For a greater part of my life I considered video games to be just that, video games. Video games were always fun to play, very challenging, and visually awesome. I never thought to take video games serious or to devote a given amount of time to them. I played them as long as I felt content to and once I had my fill I moved on to the next thing that peaked my interest. I never thought of video games to be anything more than that until one day a little title named Street Fighter II landed its gaze upon my then competitive video game virgin eyes. Little did I know that it would be games like this that would change my outlook on what I felt video games should be.
Fast forward a couple years into my adult hood and I'm in awe at the fact that I'm unable to lay a finger on my friend Sho. At this period in his life he had been leveling up in Tekken with other friends and his knowledge of the game was so superior to my own that all I could do was just be amazed at the fact he had gained this ability by continuously playing. Over the years, my friend dominated our little circle with him beating us to the point that we no longer had the want to play anymore. To this day another friend of mines admits his disdain for fighting games as a result of playing with our very competitive pal. I'd like to believe to Sho playing fighting games was the most enjoyable video game challenge anyone could have and I think in his own way he encouraged us to continue to keep playing(taking beatings) so that we could see this also.
Years past, we all got older, and our focuses changed. We no longer had the time to gather together and play and my friend no longer had the ambition to play fighting games like he once did. For any of you familiar with my story, you know online playability has been the sole reason that my fighting game spirit has become reinvigorated, but I haven't really spoken much about some of the negatives I've experienced since I've become more involved.
These days it seems like its all about the competitive nature of the game. Its about having the complete knowledge of your character due to the vast amount of information that is at your fingertips because of the internet, making it out to local events for your community to keep your favorite fighting game alive, and most importantly not being a scrub(noobs are ok). Often times, I feel jaded by the super ego thought process of certain individuals whose skill level towers my own. Online I am bombarded by off handed comments, over criticized about what I'm not doing, and ultimately disowned by individuals who feel I'm a waste of time to play with. This is far from the fun challenge I expected to be apart of and not as enjoyable as I would have hoped it to become.
None the less, I'm still a little bit hopeful that I may be able to one day make top 8 at a major tournament but in all honesty my level of commitment is far from what is needed to get there. Despite the harsh realities of the competitive nature of games these days, many of the younger generation seem to stand by it. I personally still want to enjoy the game for what it is despite the competitive nature of the game. The thoughts that I've expressed was brought on by a new DOA5 trailer entitled "I'm a Fighter" a call to arms for those players out there who have taken up the banner for competitive gaming. It is intriguing to say the least knowing that times have changed a great deal from those days of just playing a few pick up games with friends. There is a whole new playing field and it is centering around the competitive spirit of what I used to just call a video game.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Bigger,Better,Community
Starting a website dedicated to info about fighting games online definitely has to be one of the best ideas I've ever conceived in my tiny little brain. Ever since the sites inception, a whole new world of streams, fighting game tournaments, and most importantly fighting games have encouraged me to be a apart of this community known popularly today as the FGC.
I had a positive out look in the beginning and I'm very happy to see folks coming to the site not just from here in the states but from all over the world....all over the world who could ever think that would be possible..anyway its realizations like these and other things that has encouraged me to take the next step.
For a long time, I have been using squidoo a great site that allows you to create blog like formats for any interests you may think other individuals may take an interest in. Its been a wonderful place and it has allowed me to add a great deal of content. It has been a great place from me to flesh all of my ideas out and has even been a catalyst for things I honestly never thought to add to the site.
As of now, I think its time for more and in the coming months I will be taking all the knowledge that I've attained about Fighting Games Online and moving it to a brand new website. fightinggamesonline.info will be the new location and it was quite fitting that I was able to acquire this domain it will fit perfectly to what I have been already providing to the original site on squidoo.
Taken this step is going to give me a bigger format. I'm going to have a lot more playground so to speak so that means a lot more information. No longer will it just be held to one page. With the new site you will be able to navigate a lot more freely and even more information will be available than before for each section and each game I add.
I plan to do a better job of giving you more content. Youtube is such a great resource and its definitely been a huge help in regards to adding video content. I plan to use Youtube further but I will be providing more of my own video content which I think you will find highly informative and very helpful in getting you setup to play and enjoy fighting games online.
Last but not least and most importantly I want to create a forum. I do this in hopes that a community will surface so that many of you have a way of finding more people that are interested in the fighting games that you enjoy. So many possibilities come to mind when I think about community, match making and trouble shooting are just two examples I believe will be the most beneficial. My hope is that we can raise more awareness for some of the games that are classics and still wonderful to play. Even though new games continue to come in all the time their are still so many lost gems that could use a few dedicated players.
