Chapter 874: De-Esportsification

Of course, for most ordinary players, the depth of Smash Bros. only served to show them the advanced routes the game offered. However, for fighting game enthusiasts and players passionate about competitive play and esports, it was undoubtedly a source of immense excitement.

The high-level advanced tutorial video, primarily featuring Link, directly opened a window for them.

Within the game, players continuously discovered more and more techniques for Smash Bros. Some third-party Smash Bros.-related tournaments even began preparations. After all, in terms of spectator appeal and operational complexity, Smash Bros. stands in a league of its own as a fighting game.

The main reason why there weren't many professional fighting game tournaments before was the limited audience. But with Nebula Games' IP endorsement and the current popularity, there's clearly no shortage of attention now. In the player community, many players were also discussing the possibility of esportsification for Smash Bros.

What players online didn't know, however, was that Chen Xu actually had no plans for esportsification.

………………

In the Nebula Games breakroom, a group of people were playing the Switch version of Smash Bros. Compared to the VR platform, the visual effects might not have been as good, but it was convenient and excellent for parties.

Watching the ‘GAME!’ screen pop up, Yang Xin looked distraught: “You guys, why do you always play duel mode? Brawl mode is so much more fun!”

“Exactly! Brawl mode is much more fun!” Ruan Ningxue chimed in.

“Also, look closely at the game’s name. It’s called All-Star Smash Bros., what does that mean? Brawl is the essence of this game!” Yang Xin emphasized.

“But it’s a fighting game!” Qin Yi spread his hands.

“Ahem… Let me emphasize again, this is not a fighting game, but a delightful knockback action game.” Chen Xu, who had been observing from a sofa without speaking, couldn't help but cough softly twice upon hearing this.

Although Smash Bros. uses fighting game mechanics, the official definition would never categorize it as a fighting game.

“But Mr. Chen, aren’t we going to host an official esports tournament for Smash Bros.?” Meng Zuo asked curiously. The importance of esports to suitable games could be seen from previously launched titles like DOTA.

Smash Bros.'s profound content seemed very compatible with esports. However, what puzzled Qin Yi and the internal esports department at Nebula Games was Chen Xu's laissez-faire attitude towards tournaments. Simply put, there would be no official tournaments; even if a third party wanted to host one, they wouldn't receive authorization. Of course, if a third party did proceed, Nebula Games wouldn't intervene unless there were negative repercussions.

“No participation, no opposition. Unlike games like DOTA, Smash Bros. is unique,” Chen Xu said, shaking his head with a smile.

In FPS games, players get an experience as long as they can shoot. In DOTA, players have various roles, from support to carry, and it's a five-person team game. In RTS, players can even get some experience by doing the sacred F2A. But fighting games are entirely different.

If it were to be esportsified, the element of luck would undoubtedly have to be removed. But the consequence of that would be giving players the direct impression that Smash Bros. is a game with a high barrier to entry. This would actually hinder Smash Bros.'s spread.

In his previous life, several iterations of the Smash Bros. series experienced this. Starting from the N64 era, then with Melee seeing the embryonic form of competitive Smash Bros., Hidetaka Miyazaki noticed in the Brawl era that Smash Bros. seemed to be moving towards esportsification, which contradicted his design philosophy. So, in the new version, many advanced techniques were removed, and random elements were introduced, the most typical being the chance of tripping while running.

The lack of an official competitive channel also made Smash Bros.'s balance a mess, with high-ranked matches being dominated by Meta Knight. This situation, where the developers didn’t support esports but a competitive scene had already formed, split the player base into two factions.

Therefore, Chen Xu clearly understood that as the official entity, they could not define Smash Bros. as an esports game. It could only and would only be a casual action game for entertainment. As for being hardcore? That's the players' business. What's that got to do with Nebula Games?

“Indeed, if I were an ordinary player, I would definitely not buy a high-difficulty hardcore fighting game. But if it’s a fun, casual action game, I would certainly give it a try.” Yang Xin and others nodded in sudden realization, especially Yang Xin and Ruan Ningxue, who struggled with fighting games, empathizing with Chen Xu's words based on their own gaming experiences.

After getting tired of single-player World of Light and brawl mode, they secretly snuck into 1v1 item-less matches for a couple of rounds. Then they learned what it meant for the world to be brutal.

In the game, each fighter has an independent combat power, with a default starting combat power of 3 million. Then, after playing for a while, their combat power dropped to 2 million. After playing some more, their combat power became 1 million. Continuing to play, their combat power quickly went from seven digits to six digits, and even the matchmaking time, which used to be instantaneous, turned into a wait.

But unlike being thrashed in 1v1, brawl mode offered a completely new experience. Even in individual elite matches, where everyone fought for themselves, if they were lucky, they could still snatch a first-place victory. Although the element of luck was too significant, and it might only happen once in twenty rounds, there was still some hope after all.

As for the 4v4 multiplayer team brawl mode, there was even less to say. Just mess around, and that’s it. Charge in recklessly, and with items activated, it became even more exhilarating. Individual skill certainly provided an advantage in brawl mode, but it couldn't stand against the sheer number of people. Those flashy moves from 1v1 mode were utterly useless in brawl mode.

For example, Link's bomb aerial back A-attack, and bomb aerial pursuit prediction – trying to pull off those moves in multiplayer mode? You’re dreaming!

In this brawl mode, Sephiroth directly became Yang Xin’s main character. And her brawl score climbed all the way from the default 3 million to 5 million. How did she do it? By relying on one normal special attack, which threw an exploding energy ball depending on how long it was charged. Plus, with the Octaslash recovery move, as long as she wasn't instantly knocked off the screen, she could usually return to the stage.

Finally, combined with Sephiroth's striking looks. All she could say was, 100 out of 100 points! (End of Chapter) <>