every time there’s a huge competitive pokemon event (like seriously huge and keeps getting bigger) nobody outside of pokemon circles are talking about it vs EVO or GDQ where all types of groups show up
I can’t help but wonder how you even solve that— it’s like the biggest bubble in the world
I can’t help but wonder how you even solve that— it’s like the biggest bubble in the world
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I don't see any sports talk either because I don't engage with it.
SF6 had 7,083 bracket entrants at EVO 2023. Largest FG tournament bracket ever. Last major sales milestone reported was the four million mark.
That’s fewer entrants than even “niche” games like GBVSR. It’s honestly shocking how small the VGC is.
Pokemon has evolved visually but battles still play like a GameBoy game. Not to say throw it all out, just give it more energy, more momentum.
If we're only allowed to go off of personal experience, I don't like it. But there's something so mesmerizing about watching professionals play it that activates the neurons in my brain.
The card games can also be extremely similar to this same deck building style.
Do you follow League of Legends events? Apex Legends? World of Warcraft?
They all exist in a bubble of folks who at least appreciate the game but are likely playing themselves.
You can show up for a Glover speed run and leave impressed by the tricks/skills without ever playing the game.
Effort towards it likely still makes the line go up tho.
The only difference between perfect pokemon and sloppy pokemon is how fast one team loses.
Most teams are the same, it's always the same 20 mons, and everyone just uses the same moves.
Which I'm not saying is what they neccesarily should do. It still has its dedicated fanbase, and I think thats fine.
Man I wiped all non-damage moves off my 'Mons as a kid, what's a Trick Room?
It kinda locks itself out, I don't think it can have any pull without some way to be appealing in ways that are instantly visually interesting right?
But with Pokemon, to appreciate a match on a basic level, you need to know so much more raw info.
YouTubers like Wolfe's, False Swipe Gaming, and even Pokemon's official channel have tried to make this information accessible but all it does is bring people inside the bubble, not pop it.
I don't know anything about League but if they have similar 'Big Impressive Moments' that can convey info about the impact of a decision, that might be a factor.
I do think the casters did a good job at explaining it, but there’s so much context to why it happened/was good in first place let alone how it worked
Some well fleshed out version of that could solve the main issue here I think.
For the games? Stop having them be a technical embarrassment would be a start.
1. Visual appeal, fighting games are flashy and spectacular to see while pokemon battles are, well, rpg battles
2. Accessibility, Poker isn't flashy for instance but more and more people watch tournaments because they made it easier to follow for newcomers.
It shouldn't matter tho, nobody in these circles talks about the biggest esports in the world either (LoL, CS and Valorant) and they are the biggest only appealing to their playerbase.
In fighting games you don't need to do that as much since the action is always there, and in GDQ, someone else is usually explaining the mechanics of a specific game
And tbh, the kinda boring battle presentation doesn't help.
in the past I suggested something needs to be changed in-game to make it more clear what’s happening at a glance, like more integrated context so a clip could stand on its own, but maybe competitive chess is too difficult to do that with
That said, this is a non-issue. Competitive pokemon can exist inside a pokemon bubble and still eclipse most communities lol
I feel like smash really thrived with having more events from weeklys to majors to get people involved more routinely.
Seriously do, if competitive Pokémon wants to be a thing like EVO, they have to give it a bigger visual dynamic or higher variables in a match. EVO moments happen when clutch moves happen out of nowhere.
I think they are trying by involving big creators a bit more. But it feels like there are just a few key things missing from making these events really pop.
https://youtu.be/jNnRJGnD8Hg
Haha, anyway the topic does always intrigue me. It's just so funny how big Pokémon is, that it having this bubble of a competitive scene is so strange. It makes sense how we're here, but it also kinda baffles.
And I agree, it could have a bajillion people and still be unheard by everyone else 😩 lol
it's so peaceful here, nobody's just trying to dunk on you and instead having a nice conversation
When tournament announcers explain something, it's: here's a bunch of things both players might do, while trying to explain things as they're happening.
One thing I noticed regarding FGC over the years is how grassroots has always been. I've seen people doing streams commenting on it, fansites dedicated to showcase streams...
I'm sure the Pokemon fanbase has a lot of these kinds of things, it's only a matter of time for it to reach more people.
every time I go there it's a bad time..
Comp Pokemon has some good youtubers, but there's no one doing splits on the stage.
I only know about competitive through my brother and it's like he's playing an entirely different series.