Poll: Nintendo is Keen on 'Social Competitive Gaming' on Switch - Are You Game?

I think ARMS will be a sleeper. A huge one. I can't wait for it to come, i'm so curious about it. It can be the next new big IP (like Splatoon was for Wii U) for Nintendo. I will certainly watch everything from Nintendo at E3

Personally im not a huge fan of motion controls but i do like the look of Arms. I can't see a game that uses motion controls becoming a serious esports title.

What about letting people be social and talk to each other when playing competitively online?

Trouble with living on an island in the middle of the Irish Sea is that it's near impossible to get to the organised social gaming events as they tend to occur in major cities like London or Manchester.
I play online Mario Kart and enter the Tournemants from Nintendo Life (when work allows).
I would love to meet fellow Switch gamers here on the Isle of Man. I know they're about as the queue at Game at Midnight launch was out the door!
But trying to locate any groups here on the island is difficult.

If my wallet allows it I'm definitely grabbing Arms in August or September, but I'm personally gonna wait and see if it achieves some sort of success among Nintendo fans before buying in. The game seems like one I wouldn't bother playing unless there was constant online activity.

As for Splatoon 2, getting it on release date, already got plans for a local tournament!

I love to play competitive 2 player with my nephew, because we can laugh and joke and trash talk each other in a friendly manner, but I find the whole thing with strangers to be lacking the connection of not taking it personally- with or without voice chat.

As for watching people play games, I find if I'm watching a game I don't have and am thinking of buying- great. But I couldn't care less watching competitive matches or lets plays of games I own.

If they want social competitive gaming to flourish on NS, they need to start reaching out to the Twitch folks and get an app running ASAP. Twitch on Switch...it's so obvious.

Nintendo needs to learn to not keep things so underwraps until a big gaming event. Gaming communities don't last in a situation like that, they splinter apart and it'll be the same situations all over again. SSB comes out, everyone loves it, too much lag for online play, the community splinters, then gamers are playing it separately amongst their groups of friends.

Where is voice-chat? Where are the apps that may help with creating tournaments or gaining friends interested in the same games? MK8Deluxe is great for social competitive gaming too, but Nintendo is too busy sucking on their toes and having us all wait til August for info on their paid subscription.

Gaming is 90% about single player for me. Occasional multiplayer stuff is good but it's not gonna direct my buying habits at all.

I like to play the odd bit of local competition in racers and fighters with friends, but really don't have an interest online matchmaking or competitive events. I really hope Nintendo don't push aside development of single player titles in favour of chasing the current trends.

Of course, the more variety the Switch has, the better, but with so much reliance on in-house titles from Nintendo there's only so much they can produce and promote. Been dying for a new Metroid since the Wii, but I get the impression Nintendo are shifting their focus which worries me.

I tend to prefer my multiplayer games with a solid solo experience - games like Smash Bros Brawl, Injustice and SEGA All-Stars Racing all offered the equivalent of a story/campaign mode which I really enjoyed and felt as though I got my money's worth. I bought Street Fighter V and it was so focused on the online aspect that I've barely touched it and I regret my purchase.

ARMS doesn't appeal to me at all. I'm sure there's a market, but personally I don't really get it. Splatoon looks interesting, but I can't work out if it's got anything to offer for someone who prefers solo play.

@Powerballad Im sure many more will point this out to you as well.

But you can play ARMS completely without motion controls. Which makes it a buy for me.

Of course smash is most competitive

Competitive gaming is something I really don't enjoy that much when playing. I don't mind watching others for a little while and co-op is a bit more enticing. I've been to quite a few StreetPass events and enjoyed the company, but a variety of narrative-driven, single-player games is where it's at for me.

I do think that if Nintendo is serious, they need to get with the times and introduce a proper voice chat and good online. Crossed fingers for that as otherwise I think it will be harder to convince competitive gamers to have a go at their franchises.

@NewAdvent it's been out for only 2 months give it some time, they have to have online play somewhat better than Wii U for me to pay for it though

@Powerballad Nintendo did say that you can play Arms without motion controls.

Single player is what I enjoy most. Sure I can enjoy multiplayer focused games such as Splatoon, but the competitive scene doesn't appeal to me at all.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE I'm for it as long as there are HARSH penalties to get rid of the more toxic people online.

Does showing off your village to visitors in Animal Crossing count?

Not the competitive type. I play Overwatch from time to time and will definitely return to Splatoon 2 in July but I play for fun and stressing out in a competitive environment is not my definition of fun, may that be actually participating or just watching a tournament.

