Yes I’m a player from the old era and now I live in a new era in which new era players have different views. But that’s a good thing since we now have a diverse and multi-generaltional community.
I don’t know I learned SF2 and SF3 on machine and on both occasions the competition was fierce. I learned and played 3S in the competitive environments of SHGL, FFA, Camelot, and Regency. Since it was a quarter, not only did I have to learn on the fly but I also had to win so I wouldn’t be blowing away too much money which I also did. And I didn’t have a lot of money back then myself. There was a time when I was a scrub that only used Shinshoryuken Ryu and Denjin Ryu so I could just compete and stay with the competition much less win. I also couldn’t parry for anything. I just liked the game so much I was willing to spend money to play it. And to me that was money well spent. And since I spent money I felt I was investing in my gameplay. The intention was the more I played/spent in the beginning the less I spent in the future when I got better. It was also fun taking everyone’s quarters. But remember unlike the newer players today I accepted the coin-op system and standing in line since that was the way to play SF. That was the process of Street Fighter and I think that is the way the game is originally meant to be played.
Lol I meant chess club that not everyone has easy access to. I watch the movie Searching For Bobby Fischer a lot and when they play in hardcore chess environments that play for money, the collection of talent is better, the competition on the average is just better, and the game is more meaningful and exciting. Yes the game gets more exposure when it gets on console. That’s the good thing about it. But it doesn’t necessarily make the population of gamers better on the whole. It actually waters down the playing field and spirit of competition. Say for 3SO for instance, there may be a lot of people who download the game but I feel that it doesn’t make the player base as a whole better. People will own the game but I don’t think there will be a lot of people who will play the game on a high level on the average. IMO a game like 3S thrives in an arcade environment since it’s a high skilled game and since you have to play to pay, it makes the pretenders stay home and welcomes the people who really want to get good and compete. But you know this already since you went to FFA before.
That’s true that culture changes but once it changes it becomes different hence loses it’s original meaning. One guy I know who studied economics told me that computers are not meant for Wall Street since it just makes everything go by too fast and it messes up the trading game. It also gives more people access to trading who shouldn’t be trading. But that’s something else.
I didn’t make it sound like law I’m just stating that IMO any “pure” Street Fighter whether it be Alpha, 2,3, or 4 is originally meant to be played on an coin-op machine. The way the game is originally designed requires a machine with it’s coin slots and it’s two joysticks. Once the game is converted to a console or even to an Iphone it starts to lose it’s original meaning. When it goes to console, people start playing the game on pad and since they have unlimited credits it starts having this “mass production” gameplay style. It loses it’s craftsmanship and it’s art. Look at the Japanese and how they play because they mainly play on coin op there’s still a craft and personalize style on how they play. Maybe that’s due to the coin op machine. I think, I don’t know. IMO console Street Fighter “democratizes” the game too much when Street Fighter isn’t suppose to be democratized. It’s something like what social commentary writer Fran Lebowitz said: “I don’t believe that there should be a democracy in culture. It’s good for society to have a democracy but not culture. Culture should have a hierarchy of talent. Not everybody should be good because some people are more talented than others. And when you have the best producing the culture, you get the best art.”. I think the same applies to the way Street Fighter should be played. The machine forces the game to be played on a “survival of the fittest level”. Those who aren’t willing to invest, for lack of better terms, are immediately unworthy and cut off.
All I’m trying to say basically is that SF is meant to be played on an arcade machine. When you play it in the arcade with coins you get the full meaning of the game. You learn more and it’s just more entertaining. But of course not everyone has access to arcades. But we live in So Cal and I have a So Cal bias. We still have arcades here and I think that is the reason why we have a lot of strong players here and some of them are the strongest in the world. Hell a lot of people visit So Cal just to play Street Fighter.
But the system is all messed up now IMO. Instead of making the players invest in dlc’s and patches, they should be made to invest in their gameplay with quarters. Putting money into your gameplay makes it more justifiable on why you are better instead of investing in gems lol.
I heard really good things about that.
If there is a crowd and a line around a Street Fighter machine. You don’t spend that much money. You’re just waiting a long time. A three hour night could end up costing $5. Maybe less.
But this is probably how arcades should work today I guess. You play at home to practice. You go to the arcade to show off to a bunch of people.
