Nice article Patrick. Funny, I'm just reading Freakonomics and just read the discussion on Sumo wrestling that BillyMaysRIP pointed to.

I don't think you can make rules to clean it out. Just make it open somehow so players intentions are clear and transparent.

Interesting article, Patrick. I am someone who isn't involved in the fighting game community, but occasionally finds interest in it, especially around tournament time.

I think that, at least by the implication of this article, the word collusion may be thrown around too freely. Collusion implies that there is some form of gain to be had. From the sounds of it, that does go on to a degree, such as the interviewee admitting to throw matches to be placed into the loser's bracket. That being said, the prime example of the Soul Calibur players didn't strike me as collusion. Specifically, if the two players had agreed beforehand to split the pot and just goof off in the final fight as a result that isn't collusion. That doesn't mean I found it any less of a problem. It's disrespectful to the spirit of the tournament and the other players involved and I would likely be upset by it if I was involved with the community.

I think the resolution is fairly simple, at least from a technical standpoint. Have players sign an express waiver agreeing to the rules beforehand. Proving collusion or intentional poor play may be hard, but that would at least give the tournament authorities some ground to impose penalties or other sanctions if players are caught.

I hope they get it figured out. The tournaments put on by these groups are some of the most entertaining to watch. The scandals that seem to crop up fairly often may draw in more crowds at times, but for all the wrong reasons.

Good article

It seems like various esports are getting to the stage of unifying and creating governing bodies, which is a big step in any professional sport.

Fascinating article anyway.

Excellent article.

FGC got ghost problems.

Quality article Patrick. You could maybe update it with the incident at NLBC last week were Spooky pulled the plug on yet another Chris G pot split final jamboree. It was a beautiful moment.

Edit- Ah, ScreamingGhost posted the video below.

COLLUSION

Japan's tourneys are only for honor due to just this kind of shit apparently.

Battlestar Galactica Community, ah-doyy

amateurs...

As a huge fan of the fighting game scene, great article.

I wish I could say I was surprised, but I'm not when it comes to players intentionally throwing matching and splitting the winnings. One of the first things you notice once following the fight community is that most players worldwide are friends and most of them stick together. I personally watch the UMVC3 Texas Showdown tourney where Justin Wong and Chris G pretty much trolled the whole event, giving the Texas natives hope by intentionally throwing matches, only to comeback and dominate them. Then, of course, there's the final between the two and commentator UltraDavid finally called it out.

Another reason it's not surprising is because of the Tourney format itself. In most of them, if a competitor placed in the Top 8, he or she is promised some money. How much depends on where the person placed after that. So players throwing matches and splitting the pot can easily be seen.

Sadly, the only way to make the players truly compete at all times is to make it so only the Top 3 or Top 2 get prize money. However, many players may quit if that ever happened.

Insightful coverage of the FGC scoops- would love to see more of this part of gaming covered here.

So in other words, if you're going to collude and play shenanigans with the outcome of your matches -for whatever reason- by god by subtle about it, damnit! We've got sponsors now! D:

The FGC needs a Serpico.

The best players get to decide how the tournament works out.

If you want to prevent a team from goofing off, beat them.

It's pure snobbery when people complain about folk not going into a match with their "best" characters.

As a spectator, it's way more fun and interesting when they pull out "B list-ers", and I don't see the same match ups and combos through the whole tournament.

I remember a match up between two pro tekken "Bob" players, after an endless list of Bob vs Bob matches.

Guy basically said, "Fuck It", picked Miguel Caballero Rojo, and everyone lost their shit.

That player was a hero.

I think collusion is bullshit. I watched the Flocker vs Chris G match the article is referring to and couldn't even finish it.

Flocker pulled some crazy comebacks during that tournament with his Hawkeye, showed some really good stuff, showed why he deserved that EVO win eventhough the majority was rooting for Justin at that point and for the finals we got some B-teams that probably weren't even B-teams (Phoenix Wright, yeah sure). Especially Chris G showed that he didn't really know how to use his characters.

