THE BOX: Sunday reflections and Box Survival Advice

Evo Championship Series
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‘The Box’ was the area in front of the stage about the size of a large dinner table that was taped off so the stream could go for crowd shots whenever something hype happened. This sounds like a total pleasure to be a part of, but The Box is one of the harshest endurance tests in modern gaming. If you were in The Box from KOF to AE, you stayed there getting hella hype for over 11 hours with limited food, water, and bathroom usage. You could hardly get up from your spot for an extended amount of time since spots in The Box are so coveted that you would get replaced, even though you might have asked a neighbor to hold your seat for you. The Box was the definition of “Nuts to Butts” and staying in The Box all day is an accomplishment within itself.

So, who else survived The Box? For how long? Did you tap out? Was it worth it?

As for me, I was the guy who held up a bag of Combos during KOF and hugged on dudes when Justin beat Chris G. I stayed in the box all day, one bathroom break during Smash and ended up bring 60 bucks worth of snacks and drinks inside the box.

If I have any advice for future Boxers, it would be to SKIP the BAGS of chips and only go for Pringles. They take up less space in your bag, and you can reseal them.
Speaking of resealing, make sure that if you open a box or bag of candy, make sure you can reseal it or make sure you finish it in one go. I had a bag of chocolate and caramel clusters, ate a few and put it back in my bag. A lot of stuff got covered in chocolate. It was so bad haha. Make sure you bring some food that has some kind of nutritional value. Peanuts and Beef Jerky seem to be okay for something like this.

But most importantly, and I stress this: BRING LOTS OF WATER. I brought two quarts of water, and it only lasted me til Injustice. Bring more than a gallon worth of water to the box if you want to have something to drink all day. As for bathroom breaks go, make sure you ask at least 2 people to hold your seat for you, and go during a match that might not carry too much hype with it. Go to the bathroom and get back AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Finally, if you’re in The Box for any amount of time, be respectful to your fellow Boxers, and ALWAYS pick up your trash after the tournament. I did my part, and I ended up producing a surprising amount of wrappers and bags that I needed to throw away.

With all that said, will I be a repeat visitor of The Box during Evo 2014? If it’s there, absolutely.

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Juicebox is that you?

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I like how you write this, like you’re a survivor of guantanamo bay

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Basically!

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Much love to those who respected the box :slight_smile:

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Any tips for someone planning to go for the first time in 2014 on how to ensure you get in the box with a few friends?

Few questions…

  • How badly is seat saving frowned upon exactly? Like how does it work if someone sees a bunch of shit on a chair and just goes in to take it? Is there some sort of “social correctness” process to the seating or is it a staff member who handles seating?

  • Are the seats comfy or should I bring a pillow or some shit?

  • Is it hot as balls?

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The only way to guarantee seats in the box is to either get there early or muscle your way in. Survival of the fittest in the box.

It’s not really frowned upon, you just need to throw a bag or something down and hope that people don’t slowly encroach on the space. Also if you’re planning to get up, you’ll need to be careful where you step. I almost fell on a Japanese Smash player when I got up to go to the restroom.

Unless you have the cushiest ass in the world, I wholly recommend getting a pillow or something. I didn’t do it this year, and it’s something that I’ll do next year.

and finally, YES. You can’t expect something like the Box to be anything but a musky smelling hotbox.