Attention Fighting Fans: Prove You’re the Best… Around!

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Hello PlayStation-land. I’m Seth Killian. I run community for Capcom, and if you like Street Fighter, you’ve probably seen me running my mouth about it around the internets. I’m the special advisor to Street Fighter IV and lent my name to the final boss, but what brings me here today is what got me to Capcom in the first place: organizing the EVO Championship Series.

What is EVO? It’s the world’s largest and longest-running fighting game tournament. Every year, thousands of competitors from every corner of the planet descend on Las Vegas to determine the best of the best on the most competitive fighting games. It’s been running for over a decade, and with all the hoopla over SFIV, this year is going to be bigger than ever—at a conservative estimate, we’ll be playing over 50 thousand matches over the course of the weekend as we work our way towards a champion.

Why are we talking about this on the PlayStation Blog? Because EVO is especially PlayStation 3-flavored this year. PlayStation has been an important part of EVO history, but this year, we’ve selected the PS3 as the platform of choice for our very biggest competitions, including Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and Street Fighter IV.

Why else would you care? Because EVO is rad. It’s fighting game heaven with some of the most exciting gaming you’ll see anywhere, it’s run by players, for players, and best of all, it’s free to watch.

(I’m actually the one holding that handicam and yes, that’s my stupid voice cracking with excitement. For reference, this wasn’t even the finals—EVO is full of insane moments)


What is there to do? Well, there are all the tournaments to play in, but beyond the official tournaments (on games including my Capcom favorites, Marvel Vs Capcom 2, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Street Fighter III: Third Strike, and of course Street Fighter IV), there are a ton of DIY side events and free-play on every fighter imaginable in the free “BYOC” area. BYOC = “Bring Your Own Console.” Nearly half of our gigantic tournament floor is devoted to a free-play area, where we set up TVs, and you can plug in any games you want, on everything from next-gen PS3s to old arcade hardware. You’ll find competition on nearly any fighter you can imagine, from classic Street Fighter games to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tournament Fighters. There are also plenty of exciting grudge matches, and when you’re tired of playing and watching the madness, you’re still in Las Vegas.

One of my other favorite things about EVO is that unlike most “pro gaming” events, EVO is an open tournament. By “open,” I mean that anybody can just walk in off the street and take their shot against the best players in the world. You don’t have to jump through any hoops or join a silly league—if you’ve got the skills, you can step up to the plate take your shot. All of the EVO directors grew up playing in the arcades, where skills talked, and BS walked. EVO grew straight out of our desire to preserve that electric spirit of live arcade competitions, and—just like our old arcades—anyone can walk in, put their quarter up, and prove that they’ve got the skills to be the best.

All of that is hotness, but what I love most about EVO is the people. They come from around the world, from Korea to Kuwait, the UK to the US, and Portugal to Peru. And yes, while it’s mostly dudes, beyond that, you’ll find every race, every background—rich, poor, old and young, tough guys and pencilnecks. Of course you’ll find the world’s top fighting game players, including US champions like Alex Valle, John Choi, Justin Wong, and the legendary Japanese champ Daigo Umehara, and everyone comes together with a shared sense of history, and a shared passion for these games. They are the best, the hungriest, and the loudest players in the world. They are shouting, they are cheering, and they mean it.

So with all of those experts from around the world, do you have to be a great player to go? Nope. 99% of the people there realize they’re probably not going to win, but they love to go anyway because it’s a ton of fun, a great way to see old friends and meet new ones, a great place to step up your game, and because it’s an amazing show. There’s a ton of history and heart in the competitive fighting world, and this is the The Big Show, with everyone is welcome to come and watch (or compete!). Fighting games are FUN, and even if you don’t understand every intricacy, everyone can understand a punch in the face, cheering for their hometown favorites, and trying to KO the opponent.

The EVO World Finals run from July 17-19th (finals on the 19th) at the Rio Hotel and Resort, in sunny Las Vegas, NV.

