100% this. I’ve been playing fighting games casually since I was 12 but I didn’t know there was an actual competitive scene for it until almost 15 years later, and by then it was too late for me to get good enough.
Forgive me for saying this, but you sound quite defeatist. I feel if your passion is strong enough, age really isn’t a factor. Yes, we can view the past quite pessimistically but if you can input a Fireball, DP and have an understanding of footsies and AAs, you’re already above the average fighting gamer. @YawDan taught me everything I know about fighters when we was young. SF2 on the Snes was the console of choice. We really didn’t have a competitive scene at all, but we were both able to compete in tournaments in our mid to late twenties. Love for what you enjoy can elevate your status so much higher, bro. You can still be a champion.
Not to also sound ‘defeatist’ and I know you’re just being positive but at a certain age it just isn’t feasible to ‘be a champion’ as it were. There is very clearly an average age group that has the freedom and time to compete even just regionally, and no coincidence we don’t often random grown ass niggas appearing in nationals other than OGs who’s appearance is tantamount to seeing an Attitude Era wrestler cameo on Raw to do a lil finisher on a jobber for a quick nostalgia fix. Nobody thinks Alex Valle is taking a major from a kid half his age.
That’s not to say FGs are as contingent on the prime of youth as actual sports, but again we can’t ignore there is a kind of ‘aging out’ that occurs for whatever reasons. And if you’re getting into the competitive side of any game at a certain age, you may not have that hunger.
Every year I’m a mere four hours away from CEO, and all respect to guys who fly out there. I’m sure it’s great. But I’m not winning it, nor do I have the time and interest to get near a state where I have a shot. I like where I’m at and am in no hurry to achieve something. I’m 35, I’m over it.
Yeah, it had less to do with physical age/ability (though that was still a factor) and more to do with the stage of life I was in at that point.
Real life responsibilities take precedence, so I barely had time to compete locally, much less travel, and it’s only gotten less feasible since then.
Fighting games require enough pre planned thought over reactions where you don’t have to be young to be champion. I believe Infiltration was already near 30 or over 30 when he started winning stuff in SFIV and that was his first competitive fighter.
If you don’t have time you don’t have time, but physically there isn’t any reason why you can’t at least do well enough to get out of pools at a major.
Are you really of the view Alex Valle or Daigo, as it where, couldn’t beat a Punk or Mena? I really believe you are incorrect in such a matter. I’ve just made it to 30 and I feel my hunger has grown even more. Granted it isn’t for being a champion in SFV or MVCI, but rather I wish to succeed in the field of rapping and producing. Some may say it’s unrealistic, but why dream small? If this brother decides he really wants to step up in terms of tournament progress and 1st-3rd place finishes, it can be done.
You’ll never know where you stand at a tournament till you go to one. I don’t think anyone should let “I won’t win so I shouldn’t bother going” really stop them. Everyone has different reasons for going. Go for the experience, go to see how well you do, go to meet new people and get long sets in.
Noone can speak on what’s physicall or mentally capable for anyone as they age. It’s different for everyone AND
small changes do happen. I CANNOT maintain my attention span training on this game like I could back in the day. Memes of people partying all night in their twenties and being fine in the morning, then trying the same thing in their 30s or 40s and being fucked up exist for a reason. Sure I know some rollers in their 40s but even they tell me I’m too old for this shirt or their pumped up on cocaine in lol! Sorry fam, don’t see how people in this comm unity can complain about any little imagined thing that can cause them to lose but pretend age is never a factor (and everything that comes with it) I know in my case, shut is def different.
But INFILTRATION! Yeah? So? I’m 41, do backbends like a Japanese school girl, look like I’m in my mid twenties, do back flips because I’m bored, and currently in school while running 2 companies. I know people who were just as busy as me academically physically active, they burn out. Others try to comeback but they just can’t get back to the level they once were. Brain is like a muscle too. Snooze, you lose. Some hold it together longer than others. There’s old heads I play now in games we both haven’t played in years. I’ll win, but back when they’d route me.
People just want that comeback fairytale and to keep up he numbers/legacy.