But hey, there are definitely Nintendo gamers who look for that kinda stuff so all power to them. I think Splatoon and SSB fit into that social competitive gaming very well and ARMS looks to have that kinda potential as well.

@RupeeClock Agreed. Also, these tournaments they're hosting just sound like early promotional fluff to me - we've seen them do it time and time again, but once the games are out and the important time for sales has passed, their active role in 'competitive' gaming fades away .

TLDR - I'll believe they are truly supporting competitive gaming when I see it.

I've seen a few Smash tournaments in the Michigan /Ohio area. I've also seen Smash and Pokemon ones online.

I wouldn't mind seeing and taking in part in more. Nintendo would need to do a lot of different things for it to work online.

Nintendo have always championed local multiplayer. N64 had 4 controller ports etc. Now, if you would have suggested any sort of competitive tournament outside of friends in the 90s, you would have had funny looks. Since it is a thing nowadays, I reckon Nintendo is a natural fit.

@Musashiden My thoughts exactly! The Switch needs voice chat, live streaming and a dedicated hub/app to watch broadcasts on before anyone will take this assertion that they're serious about 'social competitive gaming' seriously - they've got perfect games for it - they just need to build the right infrastructure around them...let's wait and see what the online service will bring!

I'm an S+ squid gladiator, so it's obvious what my focus is. GIVE US MORE SPLATOON, NINTENDO, MOOOOOOOOOOORE!

It's something they see promise in, so they want to use it before their competition makes it big. It's awesome advertisement as well, and playing a game competitively would be fun.

I'm really bad at all of the games listed,(minus spla2n and arms for obvious reasons), so I'd be rubbish at doing them competitively.

@Muddy_4_Ever Most competant online games have a mute button. People can and will still be toxic without voice chat.

I play 99% single player. Every time I start to feel like maybe I might enjoying playing a game online, I'm quickly reminded that gamers, on the whole, are terrible people, and online gaming is a cesspool of racism, sexism, and foul mouthed tweens. If its got any more social interaction than the handful of preset phrases in Mario Kart, count me out. I sincerely hope Nintendo never figures out voice chat.

I think it's nice that they're going after this demographic, but I sure hope this isn't their major focus going forward.

I personally have no interest in gaming competitively (aside from Magic: the Gathering, truth be told), but I guess I'll probably tune in to their E3 events.

@daveh30 Bingo. That's precisely how I feel.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE It's coming! be patient. . Although we just set up a DISCORD chat.

It's fantastic that the SWITCH will dominate multiplayer gaming over the next few years!
https://mynintendonews.com/2017/05/13/looks-as-though-the-barcelona-fc-players-have-been-playing-nintendo-switch/

Rhythm genre can be used as Competition like DDR Competition.
Better Nintendo creates their new IP that emphasis on Rhythm. Create some Cool songs, interesting way to play Rhythm games from Beginner until Master level like MaiMai SEGA. SEGA did what Nintendidn't.

Competition really isn't my thing, aside from the occasional dip into Battle Spot Singles in Pokémon and online race in Mario Kart. I'm actually quite content that Nintendo doesn't offer voice chat in their games. My social anxiety translates to online interactions as well and direct communication with strangers puts me into panic mode. It's just not for me, but I do understand the appeal.

Don't care for online competitive gaming either. If anything, local multiplayer is where it's at for me but I'm mostly a single player guy. ARMS looks cool for those who are into it, but it's not for me. I just don't like fighters no matter how original they are. Splatoon 2 would be the only one that could snag me...

@ricklongo
Unless... if the stigma of Online Gaming Competetion changed drastically.
Why always Street Fighter or Shooting games or Same Racing games ?
How about some different genre like Rhythm games ala DDR / MaiMai (Until Hatdcore level) or something different.
Better try to be Against the Mainstream sometimes, try to not be same as usual.
Usual gamers should try to embrace that changes. It will be difficult at first but trust me, it will born new genres to be a competition games.

If we usually use to play Street Fighter , maybe in the future there will be an Anthro Avian Boxer fighting on the ground & in the sky like Dragon Ball + Street Fighter, according to my ideas.
Or return of Animal Boxing NDS in HD which we can choose either Human or Animals, put them on Ring with tons of themed Boxing Ring and Super Art like Street Fighter and gameplay like Naruto fighting / K-1 World GP.
Who knows ? If there are still some creative peoples can bring those ideas become reality.