Check out EVO2K for the full details, then pack up your PS3 joysticks and fightpads, and I’ll see you at EVO. If you totally can’t make it to Vegas, we’ll also be streaming some of the event’s best matches, as well as putting up a whole mess of footage afterwards, complete with commentary, player interviews, and the like, so stay tuned.

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62 Comments

13 Author Replies

  • wish I could participate in this,thanks for the info!!.

  • Nice, PS3 and EVO FTW.

  • OH MAN!
    I remember that fight!

    I had a couple of versions of it on different discs… I just kept watching it over and over again.

    I was amazed to see the Ken parry every single one of Chun Li’s special…

    Too bad I’m no good at Street Fighter IV though… now Marver Vs Capcom 2, that’s a different story.

  • @ 1 & 2

    Hell yeah!

  • coolz

  • Sounds like a blast, I’d love to go if I could.

  • Awesome info Seth. I know a bunch of our listeners are heading there this year.

  • hahaha that was freakin crazy….she pulls out that kicking attack than BAM ryu pulls off some block and some crazy combo and kills her while he has virtually no health left….I suck at that game….

  • …and not a female anywhere in sight.

    God are we nerds.

  • Did you really lend your name to the most badass arcade boss ever?

  • THAT’s WICKED!!! WOOOOOTTT HARDCORE

  • Discount on the PSN store for StreetFighter 2 HD? Trophies?

  • Here’s the inevitable where the heck are the BCR trophies post?

  • StonTemplePilot

    Hell yeah FAT PRINCESS!!! oh wait wth is this??? ummm ok nvm!!

  • hey, i got this vid on my my space. evo comps look super sick.

  • I’m going to be there next week, I can’t wait.

  • VincentVendetta

    Can I prove how much I suck at Street Fighter IV?

    By the way, that first fight was just amazing. I couldn’t believe it when I first saw it. Just wow.

  • O_o Wow that was pretty cool . Seth.

    Makes me want to play Street Fighter.

  • If John is by any chance here:

    When can we expect the BCR Patch, I’m nearly done finishing Commando on BC to get my Platinum :D

  • if i grew up in an arcade mall playing street fighter since i could stand up to see the screen, i’d be at that competition kicking everyone’s sorry buh-hind – yata!

  • Hey! I’m from Kuwait..

    It’s nice to know that some people are aware of the existence of my small country.

    =)

    Very nice article. +1

  • Woo hoo

  • cybershinigami87

    I wish i could go but… Oh well i’ll watch every post and see if i can put of those strategies to use online

  • I’ve never been good at fighters, or at least not since I was a kid. Makes me want to learn again.

    THAT WAS AWESOME BTW!

  • Justin Wong will just kick everyone’s arse.

    • In addition to various international superstars, Daigo Umehara will also be at EVO. Justin is certainly one of if not THE #1 US contender, but when he faced Daigo last, Daigo beat Justin 4 rounds to zero. John Choi also took Justin the distance in their last meeting, and it was one of John\’s first SFIV events. Plus it\’s EVO, so anything can and will happen, so it\’s sure to be a dramatic finish.

  • There really needs to be an East Coast EVO.

    AFAIK all the East Coast fighting “tournaments” have pretty much stopped. Lame.

    • We\’ve done EVO qualifiers on the East Coast, but unfortunately weren\’t able to do one this year. Capcom did do a \”Fight Club\” in NYC, which wasn\’t a tournament, but was extremely fun all the same. We\’re based on the West Coast, but try and give the EC as much love as we can…

  • Man, years ago I vowed never to enter any tournaments again after seeing Valle and Daigo firsthand lol. I love to watch the videos though.

  • i know next to nothing about SF but this tournament and that full parry was so much epic i almost passed out.

  • Good article and it looks to be fun! A little too far tho XD

  • So…then it would make sense for Capcom to get MvC2 out onto the PSN Store before July 17…right Capcom? ;)

  • So ya question of the day:

    How come Marvel vs Capcom 2 is being played on a Dreamcast this year at EVO if there is a PS2 version and from what I understand one in development for PSN and XBL?

