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I don't like the modern fighting game community.

I grew up in arcades, where people waited to play and you never knew if the older guys behind you might take a swing if you actually beat them. People yelled, punched cabinets and generally let their emotions run wild as they took a break from class, skipped school or even had the day off from work. It sounds intense, and it was, but it was also what motivated me to become a better player. Beating the older guys was an idea so euphoric it was worth being a little scared every time. I learned to talk shit, hold losses and even how to socialize with fellow players in the arcades of St. Louis, Missouri. And that was before I knew that fighting games had organized tournaments.

Once I was introduced to competitive play I made friends in the scene. They were not just some random collection of people I played games against every week or so, but people I stay connected with to this day. I have let these guys stay in my home when they needed a place to crash, and have spotted them money when times were rough. To me they are not just some ragtag collection of 'guys who I know through fighting games,' they are my friends; we play together, drink together, laugh together and have been through hell together. They are my brothers, and I always, always have their backs.

Meanwhile, what do any of these new kids have? What is their scene like?

Since the emergence of Street Fighter 4 in 2008, I have lived in two very different locations, St. Louis and SoCal, and the difference between when I started playing games and now blows my mind. Now, when people congregate for games, that's the only reason they find themselves in the same place; they normally do not hang out together, party together or drink together. The arcade, meanwhile, has been (necessarily) replaced by someone's house, where people are forced to act cordial and chummy only because it's simply not a public place. Instead of the reality of people talking trash, getting angry or generally being themselves, we all experience this flaccid, false bro-life paradigm where everyone is cool with the guy they just lost to for no other reason than it's his house and people still need a place to play.

Instead of rivalries and vendettas, we now have hugs and handshakes. This might not be so bad, except anger and aggression have always been two of the key motivating factors in the scene. Players used to work to beat the top guy in their arcade, their region or even in the US. Now they want his autograph? How are players supposed to beat a guy they have already placed on a pedestal so far above their own level of skill? They essentially tell themselves, "He's better than me," before the match even starts, so how can they ever expect to win?

Everyone, and I mean everyone, has jitters as they come up in the scene and have to start facing the marquee players of their respective games; however, if players don't have enough confidence to tell themselves, "I can beat this guy," no matter who it is, they are not going to make it very far in tournaments. A healthy dose of fear and respect are welcome signs of a high-stress environment, but if they are the dominant thoughts, a person's ability to play the game in his or her preferred playstyle can be restricted or even destroyed. 

And when players do lose nowadays, they should stop putting decorum above honesty. Mad you lost? Don't be afraid to say something about it. Just because it's not 'good sportsmanship' to yell obscenities out loud doesn't mean it is not, at times, warranted. Sometimes you played like trash, and you need to vent. This is not a job interview or a high-society social gathering, so just do it.

So here it is, the reality of the situation:

Anger is normal. I have seen the most level-headed guys fall apart in tourneys or casuals and just melt down. So, if you have never seen X player just lose it at a casual gathering then you guys are not that close. It's as simple as that. I have yelled at friends and seen what St. Louis used to call 'rage tears' from some of the best players in the region, so if you have never, ever seen anger cross another guy's face he is either a) not taking the games seriously or b) worried he is not going to get asked back if he cuts loose.

Punches will not be pulled. I cannot tell any of you the number of times I have been told that I am ass at games (or at life), whether verbally or through obvious gestures, and I offer readers nothing less. If I do not like something or someone, I plan to call him, her or it out by name and to put all that information out for the public to see. People may not like that, but I do not care.

Arguments are necessary. I want to challenge a lot of the ideas that the scene holds sacred and to play Devil's Advocate to get people thinking about possible futures or outcomes. If you see me at a tournament or venue, feel free to come up to me and tell me I'm full of crap. But save the name-calling and email trolling for someone else, because all of your spam will be deleted and I just cannot be bothered with it.

I'm trying to kill Esports. Sorry, that's just my mission. It is nothing personal, it is just (anti)business.