@invictus4000
Hm...
What do you think about Street Fighter series, especially Alpha series in my opinion was the Best of All ?

@FGPackers I am more excited about ARMS than Splatoon 2 tbh.

I would play in online tournaments, but I would never go to an actual event. I'm nowhere near serious enough about it to do that.

@yasin88 me too but for a simple reason: i played a lot Splatoon on Wii U so i know very well the IP, even if i would really like to see ASAP the single player story, since they're teasing it with the Sea Sisters Chapters. ARMS instead is a total new IP and there's a lot more to discover overall. So i still like more Splatoon? Yes, it is one of my favourite Nintendo IPs with Mario, Zelda & Metroid. Am i more excited about ARMS? Yes, i want to see more!!

I'm going to sound old, but when I was a teen/college... my friends and I would cram around our 13-27inch tv for 4 person smash, duck hunt tournaments etc...
Today, my 15 year old will be out with his friends riding bikes, then all go back to separate homes to play minecraft or cod (for example), alone, but online together. That is a completely different expierence even if they have a mic.
I would love to see things go back to how they were back in 90s. But sadly, lots of gamers with their PS4/x1 are too cool to play splatoon or Mario kart.
Heck, even at 35 I still have a monthly game night/or day with some friends. We spent 4 hours the other day playing Zelda, then Mario kart on switch.

Actually, the social competitive scene is alive and well for the Pokemon mainstream games, and has been for some time. I love watching weekly professional tournaments from streamers, particularly draft league format.

The Global Battle Association and National Pokemon Association have annual franchises that even sell team memorabralia and have regular viewers of upwards of 20,000 players per team for some streamers during the season, with about 10 times that during the playoffs.

Show me THAT - in an actual arena. Would love for Nintendo to sponsor some of the existing community leagues.

Makes sense and would love for Nintendo to get more involved in competitive gaming

@Anti-Matter I think it's a great series but once again...fighters just don't do it for me. I have SSF4 3D which I enjoyed, but got bored with it quick.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE
I hope that they fix this issue on the switch. Some of Nintendo's best games are multiplayer and it's ridiculous that the online features are so behind the times.

Last year a friend got me into competitive Splatoon on his team and we've all had a lot of fun playing together and in tournaments. We're certainly not the best, but I think it has also helped us to improve a lot and I've gotten to know some other players in the competitive scene including one of the finalists for ESL.
I'm pretty excited to see the teams play in Splatoon 2 and also the future of competitive Splatoon.

Snipperclips World Tournament! 😱

Hopefully it won't be Nintendo's main focus. I never really play games with other people. Heck I've even played games with two controllers by myself

I think I'm just old-fashioned, but competitive gaming is never going to interest me. Unlike team sports, which I'm comparing it to because that's what I know, the skill gap is just too prohibitively high even at the recreational level.

In my experience, if your friend is terrible at soccer/football, you can teach them the basics and they'll still probably get a few touches on the ball and feel like a part of things. This just isn't the case with stuff like SSB. Even a mediocre competitive player is going to absolutely dominate a newbie to the point where it isn't fun for them and they quit forever.

Like, do you and it's good to live your passions, but this is just where I'm at on the topic.

Social/Online gaming isn't something I appreciate. I never use such features in my games because there's so much frustration involved with lag (and their poor servers), cheaters, competitive little brats that are professional in abusing game glitches/design flaws. And I never ever add anyone as a friend, neither from Facebook or any other social media. I don't like such exposition.

I'm more interested about the potential local multiplayer experiences the Switch can offer. Nintendo is the only company left that still cares about playing locally with friends...

I prefer watching to playing, though I do play Smash friendlies occasionally.

I have to agree with @RupeeClock though. Nintendo can be involved, but they shouldn't be the ones running it. Stick with the logistical red tape stuff like they do with the Smash community.

"As the LAN mode in MK8 Deluxe shows (which we also saw in the original Splatoon on Wii U, eventually)"

What? How is this accessed?

@SLIGEACH_EIRE
It's hilarious how many people complain about not having voice chat while online gaming, but I think it's almost impossible to find anyone that's​ glad they don't. I'm sure they are out there but the exposure kids have to awful language and God knows what else is at an all time high. Parents would probably applaud that there child actually socializes by speaking at some point of the day instead of texting or messaging for once. If they are too young or worried about them talking to predators and not handling appropriately, then turn off voice settings. Problem solved.
This issue really holds Nintendo back because tons of children would rather play Xbox/PS4 just so they can socialize.

only problem with online play & chat especially on xbox was annoying D+++***head yank teenagers.

