Imagine this, what if someone finally pulls the plug and get the police involved, or worse yet government regulators to organize this for us. Our events (FGC not just VF cuz lord knows not VF) are growing larger and is becoming bigger money. With that comes more visibility and it's only a matter of time before someone either shuts theses grassroots events down, or subjects it to outside influence for how it will be run.

This is our time right now to control that change that IS coming. Don't be fooled, the wild west days of the arcade "golden' age are gone and are NOT coming back. We as a community can either become arbiters of that new wave and maintain control over something we hold dear. Or we can try to keep the old ways and let someone who will most likely not be in the FGC or understand the FGC, be the one to regulate it for us. I can bet you dollars to donuts, if it's someone from the outside you won't like it.

Tournaments already are technically gambling, so they're already in wishy washy territory to begin with. It won't take much to get them shut down, or make it much harder to have them.

You been on my back ever since i made my first post about this bullshit .. you hurled weak ass insults calling me a internet thug blah blah blah equipped with a pic of Loc dawg like you was holding that one in for the longest. You feel good now? you got it off your chest? you can continue to show how petty you are with these lame insults that affect no one...Tell Em Why you mad Son? Why.... Because you can't see a profit!! You Mad Bro? make top 3 then and you would'nt notice shit like this.. Seriously...Now Im the Reason FGC has issues? Since when i had all this power to affect a community where no one knows my name? shit i can't even change my own community..What the Fuck is wrong with you? Hey Tricky I got $100 you that you lose to E.O. at NL this week..I got a real sweet vic here....Keep it close 'till round 5 then let him run away with it.. We split it and go home happy... Cool? See what i did there ZOMG? You want piece of this action? Bets still open....

For the sake of trying to stay on topic. I'll start by saying, If you were in charge of the FGC as a whole. What steps would you take to make the event safer? Think of it in terms of, If you had a child of your own. Would you feel comfortable letting them see this kind of behavior? Or would you shy them away from fighting games and all it's stigma altogether? The violence, guns, gambling, trash talk, money matches, poor sportsmanship seem to be leading us towards casual games for the next generation. We're alienating ourselves to a future gaming generation...

If I had a kid I'd teach them to play, but not have them go to tournaments really. Shit is too seedy. Only for things like sega cup where it's all pretty clean cut. That's how all events should be, but that's unique. VF is a different animal and the players who show up (not online trolls) reflect that.

I'm feeling the same view as you tricky. I would show them the game, teach them, play against them. I would keep them away from large scale tournament events, but perhaps go to well run conventions or tournaments.

Apparently you have problems understanding the context of my argument. Let me Explain.
FUCK THEM! I don't give a fuck about them. Their a dumb ass community full of Try hards. I don't care what you or they think. It does not effect this community one bit. Sorry about pissing on your Fighting game boner or whatever.

Now get back to learning how to play VF. I tired of reading your wall of text about this stupid thread.

Exactly Shiny!! It has no effect over here. We trash each other but when we are together we Family.. There is no money in VF.. Just love for the game

WNF doesn't seem seedy to me. I go every week. If anyone is drinking, gambling, or fighting, I don't notice it. Maybe I'm oblivious. Or maybe these things aren't happening there.

Come to think of it, I've had quite a few VF events at my house. I don't serve alcohol, but I've had people drink to the point of losing their faculties. I'm not violent, but I've experienced three close calls between other players. I've been told by people that they wanted to hurt someone at my house. I've even felt a little threatened once myself.

There was enough alcohol present at the Team Tournament I ran at Super Arcade the night before SEGA Cup to warrant concerns of being shut down by police.

VF players aren't that unique.

The sooner that everyone realizes we're all FGC, the better. I interact regularly with people who dedicate quite a bit of their lives to make the FGC professional, organized, fair, accessible, and welcoming. I do business with them. I do business with CAPCOM and SEGA. These people don't play VF, SF4:AE, TTT2, Injustice, SFxTK, P4A, KoF, MK, Divekick, SkullGirls, Smash, Allstars, or Mahvel...

They play fighting games.

And they do their best to make the FGC a place to call home to anyone that wants to belong.

I do it, too. Don't call my shit seedy.

