MuraRengan
Banned via Warnings
It took me a long time to decide where to post this, because this post has more to do with the community at large than it does with competitive Smash 4. It has a message that I think is relevant to Melee players and Smash 4 players, but since there doesn't seem to be a place where community matters are discussed on this site, I figured that this forum was probably the most relevant since Smash 4 is the newest game.
Anyways, it has come to my attention through talking with some close friends of mine that Smash as a whole is in a very peculiar situation in relation to changes that are happening in the world. I have been fascinated and proud of League of Legends for making the first steps into making competitive gaming socially visible and financially manageable. League has done a lot in the area of bringing gaming closer to general society, but it still has a lot of unfulfilled potential in that area. I see that same potential in Smash and I attribute it to a changing world trend. In short, competitive gaming is beginning to be recognized both for its own merits and for its economic potential. If you follow League at all, you see that some streamers like qtpie can make around $20,000 in a month just from playing a video game all day. That's outrageous, but in a good way. This trend identifies a change in the economics of entertainment that is underway, and some companies are beginning to take notice. I personally wish I wasn't just a poor college student so I could jump on this train, because I think that in about 10 years, it could be very reasonable to see both League of Legends and Smash on tv if gamers, developers, and sponsors play their cards right.
So as it goes for Smash, we just got sponsorship from Nintendo, and whether you like what it has done to P:M or not, this is an undeniably big development. Some people say that the Smash community is better off without Nintendo, because Nintendo doesn't care as much about the integrity of competitive design. And this is a valid complaint, but I find that it's a relatively small issue when it comes unlocking the potential that the games have as a societal phenomenon. I too have very much respect for the integrity of competitive design (I've been playing Melee since 06), and it is true that Nintendo's current maxims are dangerous when it comes to the quality of competition that it fosters, but I think that with the changing values of society, having Nintendo in our corner is the best gift we could have asked for.
What I consider as the impetus behind Nintendo's sponsorship is that they have seen ongoing changes in the economics of entertainment, that they see it as an area of untapped revenue generation, and that they see the popularity of Melee as a sign that they can work with the community to make a lot of money. But, more relevant to our current situation is the fact that this is still unmarked territory, and to dive right into it is not a sound investment because 1. the investment might not be worth it, and 2. the community could make Nintendo look bad.
So what is Nintendo watching for? Nintendo is interested profit-wise in two areas: media gaming, and game design. As such, they're watching to see just how much interest is generated by Smash and what piques that interest. If Nintendo sees that there is very high demand for things like streams, I expect that they will make some moves in that direction. And if Nintendo sees that a particular kind of game design attracts more players, I expect that as competitive gaming grows in popularity Nintendo will eventually make a game that appeals to those values. In short, Nintendo sees that Smash might be an even bigger cash cow than they had originally known, and by sponsoring us the are making sure they are ready to milk the hell out of it if they can.
The emphasis is the "if". It is not certain yet that Smash can be that profitable, and there are currently things holding it back. First there is the division of the communities. As much as I think that Melee is the best game in the series, I have to acknowledge that the fact that Melee dominates societal attention is slowing the process of helping the series awaken its societal and economic potential. This is primarily because the immanent appeal of a new game is the best way to rapidly increase the demand of viewership, and Melee no longer has that immanent appeal. As a financial strategy, Nintendo should want Smash 4 to take over, because if Smash 4 becomes the big thing, children will be introduced to competitive smash in much larger numbers, expanding the demand for the game much more than Melee could. As much as I like Melee, and as much as I dislike the design choices in Smash 4, Smash 4 is the only opportunity for the community to experience exponential growth.
With that said, it is of paramount importance that Smash 4 be treated with respect. We cannot keep bashing the game, because that might make Nintendo think that we're not worth the investment, and all that potential for exponential growth will have been wasted. Of course, that appeal needs to be made tot he Melee community more than it needs to be made here, but I'm bringing up the statement just to make clear what will help and what will hurt our situation. With that said, there is one other possibility that we have to pay careful attention to if it means realizing the potential of Smash, and that is what will happen if Smash 4 fails. If Smash 4 goes the way of Brawl there are two things that can happen: 1. Nintendo gives up on the economic potential for competitive smash. 2. Nintendo restructures their attempt by making a new game that aims to draw competitive appeal.
