Some East Coast players got together to talk about some of the east coast community’s problems as a whole in Street Fighter! Videos here:
Intro
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2
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Last part
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Last part got cut because the camera ran out of juice.
Someone hit me up when theres session, I haven’t played in sf4 session in New York pretty much since the first day it came out and I’m fiendin for comp!!!:nunchuck::nunchuck:
Sanford with the knowledge.
RIP East Coast Arcade Scene
a lot of real talk in there…
sanford is talking truth, the only way to make the community better is to play each other more, i liked the fact that he went into mentioning that not every character is represented in the EC. Thats really gonna hurt us when we face WC in tourney’s and dont know the matchups fully.
That is some true ass shit.
1000 Sagats. 
Yo those videos are full of truth.
Overall going to the first video, I think the main reason why WC is better is because they have more players, more better players, more character variety, and they ARE nicer.
Me personally, going back to when I use to play cvs2 a SHITLOAD, I always remember coming back from Cali or Vegas a little bit better and more knowledgable. IMO. Also, I remember when asian Nick C, and Jeff were around I would try to help them when they lost, I didn’t mind, wasn’t a big deal to me. Over time they did get a little better as it went along. I just don’t have much time anymore, sadly.
But, as far as SF4, I personally haven’t touched the game since Nov, around the time it first got to CF. I haven’t bought it because 1. Can’t afford it right now. 2. Can’t find a good stick for it(I plan to get it on 360).
But as far as what I plan to do when I get the game, I am personally excited about the game, and plan on using like a huge variety of characters, not just tops and shit.
I’m personally interested in like Fei Long, Gen, Cammy, just to name a few. I personally DO want to get good at the game. Once I get a good stick for it, i’m set.
I plan on getting a whole new setup just for SF4, i’ve been planning this shit since it was first announced(I did the same thing for cvs2, bought a ps2 and stick)
I right now don’t own a 360 and as I said, plan on buying console, game, stick, live subscription, the whole thing, all for SF4.
See I don’t really think people are hiding anything, it’s just that SoCal has like, what, FOUR worthwhile arcades in acceptable driving distances of one another? You factor in the amount of people who live in that region to begin with, and then give them four arcades to work with, well you’re going to get results. Couple that with having an actual drive and motivation and you get even better results.
East Coast has one arcade worth noting (TGA is unfortunately out of the picture), Chinatown Fair, and even in a city full of MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, CF doesn’t hold things like monthly ranbats anymore. Every time CF gets a new game it’s hype as hell for two weeks and then niggas just run back to the same shit they’ve been playing for 8 years. That’s why we stagnate. Throw in a lack of drive and motivation, and well you get shit for results.
Places like MD and VA get the job done much better, CF just isn’t worth noting as a central focus of the East Coast anymore really.
I’ve only watched the first vid and waiting on the sec…but I can agree on both fronts.
Overall if Wong is the best on the east, you’d think he’d step up and help others. But he doesn’t have to. Granted, if he wanted more competition in the area I’d think he’d do it along with trying to grab others interest so people will have a growing crowd.
being in MD, I already know there’s jack for arcades now. Playing online is lolphail for any actual practice and you can only do training for so long. I know there are some players around here but I guess i’m to blame for not getting on SRK enough. But yea come on. it doesn’t help that Cali has arcades worth going to and practice on along with constant players willing to put up the effort to train/meet up/etc. I’m not saying people don’t do that elsewhere but as with any arcade, most people meet there and take that shit elsewhere.
i was #2 in the line of 1000 :lol:
theres a couple sakura players, jibbo, destin and mr quotes.
theres 2 giefs (julian and ernest, but they dont travel a lot from what i can tell).
ive been trying to pick up some seth and gief slack.
Just to reinforce this post…The problem is, love him or hate him… it’s not his fuckin responsibility to hold everyones hand and teach them everything. Would it be the best thing for EC? Fuck yeah it would be. However he is not the answer to all this shit. Eventually maybe it will get to the point that sanford says the scene is with marvel.
The game is still young, how long did it take for NYC to get godlike at marvel? I’m sure it wasn’t just a year and a half after arcade release and 2 months after console release. This is real talk, but like sanford says WC right now is definitely better as a whole than EC…
Well I do appreciate Sanford stepping up and speaking the truth…though if it will change anything, I don’t know. Things have been this way for a while.
I agree with everything Matrix said as well too.
Can’t just sit and complain about it, gotta find a way to step it up.
