The FGC Is Way Bigger Than The Competitive Scene 

I have a simpler take - if you enjoy fighting games you're part of the FGC. We don't need to put up these artificial barriers to try and exclude people based on skill level, tournament participation, etc. God only knows fighting games are already a niche genre. So the more the merrier.

FGC => Fighting Game Casual FGC => Fighting Game Competitor FGC => Fighting Game Community Pick your role boys

Of course, that person drawing Ramlethal rule 34 fan art is also an essential member of FGC

That Shermie trailer added more ppl to the fgc.

DBFZ proves this in droves. Thousands of green squares with thousands of matches played, because they enjoy the exciting action and characters and accessibility.

I don’t care if it begun as meme or become one jiyuna IS the savior of fighting games. P.S. hairline

my role in the fgc is being a student of lilbussyman’s dojo

At one point I gotta ask how many tweets are "poorly worded" and how many are just some guy sharing shit takes then backtracking into a reasonable middle point once they see how stupid the take was.

What got me learning FGs was watch 3 different Sajams play Guilty Gear, and Aris got me into Tekken.

The lewd art community is the most peaceful on Twitter Carries the FGC too ✊

I've contributed more to the fgc in the last few years than most people realize

Jiyuna spitting truth and positivity

We need more videos of you fighting in the street.

"Who on earth watches an FGC Twitter reaction video at 3 in the morning??" Me: OH BOY 3 AM

I think the only requirement for being part if the community is the love of fighting games. Like you said, there's so many amazing people surrounding the competitive center of the FGC that aren't pros. The cosplayers, the artists, the writers, the musicians, there's so much ancillary creativity that contribute to the community. I can't imagine how many people saw Mori Calliope play GG Rev 2.

the only requirement for being in the FGC is playing fighting games and not simping for baiken on twitter

ALRIGHT YOU GUYS....SO!.

Damn, the os with Eddie input? Damn what a legend

Magic the gathering went through a very similar fallacy. it's really easy to look down on the kitchen table casual players, but they're integral to supporting the scene. they're the ones driving the majority of sales after all.

"I don't believe in training mode" - Andres a.k.a Jiyuna 2021

Maybe the FGC was really the friends we made along the way

Washed up with wisdom, Jiyuna. Thanks for helping keep things in perspective!

Do you love playing fighting games? BOOM welcome to the FGC. Let's rock!

Manz got the Christmas tree still up in April lmao

I understand that I phrased myself badly. This is what I was trying to say: twitter.com/novriltataki/status/1383297361229746176

I'm comfortable with the community as it is right now.. what is going to be impactful is how the newcomers are going to join us with the release of project L we need to teach them the way of a good community ;)

As a certain Woolboy has said, I am a passionate scrub. I’m garbage at every game, like holy shit. But fighting games are great

Jiyuna recognising fan artists like me as important to the growth of the FGC? You see, this is why he is the GOAT

5:56 that's how I got into fighting games. Starting as a Visual Novel and dating sims player, and only experience with fighting games was Blazblue and melty blood. My mentality was "have to smash through this overly complicated game to get to the cut-scenes". And combos was a thing I only knew from rhythm games. Like while watching anime in this pirate site. There was this blonde twin-tail girl in one of those "don't let your girlfriend caught you playing this game" ad. Knew it was a trap, yet it taunted me for years. Until I found out how to reverse image search. Then, after buying it on sale at steam, was like "have to smash through this needlessly hard game to get gravure shots and more outfits" and then downloaded mods because who would pay over $500 of dlc. anyway I tried rank matches online and after getting some w's by sheer luck and lag. After getting match with the same player who would always one side beat and rage quitting and blocking that after that player score a 3 consecutive perfects, did what seems right on that time and rage quit every time I match against them and block them on steam. Resulted on filled with a single obsessive desire, learn everything I can about fighting games and use it to destroy that faceless player. Time skip to today, completely forgot who that other player was, when the new sequel to the game came out got a 20 wins streak, when from a keyboard>mechanical kboard> ps4 dpad>hori dpad>arcade controller and the game turn into a discord game that I play with other in the weekends. bought over 60 fighting games on steam. And now I'm that guy who beats everyone in fighting games on offline anime meetups. tl;dr rpg weeb lad saw anime girl from fighting game and neurons when brrrrr. went try-hard and got agro. spend way too much money and time on games. now is fighting game weeb lad.