    • EVO players sniff things out that are totally undetectable by normal humans. We think MVC2 for PS3 is perfect, and even brought in top players to test it for us, but basically you want to have the game tested in the wild for many months before you use it for the World Finals. Since MVC2 PS3 won\’t have been out for that long before EVO, we had to stick with the old version, but will be using it next year.

  • I need to get some money together and pick up SFIV before I fall any farther behind on releases :D Was floored by the first vid the first time I saw it.

  • Daigo will once again win this EVO competition lol

  • awesome
    too bad i live in NYC

  • @ KazeEternal:

    The Dreamcast version has always been the gold standard for competitors. Apparently the PS2 and Xbox ports introduced (or removed) certain bugs or inconsistencies from the arcade version–whereas the Dreamcast version is the real deal, so to speak.

    The forthcoming PSN version will emulate the Dreamcast code, so if Capcom can release it pre-EVO, perhaps they will use it there a bit.

  • I love Street Fighter 4 and I’d really love to go to EVO. Too bad it’s in Las Vegas, or as I like to call it, the hot sweaty crouch of America. Enjoy dodging those time share bandits.

  • And also, Mike Ross to take the competition! You heard it here first!

  • Hey, the Street Fighter Tourney is good news, but I have a concern about the person who left the message.

    His Avitar…

    If that icon is WHAT I THINK IT IS, I AM OFFENDED; please change your Avitar, dude.

  • Final Fight HD with online CoOp… Fersis as director. You know you want it.
    ;)

  • I need it

  • east coast itches .. that’s right!

  • Any word on MVC2 getting the 2xKick and 2xPunch macros in the PSN version? I already have my ps2 version and would like to get the download version but I can’t use an arcade stick and it would be very hard for me to play well without those macros.

  • constant_motion

    that fight was friggin awesome, man how many hours of practice do I need to be as good as that. Those moves were tight!!!

  • So what web site can we find a live stream at??

    I’m want to come down there, but my friends are all scared of little competition, and I don’t want to drive to Las Vegas alone.

    • You should definitely come anyway. There are a TON of people that go just to hang out and don\’t even play in the main tournaments.

      For those that do compete, you\’re just out to do your best and see what you\’re made of, and nobody gives you a hard time if you don\’t win it all! Tournaments teach you a lot, and all the competitors have a lot of respect for anybody willing to put it on the line and that\’s trying to get better.

  • I like the idea watching EVO.
    Anyway sense King_DX brought Marvel vs Capcom 2 up. The Real question is when are you guys going to announce the release date, because everytime I check the Capcom forums,the people in there seems to ask that alot.
    Ps I was the one who brought up Darkstalkers during your visit to PS Home
    clothhand right.

    • MVC2 date coming any day now–I agree it\’s taking way too long! anyway nice to meet you again, and <3 the Darkstalkers.

  • infinity-_-ward-

  • SFIV all day, everyday!

    Can’t wait for EVO! I don’t stand a chance, but who cares. :)

  • Daigo own that guy.

  • I’m confused as to what you mean by “real button presses” because the ability was on the PS2 version of the game. Oh well I’m sorry to hear that. Luckily I have the game, PS2 and a BC PS3. I’ll still be playing it until MVC3 i guess.

  • @Seth
    Thanks for the reply. I have certain opinions reserved, but sounds reasonable I suppose.

    @spong-worthy
    well that sounds kind of….. i really don’t have a word to describe it other than colorful metaphors to describe the players themselves.

    I consider myself a Hardcore Tekken and Soul Calibur fan, while I can tell the difference between each version as I’m playing them (Arcade for PS, PS3 vs Cross Platform versions) I don’t cry about it. A sign of a true pro in my opinion cannot only sniff out the differences, but strategise according to the hardware and controller presented with. I tend to laugh at people who go as far as not only pick their platform, but also tot around a special controller to boot.

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