Wel first off. WOW... Im appalled. I really truly am. I have absolutely no problem understanding your ignorant ass stand point Mr. trytobecool brent. I see now you're just another mouth. You talk all this shit about shitty game communities and the ilk, but ppl like you and the ppl you talk shit about are cut from the same cloth. Regardless of what you say, your opinion on this matter proves all. Your mentality is like " I got my crew and fuck any and all who aren't in it". Yeh, good job brent. Real top notch A+ rank player mentality there dood. but hey, outta sight outta mind right? As long as is doesn't affect you or the ppl you pretend to give a shit about it doesn't matter huh? whatever you're done, you lack the capacity to fathom the gravity of your own actions against something you claim to give a shit about. It's very obviousy how good of an actor you are dude, you should take that performance to the silver screen. you're like kobe bryant now that I think about it. All the skill in the world, with THE MOST fucked up attitude in the world. Self-absorbed self-serving would be the words best used to describe you. And I will go and practice dont you worry. I may not be at your skill level but I definitely care more about the genre as a whole. NOT JUST ONE PART OF IT!

Sidenote: Sega cup can't be that clean if ppl like brent show up. God forbid you step up to play VF for the first time and he doesn't recognize you. Might get a hefty mddle finger and a black eye to match.

Agreed, don't get me wrong I still wish upon a star for the golden age to return, like leg warmers and high-top fades. But thats just a pipe dream. And if it did come back it'd be so commercialized and blinged up by profit hounds, the mere thought of going anywhere near it would induce vomiting. A man can have his dreams, but the reality ( at least in regards the the matter of VG Gambling) is, this shit is gonna happen. Be it within the walls or without, this shit is gonna happen unless we take the reigns and start cracking the whip. Same goes for the violence and negativity in our events. If we can't display the essential virtues of a good sport and the general capacity to give a damn about one another not only as gamers but as a community united under the roof of this gaming genre we will suffer the consequences of all things of this nature. And those consequences are as tricky has stated. Either we get shut down, or taken over. Either way it's not gonna be a good look at all. I've mentioned before, I have yet to attend a single fighting event. But im not oblivious to what goes on. I've seen the decline in a lot of the better aspects of fighter tourneys and events. It's truly saddening. Not to say that everything is in the shitter right now. But believe me were on a bullet train to that truth.

willing to take a dive for 5 G's, yet you say for the love of the game?.....suspicious.......

Honestly, and an organizer there's only so much you can do. Those who have the power and money to set up these events have a limited number of ways to prevent these things. Security being one, surveillance being another. I wont go to much into detail on the latter cuz thats just gonna explode into a raunchy mess. If I were in charge I would urge the true power of the FGC to take a stand and try to take a positive step forward and help me make these events better for us all. The power im speaking of is the actual community. The only reason these events exist is because of the people that attend them. And the only people that attend them are the people who love what these events present. And what they present are a multitude of fighting games that people love to play. If you want to stop the violence, and poor sportsman ship, encourage people to stop the trolling, taunting, and just overall bad attitude during matches. Don't make it cool to be an asshole, thats the problem we have outside the tourney walls. You wanna stop the gambling, then do it. RIGHT NOW, just stop betting let these bookies know they are not welcome here. If they dont make any money they wont stay. Security can handle the rest. True gamers won't bet and any one who has come there to do only that security can throw out. like i just said, once the money dissappears so to will the gambling.I'm not saying that it's a fool proof plan, but hell, it would be a start.

as it stands I have a little brother that likes fighters. I teach him to play and I run matches with him. I dunno if I like him playing online cuz of all the trolls, griefers and flamers out there. He's still too young to be exposed to that in my opinion but I also realize I'm neither his mother nor his father. And when he isn't here with me he lives by a different set of rules im certain. Still, until a change is made by both we the competetive community and those of our community who hold these events, I would have to say that my little brother would not be seen at the vast majority of these events.

I may have misread his post, but I don't think tricky was singling you out. I think he was making a generalization. Again I'm not 100% on that so don't quote me or anything. However, I do agree with you last few statements. about trying to make a community where anyone who wants a decent friendly place to belong to can go. I dig that big time. We may not be able to get the golden age back but god damnit we can get real close to what it was if we try.

I agree. I don't care for generalizations.

I think another thing that could be a factor to the FGC community shrinking is the fact that there some stinky, unhealthy, poorly dressed, and poorly groomed people out there. This goes hand in hand with most dork culture things but if were trying to attract people shouldn't we be the opposite of the before mentioned traits.

Its hard to attract people to the overall longevity of the FGC when they don't like the scent of other people or see that people have gotten unhealthy over the years at tournament settings (granted sitting down and playing games won't burn a lot of calories but you could do other exercises through the day).

Basically we need to find ways to our ways to help sharpen our image on a personal level as well.

SDS for your community service, I'd like to give you the angry bridge troll award and a firm handshake so that you continue to be a shining example of what is wrong with the FGC.

Oh and just so you know how much difference one person can make. Look up Rosa Parks, just some knowledge to drop on ya.

Wall, you'd be surprised, at CEO it was a 40% neck beard, 40% Swag Culture, and 20% other.

Cool Story Bro!!! Tell em why you mad Tho Son...