On paper it's a great match up, with the EVO favorite and the actual EVO winner going at it but it was one of the worst matches of that day. Killed all the hype that Flocker built up before.

Spooky was right to pull the plug in that situation. I get why the players are doing it but that doesn't make it less of an issue.

Guys, we have to be a clean and non-corrupt sport, like professional boxing and FIFA!

Good article Patrick. Would have loved a few more time stamps in those long videos of flagrant displays of drops.

Well not entirely. Most Japanese tournaments have no cash prize because an entry fee with possibility of winning the pot would make it illegal gambling due to certain Japanese laws. They do occasionally have tournaments with money at stake, but they're invitational tournaments without an entry fee. But yeah, if there is ever any drama in their scene, we certainly don't hear about it.

Good article, Scoops. Obviously, I'd rather not have the FGC in the spotlight again for something negative, but at least the problem is out in the open because it's trying to be fixed and the people learning about it from your article will get an informed view of what is actually going on.

For me, the pot splitting doesn't even really enter the equation as long as it doesn't affect the results. It's all about the disrespect shown to the organisers, other players (the ones whose entry fee money you are taking as the prize pot) and all the people watching at the event/on a stream etc and just generally spitting in the face of the spirit of competition that everyone comes together under. If you want to split the pot with your buddy, I don't care. But as UltraDavid is quoted in the article, there's no reason not to play the match out properly. If you want to fuck around, that's what casuals are for. If you can't see the point of playing out a match properly just because the outcome doesn't affect whether you'll get paid or not, what are you even playing the games for? We don't have esports money. If you want to get paid, get a job.

It's just a shame that it continues to be a small group of inconsiderate and immature players that drag us through the mud again; those few amongst the best players that also happen to be the ones most toxic to the scene. It's a shame that all the amazing things that are a result of the community being so tight-knit are tarnished in the face of something like this. Those tight-knit friendships aren't even what leads to the Marvel drama most of the time. Everyone might be friends, but everyone is there because they have that desire to compete and excel. Most of the time it's just ChrisG sulking.

Here's to hoping the next article can be a positive one.

Salty Bet!

Thanks for the article Patrick, but now I have a sudden urge to spend hours on Saltybet.

Nice article.

One thing I feel like haven't been addressed is the media blackout rule.

I find it hard to believe that it will be enforced outside the US. As Cannon mentions in the article they hope the non-US will follow their lead, but consider how many big tournaments there are in the world who afaik have yet to respond to this "demand" to include and enforce this rule it would mean alot of those tournaments won't get any coverage on those 2 sites.

Can you imagine Topanga League, Godsgarden, SBO, World Games Cup in France or the various Dreamhack events not getting coverage by Eventhubs.

I personally think the collusion rule is good, but the media blackout rule seems a bit too aggressive.

I think this behaviour is only common when American players dominate, so that's why all the examples given here are from Marvel Vs Capcom, international competition keeps players honest

One place it won’t have any impact, though, is competitive play in Japan, as there no money prizes for legal reasons.

Something to consider. That'll learn 'em!

man, I love watching fighting game streams. I love fighting games.

Collusion and pot splitting have and always will be a thing. What is a problem is these assholes who don't even want to compete out a match. Hopefully this deters a lot of that.

Wow, I didn't watch texas showdown, but that was really shameful. The commentators aren't even saying anything because there's nothing to say.

Another great article from Patrick. Keep it up, man.

What I don't like about this whole thing is that I'd be really sad if tournaments' way of "preventing" collusion was to force everyone to use the one or two characters they're known to use. It doesn't do anything, for one, and it's also ruins some fun of these things.

Damn Patrick, good job.

No one is doing game journalism like this right now, this is really quite amazing.

This is why I think a single elimination tournament would be more entertaining than double elimination. None of this collusion bullshit.

Great article Patrick!

As eSports get more popular and there's more money involved, I can't help but see the same (accelerated) evolution of other sports. Specifically, Formula 1 racing. These are issues that Motorsport has dealt with for decades, and both groups are reaching the same conclusions. I love watching how the two groups are dealing with it differently because of the separate challenges of virtual vs. physical.

