07/27GamebreakerzJulyMonthlyfortheNWFGC

OnahotsummersdayattheendofJuly,GamebreakerzLANCenterhostedafighting
gametournamentcalledtheJulyMonthlyfortheNWFGC.
(
https://www.facebook.com/events/207820756041416/
)Thiseventwaslargelyadvertisedon
Facebookbytheowner,Shandor,andpromotedbyvariousmembersoftheNorthWest
FightingGameCommunity(NWFGC)includingoneofthemaineventorganizersforthewhole
NWFGC,Deniz(pronouncedDennis).Therewere44peoplegoingand33maybegoingout
oftheinvited497.
GamebreakerzisaLANcenterwhichsellsgames,computers,computerservicesand
useandequipment.Gamebreakerzhostsmanyesportingeventsandactshubformany
communitiesofcompetitivegamersinthesouthsoundregion.GameclucksisanotherLAN
centerthattheSeattleFGCusesandis40milesnorthofGamebreakerz.Gamebreakerzis
conspicuouslydecoratedontheoutsidewithneonsignageandlargeseethrough
advertisementsthatcovernearlyallthefloortoceilingwindowswithvariousgamecharacters
amongshootinglavawiththecenterslogo.Theinsidehasasimilardecorativestyle.Posters
ofrecentandpopulargameslinethebright,neongreenwallsalongwithaplethoraof
advertisementsforgamesandcomputerhardware.Neartheentranceisthestoreareaalong
withafridgesellingenergydrinkssuchasBallz,soda,andArizonatea.Thereare2areas
dividedbyanelbowhighwallforplayinggames.Oneside,neartheback,hasabout12
computerssetupforgamingwhiletheothersidehas6largetelevisionsbacktobackhookedup
toconsoles.The3setsof2televisionsactsasanotherwall,paralleltotheshortwall,which
dividesthewholeroominto3rectangulargamingareaswhileatableinthestoreareaactedas
afourtharea.Leatherarmlesscoucheslinedtheshortwallandwindowsintheconsolearea.
Thisevent,Ilaterlearned,allowedalcoholonthepremisesbutIsawnoonedrinkingwhileI

wasthere.
Iarrivedthereshortlyaftertheadvertisedstarttimeof4pmandtherewasonlyahandful
ofpeopleinthebuilding.IintroducedmyselftoShandorandtoldhimwhyIwasthereand
askedwhentheeventwasgoingtogetgoinginearnest.Hesaidthatitwasokayformeto
watch,thatthetournamentsstartat6butpeoplewillbebringingtheirsetupstoplaycasuals
beforethat,andthatIshouldtalktoDenizwheneverheshowsup.Gamebreakerzofferstheir
spaceandelectricityforplayersforafeeof$5perplayerbutnearlyalloftheactualequipment,
consoles,controllers,cameras,andmonitorsarebroughtbymembersofthecommunity.A
setupreferstothemonitorandconsolebroughtbyamemberwhilecasualsreferstoplaying
thegameoutsideofthetournamentitself.
ThisparticulartournamentfeaturedSuperStreetFighter4ArcadeEdition,Kingof
Fighters13,TekkenTagTeam2,UltimateMarvelVs.Capcom3,andInjustice:GodsAmong
Us.TheFGCreferstothemasStreetFighterorAE,KOF,TekkenorTekkenTag,Marvelor
MVC3,andInjusticerespectively.ThisisalineupofgamesthatwerefeaturedduringtheEVO
worldfightinggamechampionshipsthathadhappenedamonthearlierandwasthefirst
tournamentGamebreakerzhadhostedsincethen.
By5pmtherewas1setupofInjusticeinthecomputerarea,1setupofTekkeninthe
storearea,2StreetFightersetupsinthecenter,and1Marvelsetupnearthewindows.There
were11playersinthebuilding.By5:20therewere3Injusticesetups,3setupsintheStreet
Fighterareainthecenter,and1KOFinthecomputerarea.Peoplewereshowinguprapidly
andby5:45therewere22players.
AtthispointIhadmybagandnotessetupinthecenterareawiththeStreetFighter
playerssinceIamfamiliarwiththemechanicsandstrategiesandcouldeasilyunderstandthe
conversationstheplayerswerehavingwitheachother.Istruckupaconversationwiththeguy