Part of my FGC experience has been the plethora of content creators. Brian_F and Sajam are great for learning about fundamentals and improving. I watch Smug and Punk for my fix of pro players. Jiyuna and Max are for chilling out and feeling good. Of course I have channels for my mains to learn tech, too. For such a vibrant, fun community it's weird to be so uptight about NEEDING to sweat. Wake-up supers are fun, after all.

A FGC friend of mine linked me to this video and I just wanted to say thank you for it, because I've been feeling conflicted about the mentioned topic since I don't play fighting games but I really enjoy watching it (specifically GBVS) so I generally spend time drawing to support players I've watched. I was conflicted about my position in the community and this video made me feel a lot better about my art and me being someone who watches rather than play, so just wanted to say thank you for that!!

I wanna play BB with rollback :(

Apologies My Sol brain cells don't understand

I think in an extremely casual player that's ramping up into something more. Idk if that's being a great player or trying to pursue working on fight stick art like I've been thinking. Fighting games have been a bigger part of my life than I realized. I realized it really when FighterZ first released and I was learning combos like legit. It was the first time I pushed myself not only to play online but to play in ranked. I would never play in ranked in any game thinking I wouldn't get anywhere so why try. And one day my friend goes. "Well you're a fighting game player." And I was like "Eh.. but am I? I don't like.. do tournaments or get super serious about stuff. I just know lore and enjoy art and the games themselves. I'm hardly good at it." And from that day on I realized that I did love fighting games, it's very rare when I find a game where I get the sensation of frustration and enjoyment from losing a game lol.

Since you asked: I'm someone who's pretty new to the FGC, started with Xrd and have been playing pretty regularly for about a year now. Recently I've been playing a lot of SF5 and because of the sale I got my casual friends into it. Although it's frustrating for them online at times (they aren't wired lol) they've really been enjoying the private lobbies together -well except for one who's already thrown and broke his controller 😅

- Primarily: Player - Secondarily: Artist - Tertiarily: Stream Monster Coincidentally, that's identical to my chronological involvement with fighting games- I played Chun-Li; I drew Chun-Li; I cheered Justin on.

Great words man! And we need some content like so maybe, I had that competitive mindset for awhile too. Some big 🧠 idea there jiyuna

I'm just a filthy casual who 0-2'd at a local once, but fighting games and arcades were such a part of my childhood that they'll always have a special place in my heart. I've never felt like I wasn't part of the FGC, because it all comes down to your personal passion for it. What the overall FGC needs more than anything is to grow, and the competitive scene will naturally grow with it. Gatekeeping isn't in anyone's best interest here.

I think even some random dude who randomly decides to buy a fg for his game collection is in just the tiniest bit, a part of the fgc. That sale helps support the dev/publisher which allows them to keep making them and in turn affects the greater fgc at large. If we consider the competitors of the scene the core of the FGC then everyone else is more or less on different layers surrounding them, be they 0-2ers, online warriors or even cosplayers.

I'd say giving any sort of attention to fighting games or even just enjoying them makes you a part of the community. It's a very broad interpretation but I think that anything from participating in tournaments, to just casually playing fighting games, to making videos on your favorite fighting game, to retweeting fighting game art all still include you within the FGC. For me, I watch videos within the community, make comments sometimes, and plan to buy some fighting games that come out in the future but I wouldn't say that just because it isn't much, that means that I'm not a part of the community.

1:11 I live by those words.

I’m in high school and DBFZ brought me into the competitive realm of fighting games, but I’ve been a king of the couch ever since I was a kid. I wanna play locals for stuff like Strive and Melty Blood (and maybe still Fighterz if it’s still alive by the end of covid), but I live in the Midwest currently and idk where to look to play. The community of streamers and players i have interacted with have been really cool people and that’s probably one of my favorite parts about playing at all. Just meeting and talking to people about your favorite games is dope af.