I watched a minor tournament a while back where the SSF4AE2012 (acronyms!) final two were pot-splitting and basically goofed around with off characters for the entire final match. Not only is it boring to watch, it's also insulting to the players that legitimately tried to get where they were. I understand these guys are hardly flush with cash, and pot-splitting is probably even necessary if you're trying to make a living purely off fighting games, but they could at least make a show of it.

It's kind of fitting that you have a meme in an article about the FGC

Great article @patrickklepek, nicely written. Definitely should add the video that @screamingghost posted earlier, I watched that and it was great to see. For Sp00ky to just go and pull the plug on the machine - I understand the worry about people deciding something was collusion, but you don't have to know fighting games well to see those guys weren't trying at all. Good on Sp00ky for taking a stand against it.

Also you didn't mention the other big threat to the stability of the FGC: MOBAs. I'm not even joking: Marn and ClakeyD went off to join Team MRN, and now Mike Ross and a few others have been talking about how all they want is to play Dota 2 and are finding it difficult to bring themselves to play anything else. These aren't necessarily the top players but they are some of the bigger personalities in the community.

That wasn't an entirely serious comment, I'm sure fighting games are still very much in their blood, but you get my point.

<3

I don't follow Fighting Games religiously or anything, but I do tend to tune into tournaments on occasion as a casual observer. I'm seeing a constant in these shitty matches: Chris G. Fuck that guy. Seriously. I never liked him, and all of this "colluding" crap is just cementing my opinion of him even more.

Awesome read. I'd love to see more Scoops coverage of the e-sports scene, even if the fighting genre doesn't necessarily identify with that scene. I love this in-depth coverage of aspects of the gaming world I had previously never known a thing about, even if this leans more towards the specific side of the competition.

My only comment would be that the article seemed filled a bit too much with quotes. Specifically, the paragraphs of quotes from players and members of the scene. I didn't see as much commentary as I did statements and rhetorical questions, and it's something I think would be a great focus in future articles. I realize that the article was more of an informative one than a persuasive one, but there's nothing wrong with Patrick dealing out opinions in some of these long-form pieces. Just a suggestion, though.

In most cases who decides what is and isn't collusion? I'm all for weeding out this sort of practice, even as a casual fan it bugs me, but there needs to a solid decision making process involved. A three person panel that makes the final call or something of that sort could guarantee that a final doesn't come down to a single person's suspensions.

@rorie@billymaysrip@sugar: Sumo has actually had high profile scandals over the past few years which have forced the Japan Sumo Association to attempt a bit of a clear out. However the evidence only came to light incidentally as part of a separate investigation into illegal gambling, and furthermore the JSA only punished the most obvious offenders (inconsistently). Meanwhile, from just last month you have this laughable bout between two high ranked wrestlers who've known eachother since their school days. No action will ever be taken over that because it just isn't seen as a big deal. It's barely even a discussion point. The JSA hasn't been gifted a smoking gun in the form of text message evidence, unlike with the wrestlers who were purged, and these two are high profile guys so I feel like there's an attitude of 'oh just let 'em be'.

If the FGC wants to further legitimise fighting game tourneys as a form of entertainment and competition they need to do what the JSA hasn't done, which is tackle the collusion in spirit as well as the dry letter of the law. IMO that means they have to take a strong stance on pot-splitting, too. As somebody mentioned, it can be used by heavily favoured players to incentivise underdogs make less of an effort, which can turn it into a form of bribe. Though it's something which can never be properly regulated against, that doesn't mean you have to turn a blind eye when there are multiple allegations about a single incident. 'We can't control what people do with their money' is not an attitude that's embraced by professional sports bodies - consider how footballers, etc. are prohibited from certain betting behaviour.

I would really enjoy it if Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 wasn't the last game (main event) at tournaments. Top players have tried their best to sabotage the hype and they keep getting rewarded with top billing.

A couple majors should just have Street Fighter IV as the last game like EVO. Just as an experiment.

