of the community. He listened to the fans in many respects, such as in removing random tripping, or adding fan favorites such as Sonic, Mega Man, or Little Mac. Heck, they are even listening to the feedback from E3. These examples, and more, just go to show that he is trying to please longtime fans and new players alike.
So don't try and say he isn't putting in an effort to please every last one of us, because he is. It is impossible to cater to every type of smasher, but he is doing what he can to make the most fun smash experience yet, and I think he deserves at least a little respect for that.

 

[pickle962]

@ Johnknight1 while I mostly agree with your long long post, I will say ol Sakurai seems to have less of a ego/god complex than he did in the Brawl era. I say this because it seems he's actually *surprise shock* giving two bird poops about us competitive folk this go round what with the removal of scrappy mechanics that weighed Brawl down, an emphasis on a more balanced roster after the Meta Knight fiasco from Brawl, and of course having the top devs of Tekken fame helping you make the next entry of your long running crossover fighting series certainly counts for something

 

[Johnknight1]

Wow. This is ridiculous. I don't even know where to start...
You are using negative connotation to portray Sakurai as a villain. Frankly, you are twisting the truth.
Guess what, whether you like it or not, the Smash series wouldn't exist without him.
I just can't let this go. He deserves more credit than you are giving him. Let me explain.

All I hear from you is "how dare you have a bias."

This is my reaction to your statement:

You have bias, Sakurai has bias, I have bias.

So you just have to...

Sorry, but I'm ENTITLED to my opinion.

And if you want backing for it, watch this...

(stop at 16:20)

(heck, watch it to the end)

You see where I'm right.

And yes, Sakurai clearly made Brawl to be played competitively, which is ironic, because Brawl is just as competitive as Melee (except in a very different way), and now Sakurai dislikes Brawl's competitive style.

Instead of making a game to not be competitive, why not just make a game to be fun for everyone=???

That worked for 64 and Melee and those game's development pretty well.