I'm finding it quite heartenting that many people here prefer single-player. Not to disparage multiplayer or competitive gaming, but with the money in the online FPS/MMOs with huge microtransactions, the pressure from some quarters for all games to be like that is appreciable. Good to know there really is a market for other types of games

@remlapgamer Hi, I'm grateful for the fact that Splatoon hasn't had voice chat in random matches. I could easily share many, many people with the same sentiment. But hey, what's a "discussion" without sweeping absolutist statements?

@remlapgamer I am glad there is no voice chat on Nintendo games. I hope nintendo never figures out voice chat. Gamers, on the whole, are terrible people and have proven themselves quite unfit to handle any outlet for expression. If its got any more social interaction than the handful of preset phrases in Mario Kart, I'm out.

I don't really care about social competitive gaming. Besides, if I want to play with other people, I want to Play with other people. As in, we're next to each other and having a good time.

Splatoon has been my only exception to this, thus far.

@daveh30

Isn't the toxicity the reason why nintendo refused to implement it?

@Tempestryke probably. Whatever the reasoning, I hope they maintain the status quo. If they ever do implement voice chat, I hope they moderate it with a iron fist like Miiverse.

@kingc8

What you call dim, I call pretty accurate.

Making players talk to each other through a smartphone app is not what I would call "socially competitive"

My preference will always be for meaty single-player experiences, but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't the occasional multiplayer game I enjoy. What I like about Mario Kart and Splatoon is how easy it is to just go online and play with other people without worrying about lobbies, voice chat, guilds, etc.

Smash only really started appealing to me as a portable title. It's a lot of fun to go out and challenge friends via local battles, find people at conventions or airports and have a match with them, etc. It got to the point where I really didn't see a point in even owning the Wii U version, so I sold it.

I do like the beauty of the Wii U Smash Bros, though, so a Switch version that combined the best of both versions would be ideal for me. I would really need it to have all the DLC, though.

@hieveryone

Good point.

Although voice chat is sometime annoying on PlayStation I turn it off. Options to have it is good

Just give us Smash on Switch

"Efforts to push Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Splatoon and Pokkén Tournament in recent times were perhaps hindered by the relative struggles of the system on which they lived."

They were hindered by the fact that most of these were not well designed with tournament play in mind. Both Splatoon and Pokken on the Wii U force players to use the gamepad when it's not necessary. Combined with the fact that only one gamepad can be used per Wii U, the cost of hosting a Splatoon and Pokken tournament is incredible. Splatoon didn't even offer LAN multiplayer for tournament use anyways!

Thankfully Nintendo seems to be moving forward with the Switch, as with the creation of Splatoon 2 they are obviously admitting that the gamepad was not necessary. I'd like to see Smash and Pokken get ported to the Switch, especially since the latter has content that the Wii U version never received.

@CCore28
Yes, everyone here is automatically a fanboy (except you, obviously) and therefore lesser human beings whose opinions are worthless.

This isn't some scientific poll here. It's meant to serve as a catalyst for discussion.

@Ralizah
I loved Smash Wii U, but that board game it had instead of the excellent Smash Run on 3DS was pathetic. Really, both versions were missing a good, thorough single player campaign, but Smash Run was the best mode it had. Couldn't believe 3DS got that mode instead of Wii U.

The inevitable Smash Switch port needs both, and preferably some kind of new single player mode, though I'm doubtful that will happen. It should at least have a Smash Run though, which would be a relief.

@LinkSword They've been sponsoring Smash tournaments for a couple years now. At this point, it's naive to think they're not taking eSports seriously.

Got a full time job so dont have the time to go to tournaments and such. I play Smash bros online all the time when I'm not at work and Splatoon was great on occasion, but I wouldn't jump for any local tournaments or events even if they were close by. The competitive just isn't for me. But I feel like we're getting a lot more head-to-head Nintendo games in recent years and I suspect more will be on their way to take full advantage of the online functionality of the Switch, so it does look to be on the cards.

The games I play online are mostly fighting games. I play them in a friendly manner. If I win I win, if I lose I lose. I rarely use voice chat unless I'm I a group of friends. Now as for Nintendo, the main game I played online is Smash. I tend to run into a lot of taunt party matches. And this is going back since Brawl.

@daveh30 I hope you don't think every gamer is like that online. I would never say stupid stuff like that. But I definitely get what you mean. People are like that, which is why I mostly just play online games without the voice chat.

