The State of the FGC in 2021

The State of the FGC in 2021
Date Published: 26 May, 2021

The Fighting Game Community (FGC) is no stranger to change. In it’s short history, the scene saw its roots planted in the arcades, transition over to home consoles, then eventually evolve into a legitimate online presence, which arguably prompted the community’s most recent evolution, one which inhabits the world of professional gaming, or what is better known as Esports.

However, as the FGC was quickly moving towards bigger and better, be it with larger crowds, larger prize pools, and a larger spotlight, it all came to a screeching halt, as while the FGC is known to quickly embrace change, even they were not impervious to what everyone experienced in the last year. As the world dealt with a global pandemic (COVID-19), normal everyday living became even more so of a privilege, and as each community in society had to find a way to live in an age of a pandemic, a small yet determined community dedicated to the love of fighting games found itself evolving once again.

Continue reading “The State of the FGC in 2021”

The Rise and Fall of The Excellent Adventures of Gootecks & Mike Ross

The Rise and Fall of The Excellent Adventures of Gootecks & Mike Ross
Date Published: 27 August, 2020

As arguably the most recognizable pair in the FGC (Fighting Game Community) for years, especially in the modern era, Mike Ross and Ryan Gutierrez played an instrumental role in the fighting game media and content creation spaces.

Though, while the two had their hand in many fighting game related projects, both on their own, and jointly, the weekly fighting game series—The Excellent Adventures of Gootecks & Mike Ross was a show that had risen to the top of the FGC ranks, and held its No. 1 spot for years, yet, ultimately fell down from grace and lost its magic somewhere along the way. Continue reading “The Rise and Fall of The Excellent Adventures of Gootecks & Mike Ross”

The State of the FGC in 2019

The State of the FGC in 2019
Date Published: 22 May, 2019

The year 2018 in fighting games was perhaps the first time in a long while where the fighting game community’s outlook moved away from the traditional star of the show featuring a bunch of supporting roles, to it’s current outlook which better resembles an ensemble cast with a couple of big names.

However, unlike a changing of the guard, the landscape of the FGC in the year 2019 is one that is seemingly taking on both the new school approach to fighting games, yet still leaving a wide enough window for the old-school fighting game identity to fit into. Continue reading “The State of the FGC in 2019”

The FGC’s Identity Crisis

The FGC’s Identity Crisis
Date Published: 19 February, 2019

Never short of interesting storylines, the fighting game community (FGC) is yet again a part of another tug of war situation, this time on one side the grassroots of the FGC, and on the other, the esports side of the FGC.

The differences between the two sides have shown themselves in multiple facets within fighting games, and as the old guard attempts to maintain tradition, while the new guard is set on embracing change, it begs the question; What is the FGC’s identity?

Continue reading “The FGC’s Identity Crisis”

Do Character Archetypes Matter In Street Fighter?

Do Character Archetypes Matter In Street Fighter?
Date Published: 6 January, 2018

Similar to many other competitive activities, the determining factors for winning and losing in fighting games are variable. However, unlike group sports which may rely on team chemistry, fighting games more so rely on player to character chemistry.

The unique thing about fighting games, is that there is no real blueprint for how to play the “right way”. A direct instruction akin to elbow in, and follow-through when practicing a jump shot in basketball simply does not exist in the realm of fighting games. Continue reading “Do Character Archetypes Matter In Street Fighter?”

Why I Left MMORPGs for Fighting Games

Why I Left MMORPGs for Fighting Games
Date Published: 16 December, 2018

As the video game landscape expanded throughout the years, the ability to keep up with the trends became harder and harder as there were simply too many games to play, and just not enough time to get to them all.

Therefore, as a video game player, my preferences shifted from participating in the endless new game release race, to focusing on a specific genre in gaming. A journey that began with the fighting game genre, tailed off to the MMO space, only to return home to fighting games once again. Continue reading “Why I Left MMORPGs for Fighting Games”

The Resurgence of the 3-D Fighting Game

The Resurgence of the 3-D Fighting Game
Date Published: 23 November, 2018

It was never ostracized or mistreated to the point of labeling it the “red-headed step-child”, but the 3-D subgenre in fighting games has traditionally been in a place all of its own. There are a myriad of theories behind why that has been the case.

Factors that vary from entry level difficulty, lesser known licenses, as well as simply the fact that the 3-D subgenre has fewer franchises than its 2-D or Anime counterparts. However, despite historically having less notoriety, 3-D fighting games are reemerging to perhaps be a significant player in the new age FGC (Fighting Game Community). Continue reading “The Resurgence of the 3-D Fighting Game”

Sexualization in Fighting Games

Sexualization in Fighting Games
Date Published: 20 October, 2018

Sexualization in games is a topic that has been discussed among video game developers, journalists and consumers throughout the short, yet rich history of modern gaming. However, considering that the fighting game genre is nowhere near mainstream, the topics’ impact isn’t looked at as closely.

Similar to how fighting games and the FGC treat aspects of gaming such as community, mentality, and competition slightly different than other genres in gaming, they also view popular talking points differently, especially with regards to how to it affects the FGC as a whole. Continue reading “Sexualization in Fighting Games”

What Happened to Character Loyalty?

What Happened to Character Loyalty?
Date Published: 5 October, 2018

The term “Main Character” refers to a fighting game character associated most often with a specific fighting game player. The main character is also thought of as the player’s best character, at least on paper.

Throughout the short, but rich history of the FGC, certain players have become almost synonymous with certain fighting game characters and be it tournament or casual setting, that tradition affected a major part of the FGC, which almost set a precedent for how matches were played. However, like anything that sees tenure, change is inevitable, and FGC traditions are not immune from it. Continue reading “What Happened to Character Loyalty?”

The Disconnect Between Smash Brothers and the FGC

The Disconnect Between Smash Brothers and the FGC
Date Published: June 27, 2018

As it pertains to the relationship between the Smash Brothers community and the fighting game community (FGC) I’m confident in saying that as of now, there is no real consensus on where the two stand considering the entire premise of the matter is subjective on the individual as well as the camp they resonate with more.

Therefore, as someone who resides in the camp that is the fighting game community, there is really only one lens I can see this issue through. However, even with that said, attempting to break down one side of an argument is better than turning a blind eye to both. Continue reading “The Disconnect Between Smash Brothers and the FGC”

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