sittingnexttomehewaswearingastripedhoodieandusingastarkwhitestick.Hisnameis
AliandhesaidhewasnewtotheFGC.HehasbeenplayingAE(StreetFighter)forlessthana
yearandhadrecentlycomefromaDOTA2leagueandparticipatedinaCounterStrikeleague
beforethat.HewouldbeconsiderednewbloodbytheFGC.Hestreamsnightlyontwitchas
phone_microwavewhichisthesameashishandle.
PlayersintheFGChavenamesbywhichtheyreknowntootherplayers,whichare
calledhandles.Theyaresomewhatlikeanavatarnameinthesensethatthisisthenameby
whichpeopleontheinternetknowthem.Sponsoredplayerswilloftenhavetheirsponsorname
intheirhandleduringstreams.TherewasaplayeratthiseventnamedShredderwhowas
apparentlysponsoredbyGamebreakerzashisnameonthestreamoftheeventthatnight
showedhimasGBZShredder253whichisGamebreakers,hishandle,andtheareacodeof
thesponsor.
IaskedAlihowtheFGCdifferedfromtheothercompetitivegamingscenes.Hesaid
thattheFGChaddramaliketheotherscenesbutoverallitwasmuchfriendlier.Hesaidthat
playerscanbeextremelycompetitivebutwereveryopenaboutdiscussingstrategyafter
matchessinceyoucanonlyimproveifyouropponentimprovestoo.Helikedthefactthatsince
youcantreallyplaycompetitivelyonlineduetolag,thatpeoplearegenerallynicerinperson.I
thoughtthatthiscommentwasinterestingsincehewasveryactiveinpromotinghistwitch
stream.Iaskedhimiftherewasadifferencewithplayinginpersonasidefromthelag.He
mentionedthatbeingabletohearthebuttonsbeingpressedontheopponentsstickcouldgive
youanindicationastowhattheyaredoing,iftheywerebufferingtheirmovesornot.
At6pmthestreamoftheeventstartedwithKOF.Ilaterlearnedthataguynamed
JamesprovidesalmostallofthegearusedinthestreamsatGamebreakerz.Thisincludes
multiplesetsofheadphones,mics,camerastoattachtomonitorsandthecomputergearand

softwaretorunitall.Jamesbringsmanyhundredsifnotthousandsofdollarsworthof
equipmentandsoftwarenottomentionthetimespentsettingitallupandrunningitduringthe
event.Oftenthereweretwopeoplecommentatingatatime.Thisistoemulatethesetupat
EVOwhichitselfisemulativeofsportscommentatingwithonepersonbeingthecolor
commentatorwhileanotheristheplaybyplaycommentator.Atthiseventdifferentmembers
wouldrotateinandoutofcommentatingastheysawfitandtherewasnosetcommentators.
At7pmtheeventwasinfullswingandtherewerearound50people,allmaleexceptfor
1womanandchild,watchingandplayinggameson18setups.Iaskedtheguynexttomewhy
everyonewasplayingonsmallcomputermonitorsinsteadofthelargetelevisionscreensthat
Gamebreakerzprovides.Hementionedthatwhenyouplayonalargeflatscreenlikethatyou
canhavebetween1and30framesoflag.Hethenwentontodescribehowplayersusea
glitchcalledplinkingtopulloffmovesandcombosthatrequire1frameinputs(1/60thofa
second).Thesemovescanoftenbethedecidingfactorinamatchsoremovinglagisvery
importanttoplayingfightinggamesatahighlevel.
Thereweredefinitelyfivedistinctgroupsofplayers,oneforeachgame.Theymostlyin
theirlateteensandearly20s.ThetekkengrouphadanolderdemographicwhiletheInjustice
groupsdemographicwasyounger.IhadnothadachancetotalktoDenizbythispointashe
wasrunningaroundwithaclipboardtalkingtovariouspeopletheentiretimethatIhadseen
him.HewaseasytospothoweverHewasamaninhisearly20swithablackmadcatzshirt,
glasses,andawhitegermmaskonhisface.Ihadoverheardhimearliertalkingabouthowhe
wassickandwastryingnottogetanyoneelsesick.Hehadtwootherpeoplehelpinghimrun
thevarioustournamentswhichinvolvedalotoforganizationandplanning.Therewereplayers
thathadenteredmorethatonetournamentaddedtothatwasthefactthatthetournaments
wereinadoubleeliminationformatwhichmeantthateachtournamenthadalosersbracketand