@JaxonH Yeah, Smash Run was waaaaaaaaaaaay more fun than that board game garbage. It was probably my most played mode in the game, especially for single-player.

As for a single-player campaign... other than cutscenes, I don't really see what the story mode in Brawl added beyond cutscenes that we wouldn't already have with Smash Run and Classic mode. Classic mode, in particular, reminds me a lot of the arcade mode you'd see in a traditional fighting game.

A Switch Smash port with all DLC, all stages and modes from both versions, and a similar level of performance to the Wii U version would make it a must-buy for me.

For the last question

I won't BE a competitive gamer, but I will WATCH. like that mario maker championship last year was awesome.

I tend to fall heavily into the camp that Nintendo wants competitive to take off with minimal effort. Smash bros is a series that is currently 18 yrs old at this point. In it's nearly 20 year history, Nintendo has been sponsoring events for about 3 of them. Games like Street Fighter, Lol, and Dota take off due to massive publisher/developer support. The devs invest heavily into promotional materials for the game and often create leagues for those games. In addition, they also contribute massively to the prize pool for those games. I unfortunately feel like Nintendo wants the notoriety that comes from having an esports title without doing anything to support it. I know they're making some efforts now but it's hard to feel like they really care that much when you look at games like smash and pokken and see how much support those two titles have gotten. In the case of pokken, the arcade release got 2 additional charactersand numerous gameplay changes while the wii u version languished unchanged.

I want Nintendo to have esports titles, but I feel like that requires a change in mindset from them. NIntendo would actually need to start listening to the community more when it comes to balance changes. They need to be more transparent as to what has changed rather than the vague "gameplay improvements made for a better experience" pr talk. Lastly they also need to start investing serious money into prize pools for the players. No competitive game has thrived at a large scale without these things

I don't personally enjoy competitive gaming nor do I like watching it. So... Not for me, whatever Nintendo decides to do.

It makes sense Nintendo is trying to capitalize on this market. Esports has been on the rise, and it is predicted to continue growing. With the on-the-couch approach of the Switch, people can practice together anywhere. Nintendo is fairly smart to target eSports fanatics.

Not interested in online or competitive play, but bring it on. When all gaming companies are thriving in all arenas and competing for our gaming dollars; gamers win. The industry was built on a different kind of social and competitive gaming. Arcades were social scenes, and it was a badge of honor to enter your initials on the leaderboard (IF you could get them entered correctly before time ran out... so stressful).

@TheMisterManGuy Sponsoring is not the same as actively organizing. I'm aware they sponsor Smash events since I follow the scene closely, but their support is mostly a background one, in which they maybe provide some material for game setups in exchange for streaming their ads and so on.

They hardly ever mention the tournaments themselves across their media unless it's something like, say, EVO, which may get a tweet or two from them. And in the end that's the most important aspect of supporting eSports which they keep failing at - increasing the exposure of their games from a competitive standpoint.

It's hard to take the "competitive" gaming scene serious when people are allowed to pick their characters. If they were skilled, the they would be able to win regardless of the character used.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE
I think Nintendo realise that hell is other people.

I'm pretty certain that Splatoon 2 and ARMS will achieve exactly that and luckily, this time Nintendo actually have competitive gaming in their sights.

Calling it 'social competitive gaming' sounds alright.
Which doesn't mean it takes anything away from 'competitive gaming', but rather adds something to it that the competitive scene desperately needs: a bigger/wide audience.

Because if you look at our societies as a whole, despite its success competitive gaming is effectively still a niche. It doesn't have the same status and reach as conventional sports, for example.
'Social competitive gaming' could actually change that by making these games just slightly more accessible without taking the competitiveness away.
If those games are slightly more accessible, the chance that regular people 'get' those games is higher. Because they have already played them and understand their quirks - so if regular people 'get' those games, they're more likely to watch them.

Part of why football (soccer) is so successful is because almost everyone has played it at some point in their lives (probably as kids), because the basic rules (score goals to win etc) are so simple that anyone can understand them. Even someone who doesn't know what 'offside' means can still watch and enjoy football.
And sometimes, someone without a lot of knowledge might become so interested that they learn the other rules, tactis etc as well or even start to play it themselves.

The same thing could be achieved for competitive video games if the point of entry (not for becoming a competitive gamer, but for understanding the basics of that particular game and for playing it non-competitively) would be slightly lowered.

I want to buy a Switch but it's no where to be found. I'm not paying $400, $500, $600 for a bundle.