My vision for this new place is grandiose to say the least. I'm hoping that many of you coming to this barren wasteland of a blog will join me when I finally unveil this site unto the masses. For now you can still check out the original site and get excited about the possibilities for what I have planned on for the new one. I promise not to disappoint. Even if it may seem some what of a tall order, I'm passionate about this project and I want to put my best foot forward I hope that you will see that once it is all said and done.
Friday, February 24, 2012
The Art of Mastering Your Character.
Bruce Lee's style of fighting known as Jeet Kune Do seems to share many of the same traits when it comes to fighting games. One of the biggest things that Bruce Lee wanted to impart on his practitioners was the freedom from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. In the same way fighting games allow for this type of idealism but in a time where access to combo videos and frame data information are available at the click of a button, its easy to loose sight of what makes the mastery of learning your fighting game character more then just being able to execute a 50 hit bread and butter combo.
The biggest complaint that many skilled fighting game players argue about the new generation is the simple lack of fundamentals that it takes to win in a match. I myself believed at one time that the only thing that mattered was how well my execution was with my character but as I've continued to stay engrossed within the fighting game community, I now know that it takes more then just that. The term footsies have become synonymous with high level fighting game competition and for a while it eluded my understanding until I came across a site that gave an incredible amount of information on the meaning.( http://sonichurricane.com/?page_id=1702">sonic hurricanes footies handbook)
Once I came across this idealism for how fighting games should be played, I finally understood that it was more then just attacking your opponent you had to out think them. This idealism is very much in opposition to Bruce Lee's beliefs as he argues that you need to feel and forget about thinking. I don't disagree with what Bruce Lee encourages but I still tend to think you must learn before you can feel.
If you ever played through a video game several times to completion then you know what the feeling of mastery is. Its that point when you are no longer thinking you just know, you just do. Mastering a fighting game character is far beyond the scope of your ordinary video game. Like Bruce Lee to acquire the ability to "feel" you must train continuously to develop your skills it is only then that you can reach a point of reacting to your opponents movements and adapting to their style of play.
The freedom comes in your ability to walk your own path with the character of choice. Whether you can reach a higher ability by taking Bruce's philosophy towards fighting games is definitely something of constant analysis as I continue to learn and play the game. Only time will tell if I'll truly be able to feel and no longer think.
The biggest complaint that many skilled fighting game players argue about the new generation is the simple lack of fundamentals that it takes to win in a match. I myself believed at one time that the only thing that mattered was how well my execution was with my character but as I've continued to stay engrossed within the fighting game community, I now know that it takes more then just that. The term footsies have become synonymous with high level fighting game competition and for a while it eluded my understanding until I came across a site that gave an incredible amount of information on the meaning.( http://sonichurricane.com/?page_id=1702">sonic hurricanes footies handbook)
Once I came across this idealism for how fighting games should be played, I finally understood that it was more then just attacking your opponent you had to out think them. This idealism is very much in opposition to Bruce Lee's beliefs as he argues that you need to feel and forget about thinking. I don't disagree with what Bruce Lee encourages but I still tend to think you must learn before you can feel.
If you ever played through a video game several times to completion then you know what the feeling of mastery is. Its that point when you are no longer thinking you just know, you just do. Mastering a fighting game character is far beyond the scope of your ordinary video game. Like Bruce Lee to acquire the ability to "feel" you must train continuously to develop your skills it is only then that you can reach a point of reacting to your opponents movements and adapting to their style of play.
The freedom comes in your ability to walk your own path with the character of choice. Whether you can reach a higher ability by taking Bruce's philosophy towards fighting games is definitely something of constant analysis as I continue to learn and play the game. Only time will tell if I'll truly be able to feel and no longer think.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Pleasure Overload!! Pleasure Overload?!
First off Happy New Year to any one who may come across this post. If your a fan of fighting games, you have to admit that 2011 was one of the best years ever. So many reboots to titles that many of us never thought we'd see. Dreams were finally realized and hopes were fulfilled in Hurricane punches and berserker claw madness. It wasn't so long ago when Street Fighter reemerged with a new title and was received with open arms. It was around that time I embraced the ability to play online and many like myself were all but mystified that they now had an opportunity to go up against human players anytime they felt ready.
Why this phenomenon didn't catch on sooner I'll never understand. Its not like these things were not available on the previous consoles. I guess there is just something about a next-gen system and a reboot that just reinvigorates the masses and invites them to come back and play again. While some of us relive old times, others are introduced to this genre that is bringing a new way to play for a new generation. I can say without a doubt we have now reached the apex of fighting game uphoria but there is something a bit unsettling about this feeling.