For scenario 1 to happen, I imagine that not only will Smash 4 have to fail, but also Nintendo will have to have an overwhelming dislike for the community. We have not been an easy community to deal with. We expressed hatred for both Sakurai and Nintendo at times, and while this is certainly not the opinion of the entire community, if the voices of a vocal minority are the only voices that Ninntendo hears, they're the only opinions Nintendo will have available to them in order to determine whether or not the community appreciates its involvement and, more importantly, is willing cooperate with them as they attempt to help the games grow. This is where we have to change. Smash 4 may fail, but even if it does, we have to make sure Nintendo knows that we appreciate the effort. This is where we have to recognize that our own personal preferences in game design are irrelevant when it comes to the future of the game, and that if we want Nintendo to continue to make an effort on our behalf, we have to give them our faith and our love.
If we can do this, then scenario 2 is more likely to happen. Nintendo's involvement with us is directly owed to the persistance and popularity of Melee. Melee represents the dedication of gamers, and in Nintendo's eyes, that dedication means that the community will stick with the game through thick and thin. What I have not stated enough yet is the fact that the potential of Smash fundamentally needs the community. Smash will not grow without an fiercely dedicated fan base the likes of which we saw with Melee. So if Nintendo knows that the community is dedicated, then if Smash 4 fails, I think Nintendo will recognize that failure as a result of the game, rather than the problems of the community. To be honest, I think we have shown that dedication already, and Nintendo has probably already considered making an iteration of the game with specific emphasis on competition. But above all, we have to give them our support. We are going to remain a collection of small gatherings if we do not work with Nintendo. I believe that in 10 years we could see Smash on television, and that we could see burgeoning leagues in every city. That vision relies on an affirmative answer to two questions: Does Nintendo want that, and are we willing to work with them? I think this sponsorship is the first sign that Nintendo wants it, and the answer to the second question is really up to us.
Anyways, it has come to my attention through talking with some close friends of mine that Smash as a whole is in a very peculiar situation in relation to changes that are happening in the world. I have been fascinated and proud of League of Legends for making the first steps into making competitive gaming socially visible and financially manageable. League has done a lot in the area of bringing gaming closer to general society, but it still has a lot of unfulfilled potential in that area. I see that same potential in Smash and I attribute it to a changing world trend. In short, competitive gaming is beginning to be recognized both for its own merits and for its economic potential. If you follow League at all, you see that some streamers like qtpie can make around $20,000 in a month just from playing a video game all day. That's outrageous, but in a good way. This trend identifies a change in the economics of entertainment that is underway, and some companies are beginning to take notice. I personally wish I wasn't just a poor college student so I could jump on this train, because I think that in about 10 years, it could be very reasonable to see both League of Legends and Smash on tv if gamers, developers, and sponsors play their cards right.
So as it goes for Smash, we just got sponsorship from Nintendo, and whether you like what it has done to P:M or not, this is an undeniably big development. Some people say that the Smash community is better off without Nintendo, because Nintendo doesn't care as much about the integrity of competitive design. And this is a valid complaint, but I find that it's a relatively small issue when it comes unlocking the potential that the games have as a societal phenomenon. I too have very much respect for the integrity of competitive design (I've been playing Melee since 06), and it is true that Nintendo's current maxims are dangerous when it comes to the quality of competition that it fosters, but I think that with the changing values of society, having Nintendo in our corner is the best gift we could have asked for.
What I consider as the impetus behind Nintendo's sponsorship is that they have seen ongoing changes in the economics of entertainment, that they see it as an area of untapped revenue generation, and that they see the popularity of Melee as a sign that they can work with the community to make a lot of money. But, more relevant to our current situation is the fact that this is still unmarked territory, and to dive right into it is not a sound investment because 1. the investment might not be worth it, and 2. the community could make Nintendo look bad.