Competitive can be interesting, though what can ruin it for me is if the balance is off with an objectively "best" way to play a game, degenerating an otherwise enjoyable experience into a boring spam-off.

I like the Idea of being able to get together and play whether it's in the Livingroom, online or Local play. But Local play has been a Lame Duck for quite a while. It has been used in many games on DS and 3DS and is Rarely used. I used think these game companies used to put in Lan play just so they could say their game is Multiplayer. Nobody uses it though. If there is a planned event it works. But even planned events are rare. I would love to invite friends over for Multiplayer on Switch but the controllers are so expensive I haven't been able to afford a second set of Joycons. So until that time comes online will be the only Multiplayer I will be playing. Of course this Idea will work flawless at E3 and at Nintendo headquarters where everyone is carrying a Switch. But in the real world it's an epic Fail.

@Powerballad Obviously you haven't had the opportunity to play Arms. People that waggle are going to get killed at the event. Also motion control games are better than button control games in terms of optics which makes them good for esports.

@FGPackers yep nothing against Splatoon 2, it's a day 1 purchase as well for me.

@kingc8 - We've "advanced" many of our societies to the point that we no longer have a connectedness with nature unless we seek it. Most of us no longer perform the activities that fill us with purpose. Try making something. Anything. The Void is real and consuming, whether we realize it or not. If you're aware of its existence, you're capable of self soothing and letting your small light shine in the darkness. It's dangerous to go alone. Here, you're accepted.

I'm fine without voice chat. Part of its the introvert in me. The other part is the importance some put on it over actually playing the game (not counting games that it's a bit of necessity). Almost as if the trash talking takes precedence over playing. I get its not everyone. But I just rather not even bother.

Got hooked on splatoon accidentally, but overall I can't stand competitive gaming even slightly. I love big adventures, or contained challenges. I can enjoy local coop or some competition, but online and event competition, i couldnt be turned off more. I did enjoy playing splatoon with some folks, but even that gets old fast tryingb to "game on everyone else's schedule". Being able to pick it up and put it down on whim is one of the best Parts of switch to me!

@shaneoh Character selection is a big part of any game, but it certainly isn't the most important attribute, especially in Smash 4. Previous games had one universally best character, and Brawl Meta Knight was so broken he was actually banned in some scenes. Smash 4's best character is arguably Bayonetta, yet a Bayo player has yet to win any major. At Civil War, we saw top 8 include mid tier Donkey Kong, as well as low tier Link taking 3rd and Falcon (barely top 20) take 2nd. In Smash 4, character isn't really vital, and to say that someone who plays a top tier isn't skilled is simply untrue. It is because they are skilled that they use a top tier character to make use of their skills.

Nintendo hasn't been supporting the competitive smash scene much at all. They had that Smash Bros Invitational "tournament", but matches were played on illegal stages with items and the crowd had a say in who won. That's not a tournament, that's a PR event. It was fun to watch, but that doesn't mean they're supporting the scene. Capcom puts lots of money and effort into running the Capcom Pro Tour, ensuring that Street Fighter V has an organized league, plenty of sponsors, and lots of publicity. What has Nintendo done? They've sponsored a few big smash tournaments. Nintendo's problem is that they don't want to alienate their casual fans by promoting smash as the competitive fighter it is. As a result, the scene suffers. We're forced to get our own sponsors, run our own tournaments, get money for prizes, and 2GG is trying to make a legit "circuit". If Nintendo promoted Smash like Capcom promoted Street Fighter, Smash would be on ESPN2. Instead we're relegated to Twitch. Nintendo does know about pro smash, and they do follow the scene. Aside from a few asinine decisions (namely Jigglypuff not being buffed and King Dedede being nerfed), they seem to buff and nerf characters according to how well they do in competitive play. Community wants a buff for their low tier? They get a buff. Spanish community bans Bayonetta for being cancerous? Bayo gets nerfed. However, they're moreso just playing referee when they should be playing team manager, and it reflects in the size and scope of smash events compared to the Capcom Pro Tour. Nintendo has a potential gold mine of competitive smash, and they're just leaving it be. Such a shame.

@happylittlepigs
I'm not saying anything about picking top tiers, I'm saying the "best" players rely on only knowing how to use a couple of characters. Having the game randomly pick your character should be the norm.

I'd have to disagree with the poll. I think Smash is "social competitive" for mega-Nintendo fans, but Kart is far and away the most socially competitive for the general public.