So, as someone unfamiliar with the FGC in general, ChrisG seems to be coming up in a lot of these examples.

Is he specifically notorious for this kind of thing? Or is he just unfortunately featured heavily in this article?

@vargasprime said:

He actually is involved in many of these incidents. He's said before that he doesn't want people to get bored of his play so he'll pick wacky teams at times.

Then again he usually switches characters multiple times during Injustice, but he plays to win in that game at all times so no one questions him. His antics during UMVC3 and Street Fighter majors are a bit more questionable.

Fighting games aren't really my thing, but this article is fascinating. Damn fine work. Bravo.

Good article, but the headline really bothers me.

Also Patrick should be writing for the New York Times or something. He is just the kind of person that Journalists should aspire to be.

Great read, had not been following this story. It's a problem with competition on every level, from Olympic badminton to video games. The flopping comparison is apt, we all know it when we see it yet when done well it's not always easy to prove. Sounds like those with power in the FGC are taking the necessary steps to ensure their product is as honest as possible, interesting quotes and opinions from a number of folks in here.

Great article Patrick. I love to see fighting games and the fighting game scene written/talked about on Giantbomb.

There are all kinds of reasons to not try your hardest to win once you're in the finals, especially if you and your opponent have decided to pot split (which I have no problem with considering most players are just dudes trying to grind out a living playing video games for as long as they can so guaranteeing yourself a payout at the end of a weekend is fine by me).

Say for example, it's a weekly tournament (like Wednesday Night Fights, a weekly tournament held in the LA area) and it's the week before So-Cal Regionals. The 2 finalists may not want to pull out all the stops or show their best stuff to try and win a weekly tournament when there's a much bigger one right around the corner that they want to save their best stuff for.

I have no doubt this rule works great in Evo because Evo is the biggest tournament of the year, there's no longer a reason to hold back.

Let's take a ChrisG vs. Justin Wong example. Justin Wong believes he can beat ChrisG's team but knows if he does everything he can to beat him, he'll tip his hand to his techniques, allowing Chris the opportunity to train and prepare for those techniques should they meet in an upcoming (and bigger, more important) tournament. ChrisG on the other hand is thinking exactly the same thing, that he knows how to deal with Justin's team in a way that other players haven't thought of but he doesn't want to tip his hand early either, winning a minor tournament but risking a shot at a bigger one by showing too much of his techniques that Justin or another player can prepare for.

Basically, in this scenario you're forcing both players to either show their hand early which is stupid because players should be allowed to do whatever they have to do to give themselves the best competitive advantage (such as not trying their hardest to win a minor tournament if they believe that doing so could hurt their chances at a bigger tournament down the road), or you're forcing players to make it look like they're trying their hardest when in reality they're just pretending by taking it safe, doing nothing out of the ordinary, still not really trying to win but masking it better for the sake of audience. To me, I don't see much difference. As a spectator, I would be more entertained by them picking a random character and goofing around and having fun than players "going through the motions" and not caring about the result. To me, that results in a more boring match to watch.

Ideally, players would always bring their 'A' game and always trying their hardest to win every match, but in reality that's just not a very good winning strategy if a player has their mind set on a the big stage, like Evo. Collusion is not nearly as much of a problem at a big tournament like that because the stakes are so much higher that it practically handles itself. Collusion does become a problem at small tournaments because it's just not worth it most of the time for players to do everything to win because it can actually put them at a disadvantage when it comes to a bigger and more important tournament, when there is a lot more prize money and pride at stake.

It's a difficult problem to solve though because the two parties involved (players and tournament organizers) are sometimes at odds. Tournament organizers want the most competitive matches possible while sometimes players don't for the reasons stated above. Like I said, it's not typically an issue at big tournaments, it's the smaller ones where it becomes an issue.

Doesn't Fanatiq realize that he's a really bad liar, and that people can easily see through his bullshit excuses?

I don't understand why people would not try to beat their opponent and finish first even if they split the pot. Someone still has to win, why joke around? If I'd play against my best friend, we'll split, but I'd sure try to beat him. I thought those people were competitors.