Agreed. Back in 01-07 only thought of just competing and never really thought of casuals. But playing other games now made me realise you’re either casual or you’re hardcore (sweaty/pros) but you’re part of that community

im a online low rank gatekeeper 😎

i spent a good 2-3 years as a teacher, coaching people of all levels. I entered tournaments and grinded ranked and went to locals and stuff too, but helping others was a big part of it

Wholesome content thank you for this.

I fall somewhere between casual and competitive. I think the only requirement to consider yourself a member of the FGC should be an ethernet cord. I don't care how seriously my opponent takes improving at the game but I want to fight them, not their connection.

people talking about lore and characters is what got me to start picking up fighting games again.

I'm a FGC consumer, haven't played a fighting game in more than a year but that hasnt stopped me from watching tournaments/video essays/content creator videos regularly

The more people that enjoy fighting games, the longer the genre will grow and thrive. If you love the genre then you should want this.

To me to the core of the FGC is _being part of the FGC_ Enjoying fighting games and interacting with the community, be it in person or, now with Covid, over the internet, is what I believe crowns you as a member of the FGC

Support the game you love. Play online so the dev see that people love to play it, keep it alive even though you never win online

I started studying marketing to answer the FGC growth question, and I gotta say, I think you nailed it on the head at 5:16. Here's a fun stat: 25% of Coca-Cola's sales revenue comes from people who buy Coca-Cola one to three times a year. These people are definitely Coke casuals, but if one day they all disappeared, you'd bet your ass the board of directors would flip their shit. Coke has to engage in variety of marketing initiatives to keep these those customers buying Coke, as well as their higher ticket buyers. I've got great news, the FGC is already doing a great job at this variety. Talking head bits, game shows, combo videos, tech videos, tournament footage, vod review, etc. etc. etc. We aren't even close to maxing this out either, there are still PLENTY of different types of content people simply haven't thought of or executed yet. Not to mention, with the recent push for good online, the physical availability of high-quality fighting games is through the roof! We simply need to continue doing a good job engaging new community members with a variety of content, as well as ensuring that our events remain accessible to those who want to try them for the first time. I suspect that the tournament numbers post pandemic will be absolutely absurd, we've had more than a year now to sit and simmer doing exactly what I've described. The FGC is in a great state, I'm happy to be a part of it. A side note: I don't imagine that the ratio of casuals to competitive players has changed much from the arcade days to our current online era, the groups are simply larger. It's easier to get lost in one rather than the other (easier to live day-to-day in a bubble of only competitive players, reinforcing ideas like the one that started this discussion).

I'm like the dude that follows baseball and plays in a rec league. I'm never gonna get big doing this, but *man* do I love it!

almost at 50k lets gooo jiyuna

I'm 100% a casual player now, and sometimes a stream monster. I've been a competitor for a short period for SCIV (and SF4 to some extent) for a decent bit, and a tiny bit for SFV (which I dropped because I ended up really not liking the game ). I would like to continue being a competitor but the unavailability of close-by tournaments (whether online or offline) for the games I like makes it really hard. Bad netplay in most of the games I like also makes it really hard to get quality practice especially for how far I am from the closest person who plays what I like, so I dropped the idea and I'm just enjoying myself as a middle-aged guy mashing some buttons in the evenings twice or three times a week while trying to teach new players who pop up in my country's scene (even if they play SFV).

Hey Jiyuna, wassup? Just here with an aimless comment to help with the ol' algorithm. Oh, and thanks for the perspective on this subject, too!

I just like playing and learning about fighting games all of them. Also this scene would be nothing without all the artists even if they cant do a shoryuken they're welcome in my discord.

yeah i used to be in Forums where everybody share their excitement about fighting games and what new combos ppl found and the most optimun combos etc. and that is the FGC , ppl that get better to improove their rank points, but you are right the FGC is expanding because of casuals and thats good we want the fgc to get bigger, ppl cosplaying and mixing with other platforms

Your attitude's top quality these days, for what it's worth from an absolute stranger.

