Nobody believes that I'll ever make it in the pro scene.

[loltw1st]

I'd love to take the overly-optimistic, unrealistically happy approach to becoming a professional Smash player and in general being paid to play video games, but I know that the road will be extremely rough and that only a narrow percentage of people will actually make it in this community and become a pro, and even less of a percentage will become legend. I've taken a liking and have been inspired by players like M2K who took the time to study the game frame-by-frame and become revered as a God in the Smash community. I have a strong mentality that I've had since birth that ignites the fire for my ambition. I realize that if you can't be the one of, if not, the best at what you do, why do it? (I realize this will bring up the question of "why would anybody do anything? not everybody can be the best" but as a simple rebuttal is that this mentality should only really be applied to hobbies that take a lot of skill and time to master, video games being one of them). Whenever I play a match, I always ask myself questions like "What's the difference between me and the pros?" and "What else can I learn to do in this game?". I've recently had my love for Smash rekindled with the release of Ultimate, since I took a hiatus for the latter half of Sm4sh's lifespan. I've been studying different moves and playing a variety of different characters with Pikachu being my main of the bunch.

There's just one obstacle in my way that almost completely hinders my confidence; having at the very least one person who is behind me and supports my endeavors. My mother thinks that video games "aren't that serious" and that trying to become a pro is a waste of time. My older brother told me my mentality of "being the best or it's a lost cause" is pointless and will lead me down an angry and miserable life. My younger brother tends to insult me and tries to belittle me, but he's an Inkling main (lol) and I can't even count how many times I've 3-stocked him, so I won't worry about him (although, with him being someone who used to look up to me, it hurts a little bit). Even my girlfriend, who two years ago swore that she'd stand behind everything I did (excluding stupid ****, like committing crimes), tells me that I should just give it up and that it's a waste of time.

I get that a lot of people have the ambition and confidence necessary to make it in this community, but with Ultimate bringing a new meta and the game still being relatively new, I strongly believe that I can become one of the best in the game and later become a legend. I've almost completely quit Melee, due to the fact that it relies on hardware that's damn near 20 years old. Brawl competitive was and still is a joke. Sm4sh wasn't too good for comp but was definitely a step-up from Brawl, and Ultimate looks like a very promising game that will hold an extremely lengthy competitive future.

I just want to be the best. I don't want to make it instantly like the privileged kids of today. I want to earn it. I've been getting my ass kicked for years, and I think it will be my time with Smash Ultimate. I've never felt like this with something I wanted to do before. I'm filled with ambition, I'm filled with passion, and for the most part I'm confident that I'll make it.

TL;DR i want to be the very best that no one ever was.

 

[Orlando BCN]

Good luck there, mate.

 

[Juurian204]

Let the ones who don't believe in you fuel your passion, when you succeed, it'll feel sooooooo much better to tell them "I told you so"

 

[soviet prince]

show up there and you done it, you don't have to win to "make it in the pro's"

 

[EGsmash]

People don't 'owe' you support - yeah, it's nice to have a cheerleader in your corner. But it's even more important to have people and things that motivate you to get better.

Your mom is right - video games are not that serious. Most things in our privileged lives aren't really that serious in the grand scheme of things. That doesn't mean you can't take it seriously or find your passion within it. That also doesn't mean there is a guarantee that it will lead anywhere regardless how much you 'believe' it will - make sure you have a backup plan just in case things don't work out or life gets in the way.

Your brother is right too - chances are there will always be someone better than you. It's fine to use that mentality to drive you forward, but don't let it consume you. Use that feeling to seek out stronger opponents. If you're winning all the time, then you're not improving. Learn to embrace the failure and keep the joy of finding new ways to play.

Finally, I'll tell you the same thing I tell kids who want to be professional sports players: How much time do you spend working on your craft? How much time does the next guy spend working on his craft? Yeah, Ultimate plays differently but not that different from previous games - all the Old Guard have been spending decades working on their techniques. If you don't have that kind of experience under your belt then you've got a lot of catching up to do. What would probably help with that would be to go to competitions and actually meet and play against new people because honestly that's the only way you're going to get that kind of experience.

Good luck my dude.

 

[LIL ELF]

Dont listen to them and dont let them drag you down. Although it’s true that you might not succeed, at least you will have tried and in 10-20 years you wont ask yourself at night : what would’ve happen if i would have tried! Good luck brother!

 

[kraw23]

You'll need to keep in mind that the current top players didn't get there because that's what they decided to do one day - they got there because they were very good at the game that they played and they started winning their local scenes which made them go to bigger events etc etc. Go win your locals, prove you're good before telling people you are

 

[RegoToN]

Hey man,

Off topic in regards to Smash. I relate to your story somewhat. I was in music for a very long time. Everyone, including my family, thought it was a waste of time. Had I listened to them in the beginning I would have never did what I did, or learned what I did. In the end I didn't become the greatest but I went a lot farther than anyone thought I would. And knowing that alone opened levels of confidence I never knew I had.

This story relates to anything in life. Your parents and your brother are just looking out for you. By thinking they know what is best for you. People have made careers.. in the six figures playing video games. I don't think Smash is that sort of game but it can definitely be a nice side hustle.