@Powerballad you gotta admit that it would be interesting to see a motion controlled game like that become a esport

I played smash 4 online all the time and that was about the extent of my competitive side. I never went to tourneys mainly because they were either too far away or too expensive or a combination of the two. Online competitive gaming is probably where I'll stay for the foreseeable future.

@FGPackers to be honest it all depends on how many different character's and arms there will be to use cause variety can do wonder's for a fighting game. I do agree it might end up being a sleeper i just can't agree about it being huge though it would be awesome if little mac made a guest appearance but i doubt it will be as amazing of a new ip as splatoon was.

@Laxeybobby I'm only a stones throw away in Liverpool! Surely if you put the feelers out by asking your local game store to promote a club/event in their store or on social media they would happily oblige.

P.s. cant wait for the TT

Nintendo needs to put more into social cooperative gaming. Namely, Monster Hunter. That's the only online multiplayer I've ever been able to enjoy, and it would be folly for them to waste the opportunity presented by the Switch.

I'll watch at least some of the Splatoon tournament and plenty of ARMs. They are at least games where all of the features are (presumably) being used. Smash is so boring to me without items. But then, I prefered Brawl to 4 and Melee, so what do I know!

I've been put off competitive MP ever since my wife came home to find me shouting and swearing at some kids in another country who were following me around and killing me repeatedly (while calling me some quite appalling names) in Halo 3.

It has taken me many years to win back her respect.

@RocketRonald I've not made the approach to our Game store directly but I do follow them on FB and they don't seem to do competitive gaming in store for any of the consoles. (Probably due to being a small store).
TT is busiest time of the year for me. I work 12hr+ shifts with one rest day in the two weeks. Very little time for gaming. However the event is great and well worth the gaming sacrifice.

I can't see ARMS really being that much of a big seller but it could do well in the competitive space. To me it sort of looks like a re-skin of Punch Out, which was loved but hardly by the masses...

If Nintendo really are serious about this then they have other franchises they can bring back to bolster their e-sports offerings, namely Battalion Wars and especially, Custom Robo, imagine a new Custom Robo game finally having robust online multiplayer with huge arenas and endless customisation options, it could be something pretty special !

I think competitive multiplayers games are fun, but only really with friends, or at offline tournaments where you get to meet people through the games.

Online gaming never really gave me anything.

It's still bizarre to me that the Wii had a device which allowed Monster Hunter Tri and Conduit 2 players to actually communicate with each other (albeit also using friend codes), while the brand new NS won't even utilize its built-in technology for a standard gaming feature unless a phone and the now ancient concept of friend codes are used...

This is one aspect that I will never understand about the core Nintendo fan base. You cannot truly create a competitive gaming outlet without unimpeded voice chat. It just doesn't work well without it. You can claim to have one. But if you can't even be social using your own voice, without needing some shoehorned workaround because "think of the children!", then you can't efficiently communicate midmatch with your teammates. And that's enot even getting into not necessarily standardizing wired connections in the Spla2n tournament setup...

People here focus so much on "Oooh, other human beings are ICKY and I'm such a better person than them!" that they overlook a basic feature in competitive (or even cooperative) play, especially in tournaments. Nintendo will never make it big in this particular field without unimpeded voice chat functionality. None of this stupid "you need your phone" nonsense.

To think success can be found here otherwise is frankly just delusional, and to think it's an unnecessary boondoggle due to their personal situation is stuck up.

@BitLounger I thought about that myself, but MK doesn't really have enough going on all at once for an in-depth play by play commentary, it's mostly just for fun babbling.

@happylittlepigs i think nintendo as a company wants a broad market fun game for everyone to play more than a core competition game for a super awesome elite niche, but when it comes to smash i think a lot comes down to it being sakurais baby and he very vocally dislikes the "boring" play the competitive scene uses and just refuses to encourage it.

Commercially, The way the competitive scene approaches and discusses gaming is a big turn off to everyone not in that niche. It's actively elitist. Bad if you're trying to sell a lot if games!

I just dont play these games. I dont like SB that much. I dont mind the idea at all just would like different games. Nintendo has a lot of games that would be ok competitively. I personally like sports games when I compete with others. That being said I also dont like to watch other people play video games. It makes me want the controller. Im 99% odds of turning it off and playing the game myself.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Nintendo said they would have online chat in Splatoon 2 during one of their discussions on that.