Within a year we saw two different versions of the same game, two different franchises reemerged from the proverbial ash, and two games fought to stay fresh in the minds of gamers. After all, this is a genre that has gone stale before and no fan of this genre ever wants it to go away again. While technology brings endless possibilities to light, like the streaming of major fighting game competitive tournaments and updates promising balance and fixes, it all feels a little bit daunting.
This year sparks another influx of fighting game pleasure for those who are willing to seek it. I tend to hesitate this time around in welcoming them with open arms for you see I am content with what I have now. Fighting games are unique from other genres because they require a longer period of time to master. Action games like Batman Arkhum Asylum can be played to where in a few weeks you may find yourself taking down bad guys without getting a single scratch. This does not work the same way when it comes to the mastery of a fighting game.
Fighting game characters can take months and possibly even years before a player becomes well versed in executing picture perfect game play. The need for human vs human combat significantly adds to the continuous need to train your favorite characters to perfection leading to hours upon hours of training -- vigorous training and multiple gaming sessions. With such a deep amount of commitment involved with these games its really a wonder how we could ever have a need for more in such a short amount of time.
Its almost like we've gotten what we asked for but we didn't really know what exactly we were asking for and now its to late the time has arrived and the influx of new titles has already started to come in. Skull Girls,a fighting game co-created by an individual who has a love for fighting games more deeply then many of us claim to have, promises to provide what hardcore fighting games fans have desired for eons. The question that comes to mind for its creators is one that only those who are anticipating several other titles coming up this year can answer -- what do I want to play next.
Unlike a few years ago, we now have choices. The technology is at a level that we can enjoy what we already have several times over and it can be refreshed once it starts to get stale. Super Street Fighter IV has proved this time and time again with its latest updates promising character tweaks and new character add-ons. Not only do you have the new titles to contend with but the old titles as well.
At one point in time, I would have said bring it! Give me as much as you can give because like many I'm starving for something new and improved. I believe that at this point and time I'm getting my wish but I can't help wondering all of sudden if its to much to ask for. I guess by the end of this year I'll know for sure.
Why this phenomenon didn't catch on sooner I'll never understand. Its not like these things were not available on the previous consoles. I guess there is just something about a next-gen system and a reboot that just reinvigorates the masses and invites them to come back and play again. While some of us relive old times, others are introduced to this genre that is bringing a new way to play for a new generation. I can say without a doubt we have now reached the apex of fighting game uphoria but there is something a bit unsettling about this feeling.
Within a year we saw two different versions of the same game, two different franchises reemerged from the proverbial ash, and two games fought to stay fresh in the minds of gamers. After all, this is a genre that has gone stale before and no fan of this genre ever wants it to go away again. While technology brings endless possibilities to light, like the streaming of major fighting game competitive tournaments and updates promising balance and fixes, it all feels a little bit daunting.
This year sparks another influx of fighting game pleasure for those who are willing to seek it. I tend to hesitate this time around in welcoming them with open arms for you see I am content with what I have now. Fighting games are unique from other genres because they require a longer period of time to master. Action games like Batman Arkhum Asylum can be played to where in a few weeks you may find yourself taking down bad guys without getting a single scratch. This does not work the same way when it comes to the mastery of a fighting game.
Fighting game characters can take months and possibly even years before a player becomes well versed in executing picture perfect game play. The need for human vs human combat significantly adds to the continuous need to train your favorite characters to perfection leading to hours upon hours of training -- vigorous training and multiple gaming sessions. With such a deep amount of commitment involved with these games its really a wonder how we could ever have a need for more in such a short amount of time.
Its almost like we've gotten what we asked for but we didn't really know what exactly we were asking for and now its to late the time has arrived and the influx of new titles has already started to come in. Skull Girls,a fighting game co-created by an individual who has a love for fighting games more deeply then many of us claim to have, promises to provide what hardcore fighting games fans have desired for eons. The question that comes to mind for its creators is one that only those who are anticipating several other titles coming up this year can answer -- what do I want to play next.
Unlike a few years ago, we now have choices. The technology is at a level that we can enjoy what we already have several times over and it can be refreshed once it starts to get stale. Super Street Fighter IV has proved this time and time again with its latest updates promising character tweaks and new character add-ons. Not only do you have the new titles to contend with but the old titles as well.
At one point in time, I would have said bring it! Give me as much as you can give because like many I'm starving for something new and improved. I believe that at this point and time I'm getting my wish but I can't help wondering all of sudden if its to much to ask for. I guess by the end of this year I'll know for sure.
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