I can only assume this from my own experience, but I think other people have this mindset that the FGC is all about the competitive scene because that's the first thing they got exposed to that really talks about, and shows a deep passion for the FGC. I personally got into this community after seeing Daigo's and Tokido's matches, but then after that I got to know more about the other kinds of people that contribute to the community that doesn't participate all that much in the competitive scene. High level tournaments are still the main things that keep my interest for the scene, but now I'm aware that it isn't all about that. I think of myself as part of it because I simply enjoyed the genre for quite a few years now, and just recently have contributed to it as much as I can with the Recaps and other videos that I make centered around tournaments, past and present. Great stuff Sajam!

He's right because we down here in Louisiana playing tourneys and having a blast online!

The FGC is still the FGC...but the hidden OS is that it now means Fighting Game Community but used to be more like Fighting Game Competitors, whether or not we want to admit it. I might be reaching a bit but maybe also this last couple years and all this backlash over people getting feelings hurt (I mean that literally not sarcastically) and the bar being raised on acceptance has also softened some of the hardened shells people had against casuals. I'm almost 50 and have seen the "softening" happening from the beginning. Not to mention the access we have to online tutorials and shit. Now it's like, if you truly want to advance from being a casual, you can easily find the resources to help you do that. Maybe the sweats realize they can have a little more patience knowing it no longer has to take forever for casuals to become worthy opponents if given a chance and the time of day.

Watched 1 video of the “Daigo Parry” and then watched a Guilty Gear XRD tournament and then I’m now part of the FGC. lol

eddieinput is such a wildly good tool

Ah jiyuna still competing in the just chatting eSport scene

My wife left me for the competitive scene :(

A competitive player has to realise that no matter how good he is at the game or how much he likes it, he isn't gonna buy 10k copies to make it worth the ROI for the publishers. Without the casual spectrum he will be relegated to a weirdo playing a 20 yo game in a basement with other smelly day-light-phobic dudes. The casual scene is what gives him relevance.

I think fighting games need to be shown as fun. I love watching tournaments but when I play its all about doing the cleanest possible combo I can do, no meta, no tierlists, just enjoying games

Me and my circle of friends are highly competitive too. We concentrate so hard with defensive options and spacing that when someone whiffs a raw super it just goes down to Unga Bunga, then we revert to button mashing. And as long as we get a laugh out we good, WHERE'S MY ROLLBACK?!

I would say the bar for "being fgc" is actually trying to activatelly participate with the other all community. Smash I would say has its own sister community with some shared members because all those it's a fighting game it historically has acted as a separate community and as result has its own history.

Still waitin' for that Shermie reaction papi

Thanks Jiyuna, very cool video

That is such a weird community mindset. It explains all the garbage teaching (with respect to good teachers) and the focus on high level play. I guess It's my job to make my little circle of friends not toxic fgc people

The Main way to get even more players into the FGC is more on the side of the Devs / Publishers really. Sure Videos, Art, Hype and all kind of exposure help the FGC grow a bit, but not nearly as much as dropping another DBFZ Bomb. Popular IPs attract so many new players and a few of them will get addicted to the gameplay and stay a part of the FGC.

This is why Ishiwatari and Mori love you. 10/10 video again FGC just keeps growing everyone is doing their part!

Ill never forget seeing Ivy and Taki for the first time 😔 I now have a SCVI stick 😔

whoa i'm personally attacked by novril...my name is joe, and i play eddy, and i mash random buttons to feel satisfied

That new Shermie trailer turned me into a KOF player. Guilty Gear is of the past now, KOF players rise up. /s Really loving the content push between you and Obama!!!

GG Strive has an anime, i think thats the best way to get more ppl interested because if they find a character they like they will play that fighting game because they love the lore of that character, like RE they have movies and they make animated series

FGC is where i feel at home. i fluctuate between competitive and being a spectator. but its still home.