Pretty much. Fighting games aren’t like FPS where you are physically incapable of performing your best after about 25 due to twitch reactions being the primary factor.
Even in general with whatever you think is stopping you from going and trying to perform, you might as well go out and see what you can do. You won’t get better by not competing or at least grinding online.
I find the age thing pretty interesting. Along with gender which triggers people.
I think we are pretty much in uncharted territory when it comes to competitive gaming and age. While I do think the younger you are the better you reactions and reflexes are and that alone is huge I also think experience is huge. The thing about most of the esports is around 31 most esport players start to chart down or don’t seem to have that hunger anymore. From your Jwongs to Sako, daigo’s to Alex’s…
We are also approaching an age of late to 40 plus players thats were champs that the scene didn’t really have before outside of a very small handful. Another 5 years and there will be top players that are 40 plus and 35 plus… which is crazy to think about.
Can those guys beat 18-25 year olds? I really don’t see why not.
The gender thing is also interesting, I find that around 27/28 is when most women drop any type of serious competitive gaming. They’ll hang around the scene play something here and there, stream ranked matches, but usually its a wrap for “competing” seriously. I wonder why that is.
edit: Japanese players age
Daigo- 34
Momochi/Choco- 29
Tokido- 30
Fuudo- 30
Sako - 36
Nemo- 30
Kazunoko- 27
Bonchan- 27
Mago - 30
It’s funny cuz everytime I hear someone talk about Sako, they make it sound like he’s in his 40’s. 36 is ancient for video games.
About that Dante unblockable glitch, so technically if you don’t consider anything else it’s a true trap and essentially an uncombo as it resets the counter but doesn’t allow you to mash anything in play. Basically you can’t mash out any attacks or activate storm. Meaning other than counter switch you have to hold the “reset” or trap and get fucked. If you do counter switch, luckily they have to tag to do the combo so it should be easier to escape and not have to worry about 2 characters locking you down.
With that said though, I think if the combo lasts long enough it may force the scaling high enough where you can mash out of the million carats freeze. Basically anything that freezes you puts you in a stagger state where you can start to mash out. If the combo is long enough, then in theory you should be able to mash out due to the scaling leaving you enough room. Can’t test it myself because I don’t play Dante enough to do all of that jump cancel stuff and test.
If anyone can test and see if they can mash out of freeze, definitely let us know.
Honestly, IDGAF I love the classics. I want my old homes to win. People hate the option select and I get it. Seriously though champ level youngins’ should not be losing to the old heads 
So apparently my boi said I do that I might be doing that unblock able accidentally with one of my setups Lol! Here I thought people just weren’t blocking.
Well? How did it go?
ruined any chance of making out last night. not single though so aaaaayyyeeeee
I think tomorrows 40 year old gamers are going to be a lot different than say my current age group. They came up with more incentive to continue to play. The idea of only playing games for a living was a fairly tale even for the most accomplished people in my age group. As long as they keep playing and keep those brain muscles primed (don’t get arthritis) they should be good to compete for some time.
My 2 cents based on my old gaming boo. They start focusing on that family thing or their career. Women in general don’t seem to spread themselves as thin as men when it comes to their activities and seek more security in things they take “seriously.” Gaming not supplying any income or a means to an end?
Gotta go.
After testing looks like you’re definitely screwed by the Dante unblockable other than counter switch. Still a step up from the Spiderman Infinite, but you’re basically force to counter switch to survive which is pretty broke still.
I’m sure most players are lazy and don’t study shit so like Spiderman, probably won’t run into much anyone using it until they patch. Probably.
I mean luckily I never ran into people consistently HSDing prior the last patch, I’m hoping this will be mostly the same where it doesn’t really make a difference. Shit like this would make me begrudginly go back to SFV
Yeah I don’t know what it is with this era. People could post shit all day on social media of stuff that could freeze your opponent’s system, stop their characters from blocking, all kinds of crazy shit, but then nobody wants to do it online and nobody uses it at a tournament except like one dude. It wouldn’t surprise me if Teemo was the only high level player at Canada Cup using HSD.
I already dealt with 3rd Strike Genei Jin so everything’s better than that.
Finally got the character pass.
Black Widow is so much fun.