Sega needs to bring some of this hype to NYC! Lucky NorCal.

Ok can nyc and Europe get some love now Sega?

It's a clue that SEGA will go after big fighting events, such as "Road to Evo", to promote FS this year. But bad thing is they always give audiences a short notice.

I agree with the other two... Sega needs to bring FS to Next Level NYC. Also, I hope someone asks the sega rep about a PS3 VF5FS demo.

As usual Cali gets everything. The only way they'll bring VF5FS to NYC is if there's a WCG like tournament otherwise we'll be waiting till launch.

So happy to be in the bay area for this, but I wish we'd know a bit further in advance! Who else is going?

It's nothing cost to register in advance. Actually this plan has been determined already, but SEGA just announced it today.

Quoted for truth.

I've been saying this to myself for probably 2 decades now. When it comes to gaming promotions of any sort you can bank on it always being in Cali. I don't know how it came to be this way, but it's like the east coast is invisible in everyone's minds when planning these events.

The smart choice is to promote on both ends and in the middle if possible. Heck I'll take just the middle with proper notice so I can still attend without having to be on a bus or plane most of the day. With the exception of the Capcom Unity events that get thrown in New York the last couple of years I can't ever recall Sega doing anything in NYC or along the east coast.

Hopefully something is being planned for PAX East. If not then I guess I'll have to wait till launch time before I can touch FS.

Well, 'Regional' suggests that there will be tournaments in other regions, yes?

Bring it to NYC next!

SEGA is sponsoring a lot of these high profile events and there is probably a deal in place that requires the tourney organizers to run VF5FS on the live stream during the event so they can promote.

So if you want VF5FS on the East Coast, you will probably need that type of an event and make that type of deal with SEGA.

The reason you see this stuff happening in Cali more often is because something like 80% of all games media (and gaming companies, for that matter) are based in Cali. It makes sense from a promotion standpoint because it's where the people are. Plus, less travel means less logistics cost and more security, which is very important for prerelease stuff.

Fun fact: E3 was actually in Atlanta for a while as the LACC was being renovated. Everybody hated it and now it's pretty much going to be in Cali forever and ever (along with GDC).

Also: I'll be there :3

Hoping we get it at ECT. PAX East on a Jewish holiday, can't go X_X.

Err, why would people interested in the game have to put on an event for Sega to get to play the game? We're already going to buy it from them, why in the hell would the onus to do their marketing fall on us?

I believe Sega contacted the organizers at Final Round to be able to showcase the game. Final Round is a well established fighting game tournament (15 years) so it makes sense that Sega headed over there to show off their ware; everyone there falls into the targeted audience (fighting game players) who would likely buy the game.

Norcal Regionals was the next major fighting game tournament stateside after Final Round. As Dennis mentioned earlier, you can judge potential FGT's Sega might hit up next by checking the list on the "Road to Evo '12" series.

Here is the list of tourneys after NCR in North America on the Road to Evo series.

Texas Showdown, Houston, Texas April 6-8
PowerUp 2012, Cincinnati, Ohio April 13-15
Team Mad Catz Championships, San Diego, CA April 13-15
Civil War 4, Richmond, VA April 28-29
Toryuken, Toronto Ontario, Canada May 12-13
Season’s Beatings: Summer Slam, Columbus, OH May 5th
Northwest Majors, Seattle, WA May 26th
Ultimate Fighting Game Tournament 8, Chicago, IL May 25-27
Montreal Annual Tournament, Montreal, Canada June 3-4
East Coast Throwdown, Morristown, NJ June 9-10
CEO 2012, Orlando, FL June 15-17
Midwest Championships 2012, Nashville, TN June 22-24

The one highlighted is the closest to New York.

Damn it man, the one in NJ clashes with one of my sister's graduation day. Ima be in Michigan by then... but I'm def gonna be at that Orlando one. Yay yaaay!
The other ones I really want to go to, specially the Houston tourney. I <3 Houston...
The Ohio ones would be nice to go to if only I get to play Maddy again and meet the rest of the Ohio VF players.
Man I gotta hurry up and win this lotto so I can make it to all these events

Guess we're going to Jersey then.

001 had told me that SEGA is going to handle FS demo play at NCR when we met at SouthTown arcade month ago, and now the detail is on the surface since SEGA announced it last week.
It looks like we can expect more FS demo play, but SEGA just can't confirm at the meantime. I dislike such a short notice, but it is SEGA.

A tournament stream is so much better in order to promote FS spread on the internet, even though personally I prefer casual games only so that we can play as many as we want without unnecessary waiting time.

Let's hope SEGA can do bigger next time.

Hold on guys, the list I created is by no means a guarantee that Sega will be at an event. I just listed events as a guideline that Sega might show interest in attending.

I mentioned it to the Sega reps at Final Round that they really should show up at Evo this year.
Evo this year is July 6-8 located at Las Vegas.

I suggest if the game is out by then that every serious VF player try to make it and show Sega and the fighting game community at large how much adoration we have for this series. Sega is sponsoring tourneys now at these events so Evo should be the biggest as it will have the largest attendance.