People in the comment section saying it was a shit take, but the man just wants people to do less watching and more participating by playing the games. He never said you needed to be competitive, just interested in doing more than watching someone else. I don't know where the idea got misconstrued, but I guess its only because I follow the sentiment behind it. Personally, I find nothing wrong with gatekeeping, but this case here was actually the opposite. There can still be the cosplay, there can still be the popcorn guys, but can you really just keep saying "niche" as an out for people who do none of that outside stuff and just spectate without ever feeling that they can hop in too? If you think it was a wack ass take still, then talk your shit, its fine. I dont think there wasnt anything wrong with what he was saying, but twitter is just doing its usual effect.

i bought an arcade stick after playing fighterz for 2 years and that was my reason for starting to branch out to street fighter and tekken, most of my friends I try to get into fighting games just don’t want to learn combos

To me FGC means anyone who likes fighting games enough to discuss them, or treat them as a social experience. Thats the community part.

yknow i actually learned about JiYuna through Norviltaki. anyway. There are plenty of niche places for people in the FGC Tournament players, casual fans, vloggers, podcasters, etc etc. I think the way to get people to play fighting games is honestly for the devs to make games look flash af and keep the game accessible while also giving it a high ceiling. gives plenty of people more diverse content to create

LilBussyMan the Gatekeeper vs Jiyuna the Welcoming Gateway of the FGC, Heaven or Hell !

Agreed Jiyuna! In the 90s and 00's, "competitive is the FGC" was everywhere. It was compounded by geography and what games you played too. I'm not American but it seemed like if you weren't on the coastal US or in Japan you didn't count. Same if you didn't play Street Fighter. I think that's mostly gone away, though.

Casual with Hardcore time.

Jiyuna destroys gatekeepers using facts and love can't wait for your shermie vid 👀

Fuck man im waiting for that Shermie vid...

Just some random thoughts I need to get out. FG's need the competitive scene because the ultimate goal to the game is to better find ways to win using your chosen methods. Tryhards will always exist and they have to in order to keep a game alive but at the same time you cant go full esports and disregard the shitposts, the art, the 'art', and the general vibe of fun in the game. You need both.

The virgin competitive vs the chad casual

Jiyuna exposed me to Blazblue and Guilty Gear

I personally play but mostly watch. I must have already seen days of videos of fighting games before already delving into playing them. Now I am a beginner, a novice. I understand most of the language and actions but struggle when it comes to doing it myself. I actually understand the "flow" in a fighting game and feel much less anxious to go in and attack. I think in a couple of years I'd be good enough to maybe wanna think about supporting the scene in small twitch tournaments with my most liked creators. I am on the path of creating games or working in them in terms of art so maybe I'd work in a fighting game or sell a concept of characters and the like. Wherever passion takes me. Fighting games are not my most liked type of game but I do like them a lot even if I am bad. I enjoyz it.

I'm a pretty casual player. I've finished top 8 in a couple of online tournaments and even won a few, but I don't feel the urge to push myself anymore. Right now I'm happy just trying out new games and learning to play on a basic level.

Back in around 2012, people would use a word 動画勢 (dougazei ) to describe with a condescending tone those who never play the game but just watch videos on youtube or Niconico. Now nobody uses the word and those 動画勢 are well accepted and mandatory for fgc or any game commmunity as games are getting recognized as esports

At the end of the day. Just have fun in Fighting Games. I see myself as a FGC content creator going into FGC Competitive with Guilty Gear Strive and When Street Fighter VI And Tekken 8 comes out. I enjoy The FGC but it is annoying when some people keep complaining about the little of things but it is fun to be in the community.

Absolutely it has to be acknowledged that the real reason we ever start playing a fighting game is a neuron activation from seeing some sick shit. if there isnt something about the fg that you dont think is sick, why on earth would you play it? and thats exactly why not being competetive doesnt exclude you from the fgc. we're all here to see and do that sick shit, whether doing it gets us to tournies or not.

In an age of surveys, I think it would be cool, Unless its already been done, We should have an FGC one, Where it asks questions like, Are you a fan for a Long-time or short, How long you've been playing FG's, And if you are casual or hardcore, Because even a veteran can be casual instead of competitive. Although it doesn't matter, Because everyone can contribute to the FGC, It'd be interesting to see where everyone stands.

I’m way more of a TO then a sweaty try hard, always like to compete but the FGC is way more then just winning.