So what is Nintendo watching for? Nintendo is interested profit-wise in two areas: media gaming, and game design. As such, they're watching to see just how much interest is generated by Smash and what piques that interest. If Nintendo sees that there is very high demand for things like streams, I expect that they will make some moves in that direction. And if Nintendo sees that a particular kind of game design attracts more players, I expect that as competitive gaming grows in popularity Nintendo will eventually make a game that appeals to those values. In short, Nintendo sees that Smash might be an even bigger cash cow than they had originally known, and by sponsoring us the are making sure they are ready to milk the hell out of it if they can.
The emphasis is the "if". It is not certain yet that Smash can be that profitable, and there are currently things holding it back. First there is the division of the communities. As much as I think that Melee is the best game in the series, I have to acknowledge that the fact that Melee dominates societal attention is slowing the process of helping the series awaken its societal and economic potential. This is primarily because the immanent appeal of a new game is the best way to rapidly increase the demand of viewership, and Melee no longer has that immanent appeal. As a financial strategy, Nintendo should want Smash 4 to take over, because if Smash 4 becomes the big thing, children will be introduced to competitive smash in much larger numbers, expanding the demand for the game much more than Melee could. As much as I like Melee, and as much as I dislike the design choices in Smash 4, Smash 4 is the only opportunity for the community to experience exponential growth.
With that said, it is of paramount importance that Smash 4 be treated with respect. We cannot keep bashing the game, because that might make Nintendo think that we're not worth the investment, and all that potential for exponential growth will have been wasted. Of course, that appeal needs to be made tot he Melee community more than it needs to be made here, but I'm bringing up the statement just to make clear what will help and what will hurt our situation. With that said, there is one other possibility that we have to pay careful attention to if it means realizing the potential of Smash, and that is what will happen if Smash 4 fails. If Smash 4 goes the way of Brawl there are two things that can happen: 1. Nintendo gives up on the economic potential for competitive smash. 2. Nintendo restructures their attempt by making a new game that aims to draw competitive appeal.
For scenario 1 to happen, I imagine that not only will Smash 4 have to fail, but also Nintendo will have to have an overwhelming dislike for the community. We have not been an easy community to deal with. We expressed hatred for both Sakurai and Nintendo at times, and while this is certainly not the opinion of the entire community, if the voices of a vocal minority are the only voices that Ninntendo hears, they're the only opinions Nintendo will have available to them in order to determine whether or not the community appreciates its involvement and, more importantly, is willing cooperate with them as they attempt to help the games grow. This is where we have to change. Smash 4 may fail, but even if it does, we have to make sure Nintendo knows that we appreciate the effort. This is where we have to recognize that our own personal preferences in game design are irrelevant when it comes to the future of the game, and that if we want Nintendo to continue to make an effort on our behalf, we have to give them our faith and our love.
If we can do this, then scenario 2 is more likely to happen. Nintendo's involvement with us is directly owed to the persistance and popularity of Melee. Melee represents the dedication of gamers, and in Nintendo's eyes, that dedication means that the community will stick with the game through thick and thin. What I have not stated enough yet is the fact that the potential of Smash fundamentally needs the community. Smash will not grow without an fiercely dedicated fan base the likes of which we saw with Melee. So if Nintendo knows that the community is dedicated, then if Smash 4 fails, I think Nintendo will recognize that failure as a result of the game, rather than the problems of the community. To be honest, I think we have shown that dedication already, and Nintendo has probably already considered making an iteration of the game with specific emphasis on competition. But above all, we have to give them our support. We are going to remain a collection of small gatherings if we do not work with Nintendo. I believe that in 10 years we could see Smash on television, and that we could see burgeoning leagues in every city. That vision relies on an affirmative answer to two questions: Does Nintendo want that, and are we willing to work with them? I think this sponsorship is the first sign that Nintendo wants it, and the answer to the second question is really up to us.