awinnersbracket.BothDenizandShandorhadmembersofeachgamegroupthatactedas
leadersofthatparticulargroup.TheseleaderswouldhelpDenizbykeepingtrackofwhowas
winningandwhowaslosing.
Thetournamentshadstartedlaterthantheyweresupposedto.Thegrandfinalsfor
StreetFighterdidntstartuntilwellafter10pm.By10:30peoplewerestartingtopackuptheir
equipmentandleavewhileallnearlyalloftheInjusticegrouphadleft.ThefinalsforStreet
Fighterendedataround11:20.Inoticedseveralpeoplegooverandsaytheirgoodbyesto
peoplethathadbeenplayingadifferentgamethanthemmostofthenightwhichstoodout
becausetheplayersstayedbytheirgameofchoicemostofthenight.

08/07Wednesdaynightfights
AfterrespondingtoafacebookpostintheShoryukenUWfacebookgroup,Iwasinvited
totheapartmentofbrothersColinandEricat7pmtowatchthemplay.WhenIfirstenteredthe
apartmenttherewere7peopletherewithtwosetupsofKOF.Therewasanxboxsetupona
coffeetableinfrontofacouchalongthewallandanotherXboxsetupinfrontofthatwithtwo
computerchairsfacingacomputermonitorthatwasinfrontofalargeflatscreentelevision.
Therewere2peopleonthecouch,2playingtheothersetup,2sittingonabedthatwas
situatedinthelivingroomandonemanstandingandwatchingthecomputerchairsetup.The
apartmentwasveryoldanddirtywithmanygamingaccessories,games,computers,ataken
aparttelevisioninthekitchen,sodacans,beercans,andmarijuanaparaphernaliastrewnabout.
Isatdownontheonlyemptyseatonthecouchandwatchedthetwoguysthereplaying
forawhilebeforeIsaidanything.Iintroducedmyselfandtheguysittingontheendofthe
couchwasEricandhelivedthere.TheguysittingnexttomewasShakaandwasavery
goodplayerIlearnedlater.HehadwonthePersona4Arena(P4A)NorthwestRegionalsin

2013whichmeanthewasoneofthebestplayersinthenationatthatgame.Hehadavery
nicecustomfightingstickwithstainedwood,pinkbuttons,pinkstickwithawhitebackground
thathadapinkhairedanimegirlonit.AfteraskingabouthisstickShakaofferedtoletmeplay
withitagainstEric.IhadneverplayedthatgamebeforesoIdidterriblybutthestickhadanice
feeltoitinitsweightandstickresistance.
ImadeacommentaboutthefactthattheArizonaTeasodasthattheyweredrinkinghad
Shaqsfaceonthem.ThiswasaninsidejokeapparentlyShakawasobsessedwithboththe
flavorofthesodaandtheadvertisingofShaqsfaceonit.Theyofferedmyablueberrycream
sodaandafterplayingwiththem,showingthatIknewthelingooftheFGC,andhavingasoda
theyseemedtobewarminguptomypresence.
IaskedifthiswasKOFgroupsinceTheShowwhohadwonsecondplaceatthe
Gamebreakerztournamentwasthere.Theysaidtheywerenewtothegame,thattheyhadonly
beenplayingitforaweekseriously.Shakacommentedthathedbeenplayingitlongerandit
showedwithhisproficiencyincombos.Therewasaguysittingonthebedwhocommented
thathewascompletelynewtotheFGCandthatheusedtoplayStarcraft.Iaskedwhythey
decidedonKOFsinceitwasanoldergameandtheysaidthatitwouldlikelybeinEVOnext
yearandthatitwasfun.
ColinhadnoticedthatIwassmokingandecigaretteandaskedifIwouldjoinhim
outside.AftergettingoutsideIaskedhimhowhegotintothebusinessofinvitingfightinggame
peopleovertohishouse.HesaidthatheandhisbrotherusedtoplaysmashbrosandMOBAs
andaftermovingtoseattletheystartedgoingtotournamentsforvanillaMarvel.Atoneof
thosetournamentsColinlearnedthatShakaonlylived3blocksawayfromhimandhestarted
comingovertotheirplace.IaskedColinaboutthedifferencebetweentheFGCandtheMOBA
communitiesandhesaidthatFGChasalotlessmoneythantheMOBAcommunitybutmore

passionsincethegamesareoneonone.
Around8:30morepeopleshowedupbringingtheheadcountto11.Thiswastoomany
peopletofitinthatapartmentandsinceIwasntreallyplayingIdecidedtoleave.