Running a regular on a daily basis is already a job in itself. Maintaining machines, keeping the premises spotless, and generating traffic are all part of the equation. Now on top of that, let's add being a tournament hotspot in California to the picture. I have to keep in contact with various communities that support each particular game, contact their regular tournament organizers, and then work out a schedule that works for everyone in the area. Yes, I said area because this is leading into my next point of conversation.
So there has been a lot of chatter on social media and in the local scene as to why certain days are chosen for certain tournaments. I will go into some detail as to how this was all planned out and offer some logic and reasoning that were given into the decision to run certain games on certain days. The one day most talked about currently is our Wednesday night SOB tournament series which features Street Fighter 5, Ultra Street Fighter 4, and Tekken 7. Some players have voiced their concerns that another venue located halfway between Los Angeles and Tiajuana is currently running these same games and requested that we move our dates. I will once again repeat the fact that it was brought to my attention that many players from the local area, which include Los Angeles and The San Fernando Valley, do not attend the other tournament outside of a very select few. It was requested that we host a tourney to cater to these locals so they could compete on this day without having to pay high tournament venue fees, parking fees, and also drive over 90 minutes to reach their destination. This is about convenience and accessibility, not about fighting over players. With another option comes more choices for the players, which should be viewed as a good thing. Our tournament thrived last week and people had fun. The other tournament thrived as well and everyone can see for themselves that having 2 events on the same night can work and let's see how things go moving forward. As I try to bring as many players to our events, I am sure other tournament organizers will also step their game up to do the same. This competition will make for a better experience for the players and without the players, there is no event. This also brings me to another point.
Tournaments.... are they for the players? are they for the organizers? or are they for the viewers at home? This is a tough question in that everyone has their own opinion. But for me personally, I can only see that the players make the tournament. If there are no players, there is obviously no tournament. So satisfying the players should be the number one priority. After the players side of things are handled, now you need make sure the tournament runs smoothly. I usually see it to myself that brackets are made properly and players are ranked accordingly while also separating friends so you don't wind up driving an hour to play against your buddy in the 1st round. Then I hand off the brackets to experienced bracket runners and they in turn choose matches for stream etc. It's a process that looks very simple from the outside, but it takes some time to get things going right and can have some hiccups if people aren't familiar with how this stuff goes. Now after this is all set, we have the stream to manage. Here is where things gets pretty sticky... You got a lot of people who just complain to hear their own voice and people who are never satisfied. I am gonna set the record straight once and for all. Streams at Super Arcade are not the priority of an event. Streams are here as an addition to the tournaments to keep the players and fans happy obviously, but our direct attention is going to and always will be focused towards those in attendance. Now don't get me wrong, Mike Watson loves himself a stream or two, but I just feel too many people are trying to do this part of the event for the money. And if you focus too much attention on the stream, you are losing touch with your players and not giving them the attention they should be receiving when visiting your venue. I do my best to make sure everyone feels at home, in a safe environment, and just trying to make sure everyone here has fun. Street Fighter and other fighting games are competitive and I do know a little about that, but overall, games are about fun. For some people winning is fun, for others watching might be fun, and to many, just being around the game and sharing the good times that games produce is fun. As for me, seeing people have fun here is my joy, and this is why Super Arcade is here for you.
Thank you everyone and see you all here real soon.
With love,
Mike Watson