Yea i’m not gonna sit there and say EC needs to rely on Wong for everything as there’s so many different ways to check out shit and get better. We got SRK for a reason. We have youtube to check out shit. It’s not like we’re being alienated by states anymore.
But again, most of this really relies on the strength of the EC wanting to get better and practice/learn shit. We already know the arcade scene on our coast is basically dead. So we’re forced to find people to hook up with and get shit down.
I personally couldn’t give a shit about marvel and I guess that’s where I somewhat hate most places cause I grew tired of MvC2 when I actually learned the mess it is. But there’s enough variety on the EC that it really shouldn’t matter. Or I would hope there’s much variety. Most people down here in MD still mix it up enough and the few standing arcades in the area took out most of the decent fighters.
I just realized after rereading my post it seemed like I was going against your original post and it wasn’t meant to be like that. I agree with you 100% yo, it’s just crazy that EC is the way it is. I know there are lots of people who want to help out but it does seem like the few real elites we may have don’t have interest in it as they are just worried about their own shit. Again, this is no insult as we aren’t in that position and they don’t owe anyone anything but shit.
Hopefully in some time we get this shit straight and we can reach our potential as a whole.
Just watched all three videos, my first impressions:
I’m not from the East Coast. Hell, I don’t even live in the mainland. I live on Guam, and I’ve no idea what the East Coast scene is like, let alone the situations of Sanford, Justin, or anyone else on the East Coast. My perspective is that of someone who’s always wished he lived in a competitive scene and was able to play others.
First off, let me just say that I agree 100% that Justin Wong should help out the others as much as he can. Right now, I’m the best on Guam and I’m doing everything I can to level up everyone and keep the community alive. Started up some ranbats, have tons of SF sessions online and off, and generally just help out everyone as much as I can. Why? It’s not cause I’m some selfless saint who wants everyone to get good. It’s because the better they get, the better I HAVE to be to stay on top. Problem is, Justin doesn’t need that situation to get better. Combine his resources (which allows him to travel) and his natural ability to get good at a game, he doesn’t need to level up the East Coast to help him out.
On the other hand, the guy on the couch (I’m sorry, I watched the videos but couldn’t pick up your name or didn’t know your name was one of the one’s listed) made excellent points. Justin has no responsibility to help out everyone and anyone on the East Coast. He’s leveling up with or without a competitive scene, so actually, it’s better for him to NOT help everyone. Less competition. However, if he wants to continue to say statements like “East Coast > West Coast” he needs to start helping everyone out. Because the way things look now, it’s not “East Coast > West Coast” it’s “Justin and Friends <= West Coast.” Also, if you look at what Justin’s been up too, he is kind of helping out. Isn’t he a part of clgamer.com, which helped run that SF4 tourney recently? And doesn’t he do those hour sessions where he helps you level up (though you have to pay for them)? I know it’s not the greatest help he can give the East Coast, but I don’t know what his situation is. Maybe because of a job or something, this is all he can do?
Now that console is out, I don’t buy that whole “We only have one arcade” excuse, so what does the East Coast need to get to West Coast level? I personally think they need their version of Gootecks. A top player who’s willing to do everything they can to level up the community. The community needs to not be ashamed of asking for help and the top player needs to be approachable and helpful to others. Whether it be Justin Wong or someone else, I don’t know. I just know I’d kill to be surrounded by competition and you guys actually have a much better chance of being competitive internationally than I do.
EC needs more arcades.
From FGD
Back in 2001/2002 when i first started getting into fighting games competetively hardcore I use to think that you don’t need to play the best all the time to be the best and of course as time went on I realized how wrong I was. I came at the end of the cvs 1 era and began at cvs 2. Back in the day it use to be all of the good players getting together every weekendto play cvs 2 and Street fighter. Justin, myself, Sanford, Eddie Lee, Mike D, Liston, Arturo, John Gordon, to name a few and we would have sessions in cvs 2 then after awhile everyone would go to the restaurants in chinatown to eat and we would talk about everything from match ups to peoples play styles, to who counters what and of course people had they’re own opinions and disagreements but everyone shared it. Right after we would all go back to cf and play. That went on for a good while and of course there were ego’s but we all supported and helped each other regardless.
Now new players started coming along as the years went on. Some of us maintained that high level of play and some fell off or either just moved on whether it was for person or life issues which is something that’s common and to be expected. Eventually people started doing they’re own thing and slowly started to separate. The people that had the expenses to travel traveled while the people that didn’t travel never quit but just didn’t travel at all or traveled locally.
