Hello all. Not really sure what purpose this will serve but I felt the need to say something.
With Melee having been at EVO this year, as well as all the other great tournaments still happening, I always get the occasional reminder that the community is still kicking. It gives me the urge to play and bask in what makes me love the game and people that play it. Unfortunately there hasn't been a local scene here for 3 years and traveling to majors is incredibly difficult for me. Every time I play I'm also reminded that I was never granted the opportunities to really be a bigger part of the tournament community. It's really disheartening and that's partially why I almost never come to SWF anymore. In fact, the only reason I was able to attend Apex 2013 was because 3 very considerate friends lent me money. I'm extremely appreciative, as many people don't even get that much.
However at the same time, I've felt many times in the past that I would never be able to attend another big Melee event again, because the game was "dying" and people would stop playing. I was always wrong and there was always a future chance, even if 3 years apart, for me to once again travel and enjoy for a brief weekend what you guys enjoy all year round every year.
It's because this community is unbreakable. Though my registered date is 2004, I've actually been competing in Smash since 99, and I've silently seen the ups and downs of this community from the get-go. You guys manage to pull through and keep the dream going in the face of countless obstacles: Brawl's release, scorn from other gaming communities, and even Nintendo's own arm attempting to shut it down. To this day I'm still amazed by the resilience to be found here.
So I guess in short I just want to thank everyone for keeping the game I love alive and the community spirit strong. Even though I can't be a part of it in the way I'd like, at the very least as long as there are tournaments, there will always be a future experience to savor waiting for me and others like me on the horizon.
And whatever you do, don't let Smash 4 kill Melee! There's absolutely no reason both can't be played in parallel.
With Melee having been at EVO this year, as well as all the other great tournaments still happening, I always get the occasional reminder that the community is still kicking. It gives me the urge to play and bask in what makes me love the game and people that play it. Unfortunately there hasn't been a local scene here for 3 years and traveling to majors is incredibly difficult for me. Every time I play I'm also reminded that I was never granted the opportunities to really be a bigger part of the tournament community. It's really disheartening and that's partially why I almost never come to SWF anymore. In fact, the only reason I was able to attend Apex 2013 was because 3 very considerate friends lent me money. I'm extremely appreciative, as many people don't even get that much.
However at the same time, I've felt many times in the past that I would never be able to attend another big Melee event again, because the game was "dying" and people would stop playing. I was always wrong and there was always a future chance, even if 3 years apart, for me to once again travel and enjoy for a brief weekend what you guys enjoy all year round every year.
It's because this community is unbreakable. Though my registered date is 2004, I've actually been competing in Smash since 99, and I've silently seen the ups and downs of this community from the get-go. You guys manage to pull through and keep the dream going in the face of countless obstacles: Brawl's release, scorn from other gaming communities, and even Nintendo's own arm attempting to shut it down. To this day I'm still amazed by the resilience to be found here.
So I guess in short I just want to thank everyone for keeping the game I love alive and the community spirit strong. Even though I can't be a part of it in the way I'd like, at the very least as long as there are tournaments, there will always be a future experience to savor waiting for me and others like me on the horizon.
And whatever you do, don't let Smash 4 kill Melee! There's absolutely no reason both can't be played in parallel.