@shaneoh If players had to learn every single character, that would be the dumbest thing ever. A lot of low tiers like Pac-Man, Wii Fit Trainer, and Zelda are crazy technical and difficult, and provide no benefit unlike top tiers such as Sheik and Ryu that are equally technical. How awful would it be as well if you randomly were given Jigglypuff and your opponent was randomly given Cloud, or Marth? Even if you know how to use Puff well and the opponent only knows a little bit about Cloud or Marth, you're still at a massive disadvantage because of how bad those matchups are for puff. Plus, a lot of the fun of smash is picking your main character and the secondaries that work well to compliment your main. This idea of yours sounds neat up front, but it would be detrimental to the community as a whole.

@NEStalgia On one hand you get the elitist mentality, but on the other you get your game featured on ESPN2. Guess it's about which side of the trade-off you prefer.

@happylittlepigs
Dumber than an ejector seat in a helicopter?
How great would it be if you were the underdog because you were given Jigglypuff but still managed to win? Which person would have had more skill? It's a "sport," and it's not a demonstration of skill if you're inflexible in how you do things. I don't see how it will be detrimental to the "community," the randomness adds another layer of entertainment. I'm all for items as well

@shaneoh Well if it ejected down it wouldn't be the dumbest thing ever

If you're going with the sports analogy, then forcing everyone to switch characters all the time is like forcing a defensive lineman to play wide receiver. Even though the defensive lineman may be the best, most talented defensive lineman in the history of the sport, he doesn't hold a candle to an average high school wide receiver. This is because his skill set is not specialized to play wide receiver.

Random characters or items would be a fun side event at a large tournament, in the same way it would be funny to see a 350-pound defensive lineman running downfield to catch balls. The mark of a good player isn't being able to use every character well, it's knowing your one or two characters so well that you push the meta game with them. When people are randomly forced to switch, then the meta can't develop beyond fundamentals. Instead of football being a sport where a specialized offensive squad goes up against a specialized defensive squad, it would just be a bunch of wholly average people, because nobody can play every position well. If you're big and strong, then you'd make a great offensive or defensive lineman, but you cannot be fast at the same time. If you can be agile and run the ball well, then you probably aren't big enough to stop a 300 pound guy in his tracks.

You think this style of smash would promote "true skill", when it would really just promote average players who know only the basics of every character. Why learn advanced tech for any character when you only have a statistical 1/58 chance of getting them in any given game? Smash isn't like mario kart, where all the characters and karts are fundamentally the same, and it's dumb to treat it like it is.

@happylittlepigs
I'm not saying all characters are the same, otherwise there'd be no point to having different characters. Not all sports are team based and comparing it to a sport that has 45 players to a team when only 11 are allowed on a field isn't a great advocate of skill. What I'm suggesting is more like a decathlon. The athletes have to excel at each sport in order to win. If they lose to someone of average skill in an event, then what does it say about them?

@shaneoh Actually, there is a game people play for fun (on streams and such) called an "Iron Man" that is similar to a triathlon. Basically, each player uses a squad of characters- sometimes their choice, sometimes the whole roster in order, sometimes random, to play their opponent who does the same thing in a very long series of matches. They're fun to watch, definitely, but there isn't a single pro smasher or even competitive smasher such as myself that would support iron mans being standard for tournaments. You, as a casual, might think that would be fun, but the competitive side wants to leave nothing up to a mere roll of the dice. Stages are picked deliberately to prevent the opponent from gaining a slight advantage, and characters are counterpicked against other characters. This is where you get the ability to use multiple characters to come in. Aside from arguably Bayonetta, every character has at least one losing matchup in the game. This means that a player often has to pick up a secondary main to cover their bad matchups. Out of all the top 10 smash 4 players, only one of them never uses a secondary character.

The other thing to consider is that you're trying to solve a "problem" that isn't even really a problem. Nobody is complaining about people only using a single character. Bayonetta, who is often accepted as the best character, isn't even all that common and has yet to win a major tournament. Smash 4 isn't like Brawl where a single character absolutely dominates the meta game. By taking away the power of choice from people who play Bayonetta for easy wins, you also take away the power of choice from people like Serynder and Master Puffy, who voluntarily and happily solo-main Jigglypuff. When you take choice away from everyone who mains Mario because he is easy to play and really good, you also take away the power of choice from people like 2ManyCooks, who chooses to main the much worse Dr. Mario instead.

As a competitive smasher, I can say for certain that making all matches random selection would decimate the competitive scene within a month at the latest. All character pride would be gone, all character tech would be gone, all semblance of reason in the competitive scene would be gone. Pro smash would turn into pro mario party.