Your mentality will get you really far, I have no doubt about that. But I don't know you either. Just never put all your eggs in one basket, you have more than enough energy to be great at multiple things. This game being new is a chance for anyone. Games are all broken down at the end of the day.


Good luck bud.

 

[Sudz]

Sooooo what exactly is being discussed ITT?

If you feel strongly about being a pro gamer then go to tournaments frequently and play with the loads of people that all feel the exact same way as you. Just make sure you have a plan for keeping yourself alive, having a career and such, because you will not be making any livable income from Smash for a long time, if ever.

 

[T-Donor66]

Is this a copypasta?

 

[MG_3989]

If this is real then use it as fuel and motivation to get you better. You know how many top esports players, athletes, musicians, etc were told they would never make it? Channel it, put a chip on your shoulder, and work even harder. Once you make it you can say I told you so but you won’t even care at that point.

Follow your dreams no matter what. You might not make it but you’ll regret it if you don’t try

 

[Mecakoto]

I've got a feeling that you're putting such a heavy focus on this dream that it's coming at the cost of your future. As per your profile, you're 18. What you do now is going to have a massive impact on your future. Your Mom and older brother know this. It's why they have said what they have said to you.

It is infinitely better to focus on beginning a career, building a career path that you can use to begin a career, and make flexible social connections right now. Smash Bros, and gaming careers, will always be there and can ALWAYS be a side-deal. Going for the slim-to-none deal is very likely to cripple your future. For every single "top player" or streamer making bank, there are tens of thousands that have tried and failed, all with the same ambition, passion, and drive as you.

That's the cold, hard truth that the people in this thread seem to be afraid to tell you. Why the **** are you people offering support for this person when you know there are alternatives that they can follow to maybe achieve this dream, but would also allow them a fall back during an extremely formative age range? You ALL know that there are elements of luck to this dream of his.

I don't mean to **** on a dream, but there are better ways to go about this then giving 110% at the cost of everything else. I firmly believe that, when 3 very important people in his life (Brother, Mother, Girlfriend) all say the same thing, it means that he is taking it to a place that is beyond responsible. If he was doing it in a healthy way, one that allows for him to build his life up while also enjoying this hobby, then they likely would be supporters. Seriously can't believe there are people on this forum that would miss that little fact.

 

[loltw1st]

I've got a feeling that you're putting such a heavy focus on this dream that it's coming at the cost of your future. As per your profile, you're 18. What you do now is going to have a massive impact on your future. Your Mom and older brother know this. It's why they have said what they have said to you.

It is infinitely better to focus on beginning a career, building a career path that you can use to begin a career, and make flexible social connections right now. Smash Bros, and gaming careers, will always be there and can ALWAYS be a side-deal. Going for the slim-to-none deal is very likely to cripple your future. For every single "top player" or streamer making bank, there are tens of thousands that have tried and failed, all with the same ambition, passion, and drive as you.

That's the cold, hard truth that the people in this thread seem to be afraid to tell you. Why the **** are you people offering support for this person when you know there are alternatives that they can follow to maybe achieve this dream, but would also allow them a fall back during an extremely formative age range? You ALL know that there are elements of luck to this dream of his.

I don't mean to **** on a dream, but there are better ways to go about this then giving 110% at the cost of everything else. I firmly believe that, when 3 very important people in his life (Brother, Mother, Girlfriend) all say the same thing, it means that he is taking it to a place that is beyond responsible. If he was doing it in a healthy way, one that allows for him to build his life up while also enjoying this hobby, then they likely would be supporters. Seriously can't believe there are people on this forum that would miss that little fact.

There’s a glaring hole in your argument, though; your assumptions. You’re assuming that because my family and friends don’t believe I’ll make it as a professional means that I’ve been investing all of my time and effort into it so far. In fact, that’s my problem; I don’t invest enough time into it. I have a lot of different hobbies and activities that I enjoy doing. For example, I love producing music. Digital Audio Workstations like FL Studio and GarageBand serve as an escape to the real world sometimes, and I believe producing, mixing, and mastering enjoyable music in genres such as Pop and Hip-Hop/Rap is a valuable skill in today’s world (due to how many artists are bad at it, lol). I also have a passion for sports, mainly the “jock” sports like American Football and Basketball. I’m pretty athletic and I feel like I could make a career playing professionally either in smaller American leagues or even internationally. To restate, I feel like my problem isn’t putting too many eggs in one basket; I might not put enough eggs into any baskets, if that makes sense.

 

[SonicCraft16]

If that’s the case then you ought not to worry about being the best. You can be good, and a pro. A pro player isn’t necessarily someone who joins a team and makes a living just on smash. A pro is someone who puts time into the game and it’s community. There are plenty of people who still go to tournaments and don’t get top 8. As you’ve said (or at least how I interpret it) you have a lot of things that your interested in but your worried that you won’t be able to fully enjoy a game that you love. If that’s the case then you shouldn’t worry too much. You don’t have to work 6 hours a day on tech to play in a tournament and have fun. Nor do you need to do that to be respected by a community. Note that there are people who don’t even play competitively that are still popular, such as content creators like the beefy smash doods. As long as you have fun with the game and enjoy hanging out with others than you don’t have to be the best.