The prize money for the championship exceeded 150 million yen! An “e-sports commentator” who is busier than the players talked about “the craze and the other side of it.

Prize Money Soars…but Crisis: “The Current Situation is a Bubble

–The World Championships attracts as many as 400,000 viewers at its peak. How do you deal with the tension before you start commentating in such a situation?

I don’t get nervous at all. It’s probably no different from chatting over a game at a friend’s house for a long time. Of course, I’m communicating to the world in public, so unlike when I’m at home with my friends, I choose my words carefully (laughs).

–Did you expect “Strike 6” to make such a big splash?

I didn’t think so. I think the game is fun, but fun alone is not enough to make it jump. This time, the initial response was good. I think it was an effort by Capcom, the company that released “Strike 6. We succeeded by involving people outside the game from an early stage. However, everyone at the core of the competitive scene feels that the current situation is probably a bubble and not a permanent one, so I think everyone is being careful (laughs).

(Laughs.) I am aware that the current situation is a lucky break. We should not think that it will continue even if we do nothing. Well, I have experienced the rise and fall of this type of gaming many times before, so I think everyone is thinking about what they can do in this situation, not just me.

–What are you trying to do about it?

The history of fighting games is long, and the history of the players is also long. The stories are connected, so I think it is important to keep telling them. This is nothing special. It is something I have always wanted to do. I will do it without bending. In my position as a commentator, I think it is very important to talk about history. I want people to know how great the players are. I want to tell people at every turn that the people part is the fun part.”

–The rise of young people who are new to the history of the game is also great.

I think that’s because there are so many people. I think deeply that talent emerges when there are a lot of people. There are kids in junior high school who are very strong, and I am happy to see that they are in a position to emerge.

–Hameco has seen the rise and fall of the game since its early days. How does it make you feel to hear that the prize money is 150 million yen?

I don’t really feel it. Maybe it’s because I’m not a player myself, but I’m not that concerned about the prize money. I have the feeling that it must be valuable to the industry as a whole because of its news value. It would be nice if people saw the prize money as “150 million yen, that’s a lot of money, I’ll play gaming then.

But prize money is very difficult.　But prize money is very difficult to maintain, and when it is high, it is fine. To put it another way, prize money in a game tournament is a PR tool. So, if you pay 100 million yen in prize money as a PR budget, is the publicity effect worth it?　It would be “yes. Without that, it is nothing more than a handout, and in the long run, I don’t think it is a good idea. What happens when the amount of money drops?　That’s what I’m talking about.

For example, there is a game called “Dota2,” where you sell items for the world championships, and a percentage of the pooled amount is returned to the prize money. International 2021″ in 2009, the total prize money was $40 million (about 6.2 billion yen). However, this method is good when it is good, but when the fans’ enthusiasm cools down, the prize money drops dramatically, which is a difficult part of the game. The debate over what to do with the prize money has been going on for a long time.　The debate over what to do with the prize money has been going on for a long time. Some people think that it would be better to have a permanent event without selling the high prize money. From my own experience, when the prize money drops, it is inevitably compared to the good times. The amount of prize money is easy to understand. ……”

–The public’s view is, “It’s not so exciting anymore, is it?

Yes, yes. So there are not only positive feelings about the high prize money. I’m afraid of how it will look when it falls.”

–What else do you think is important?

For example, it is a matter of course that professional matches are interesting. For example, it is natural that professional games are interesting because, in terms of cuisine, the best ingredients are prepared and served with the freshest and most polished techniques. Compared to that, it is natural that there is nothing technically interesting to see in a match between non-professional gamers at a casual event.

However, there is also a sense of fun in these matches. The level of the matches may be poor, but there is drama and effort that the person is carrying. Still, the technique that one puts forth in a match may be an amateur’s gluggle-punch. But among the gluggle punches, there is a blow that is aimed firmly at the jaw, and when it hits cleanly, it can create great drama. I hope to convey the fun of creating such things.

–Could you tell our Friday Digital readers what you think is interesting about e-sports today?

There are many different genres of games that are interesting, but fighting games are easy to understand at first sight. There are many different types of games in different genres, but fighting games are easy to understand at first sight. It’s simple: the player who takes the energy gauge wins, and the movements and screen are flashy. It is very easy to see.

In this day and age, it is very difficult to convey fun, isn’t it? Fighting games have always been interesting. But they were really turned away from us in the days when there was no interest in them. Who is playing and how is it interesting? How do you communicate that?　That’s what I’ve felt for the past two years.

–Lastly, please tell us about your future activities.

I want to preserve the know-how I have accumulated and pass it on to the next generation. I was so focused on myself in 2012 that I think it’s okay to do something like that in 2013.

X ID: @hameko

Photography and text by Miyu Kurusu

Miyu Kurusu is a freelance writer. Her main areas of expertise are humanities, social issues, and subcultures, and she is active in reporting and writing articles for magazines, newspapers, the Internet, and other media. He is the author of numerous books.
X ID:@mewzou