Flash Gordon taught me Super Turbo which is something alot of people don’t know. Eddie Lee and Justin taught me patience. Sanford taught me when and when not to be aggressive and so on.I learned from alot of top players from around the country and eventually got to a level that no matter what i played i was able to keep a peak and maintain a high level of performance no matter what the situation and no i didn’t win all the time but I always and still to this day placed top 3 and 5 no matter what.
At the SBO quals for CFJ me and Sanford was 1 game away from going to Japan. Why…because we played the game hardcore in my house when no one wanted to play or take it seriously and had to pick it up on our own because we feel we would have a good chance in representing the US well. There was no Justin or anyone else to play so we had to do it ourselves.At Texas Showdown 4 Otaku from Japan himself through his translator told me that I was a strong player (actual words were Otaku says you are very strong and he bowed which i I was extremely honored and it was a big sign of respect in my view) and then i said to myself well damn. If I’m good now and I don’t play all of the best then imagine if I did play all of the best and most of the best are right in my home state New York…
From that point I said i was gonna pick up ST seriously and used my resources to be on top. John Gordon, Nohoho, The Doyle brothers, Choi (when he use to come to NY) yeah there weren’t many players but the players that were there was good enough for me to place top 5 in virtually every ST tournament I entered from that point on.
Im not saying all this to make a biography on myself or induce my resume on here because I know what I’ve done but its simply because East Coast is not what it use to be and that’s the truth.
Ego’s and perpetual down talking amongst our own players is what kept and is continuing to hold this coast back. I just really started picking up HD Remix and I recently played with Damdai, Arturo, and some others and during the session Damdai said "Jeron during that particular situation you should do this instead of doing that’ and I thought about it and I said yeah hes absolutely right I should do that. Now he didn’t HAVE to do that and I respect Damdai greatly for that because taht showed me he shows interest in my progression and progression as a whole. The little thing someone says can help you big in the long run you’d be surprised and it helped me and I have a complete better understanding of the situation presented. Me and NKI always have at least one ChunLi conversation whether it be minor or not and he tells me things at np. That’s why I love the ST community so much because the ST community doesn’t have that problem like that. People that are not from your state will help you and tell you viable things to help your game which is why I will always love the ST players and community for that because it certainly has helped me in the long run.
Anyway closing this up, Justin if you are reading any of this then please understand me. Sanford, myself or anyone else aren’t trying to make you out to be the bad guy here but I just wish you wouldn’t alienate yourself all the time from the people thats trying to get better and rep this coast the way its suppose to. I know you dont do it on purpose but I’m gonna say straight up as a player I’m the 4th best in STREET FIGHTER in the east coast and people can dispute or say what they want it is what it is. I say that because I have to keep that knowledge of street fighter and keep it applied to step my SF 4 game up like everyone else.
I starting to play the game seriously now and im through with making excuses why I’m losing. In the end no one wants to hear that anyway and you are the best period. Maybe one day hopefully you can put your ego aside and understand where some are coming from and I know your money is important but I never forgot where I came from and I know you didn’t either. I will always keep that oldschool mentality that I have and always will believe in morality and tradition. Its not always about tournaments. Tournaments prove alot but sessions are whats gonna get everyone where they should be.
That’s my whole disposition. Again its not your problem but like someone said if your gonna go around saying EC this EC that then you gotta at least make an attempt to meet some of us somewhere in the middle and dont strand us all behind. As for everyone else EC lets step our game up in Street Fighter and stop getting shitted on by WC and other coasts. What makes them gods over us and what can they do that we cant at the same level if not better. You gotta do your part too and that goes for me and everyone else so get those sessions going, pop off those challenges and if you lose…LEARN run it back, if you lose again run it back again and don’t let your pride and other peoples ego’s get in the way of your potential!
Jeron
Sanford speaks nothing but the truth. We really need to help each other out and not be so cocky. There are so many players in CTF who get a win and ignore anything you say to them, like “Good game”.
That, IMO, has to do with there being a shitload of new faces at CF, as compared to the way it was back in like say, 2001 - 2004. Then around like ohhh late 2006, the crowd started changing. I’ve seen soooo many faces come and go in that time. I’m sure I’m not the only one that agrees with me on this, who was around back then(Jeron I’m looking at you haha).
So the people that were around when say, Marvel 2 and CvS2 started getting big, most of us have been playing this stuff since 2001. So, we knew like, 'Ok good game man."
But with the newer crowd, they haven’t been around long enough and are a little too high on that horse to understand this.