Raising Money One Stock At A Time: An Interview with Share Stock’s Chloe “Yink” Schupp-Omid

Following its announcement ahead of Smash ‘n Splash 2 a few weeks ago, I was able to catch up with the head of the new charity initiative Share Stock, Chloe Schupp-Omid or “Yink” as she’s known among Smashers, to talk about this project, its goals moving forward and how community members can get involved with this charity initiative.

Sam “Trilby” Foxall: For those who maybe aren’t aware, can you briefly explain what the Share Stock initiative is?

Chloe “Yink” Schupp-Omid: What Share Stock does is aim to benefit Child’s Play, a really fantastic organization that brings toys, games, books, and more to children in over 100 hospitals all over the world. The team members of Share Stock all share a mutual love and understanding for children, as they are our future and future gamers. We hope that by us enjoying Super Smash Bros. and promoting Share Stock, we can raise money to help them get copies of games they themselves enjoy to make their time in the hospital more enjoyable.

Trilby: What birthed the idea of Share Stock?

Yink: Well, I had personally wanted to host some type of charitable event years ago revolving around Smash, but then life sort of got in the way. Then, about a year and a half ago, I decided to tackle the idea again. I spoke with various people inside the Smash community for ideas and tips, including other TOs, other charitable organizations, and then regular players/spectators to hear their insight. The Smash community is no stranger to donating for a good cause. Back in 2013, Evo ran a charity drive for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), and of their total (over $225K), the Smash community came together for Melee and raised over $94K. Or what about #SmashTheRecord? Since 2014, they’ve raised over $64K for St. Jude, and they’re going to be holding another event again this November. In honesty, Share Stock’s team just wants everyone to enjoy playing Smash, no matter which installment, but also giving to those in need, no matter what the amount. Every dollar, euro, what have you, matters.

Trilby: Besides donating to Child’s Play directly and buying items from the Share Stock store, how can people help this initiative grow?

Yink: Simply put, by sharing our website around! Telling friends, loved ones, gaming enthusiasts, etc.! The lovely team at smash.gg worked hard to make our site look good and easily accessible. You can follow us on Twitter too for updates, future events, artist talks, and other neat stuff. We encourage people to talk about us and talk to us as well. The more people signal boost the more places we’ll reach. Our shop on smash.gg will have different items in the store from time to time, so I always encourage people to take a look. The items made are generally from people within the Smash community who think the cause is something special, and we appreciate it.

Trilby: I know TOs from USA, Canada and the UK are part of Share Stock, how can others become a Share Stock supporting event?

Yink: Send us an email or a direct message on Twitter! We’d like to hear from you and talk about how we could potentially work together! More events means more chances to make a difference.

Trilby: Smash ‘n Splash 2 was Share Stock’s first event, what was the response from Smashers attending?

Yink: I’d say it was a positive response. Many people enjoyed the idea of the initiative and can’t wait to see it grow over time. People came up to me at the event while I was TOing and said they couldn’t wait to pick up a wristband, shirt, or just donate directly because they wanted to help. The commentators on stream did a wonderful job promoting us so I’m thankful to each and every one of them.

Trilby: Are there any plans for a Share Stock specific event like Smash the Record sometime in the future? Maybe possible charity tournaments as part of a big event like Super Smash Con?

Yink: At this time, no, we do not have any plans of a specific event similar to #SmashTheRecord in size. But, we have talked about having perhaps smaller events (such as weeklies or monthlies) that could be specifically to benefit Share Stock. As for charity tournaments as part of a bigger event or national like Super Smash Con, perhaps a future endeavor!

Trilby: Will it be an unwritten rule that if someone shares a stock during top 8 of a Share Stock supporting event, they will have to donate a dollar to the cause?

Yink: Hahahaha! If the TO is okay with it and the players are down for it, I’d say go for it!

Trilby: If people want to help out, what is the next event that will be supporting Share Stock?

Yink: As of right now, we have a few events that are still in their planning phase so I cannot say exactly when they will be available. You can always check our smash.gg page for more information on upcoming events. If you scroll down, you’ll see the events that are currently supporting us. Shine and Super Smash Con are the next events that are 100% supporting us. However, we’re hoping to have a Canadian event support us in July, and then later down the road, a UK event as well.

Raising Money One Stock At A Time: An Interview with Share Stock’s Chloe “Yink” Schupp-Omid

Following its announcement ahead of Smash ‘n Splash 2 a few weeks ago, I was able to catch up with the head of the new charity initiative Share Stock, Chloe Schupp-Omid or “Yink” as she’s known among Smashers, to talk about this project, its goals moving forward and how community members can get involved with this charity initiative.

Sam “Trilby” Foxall: For those who maybe aren’t aware, can you briefly explain what the Share Stock initiative is?

Chloe “Yink” Schupp-Omid: What Share Stock does is aim to benefit Child’s Play, a really fantastic organization that brings toys, games, books, and more to children in over 100 hospitals all over the world. The team members of Share Stock all share a mutual love and understanding for children, as they are our future and future gamers. We hope that by us enjoying Super Smash Bros. and promoting Share Stock, we can raise money to help them get copies of games they themselves enjoy to make their time in the hospital more enjoyable.

Trilby: What birthed the idea of Share Stock?

Yink: Well, I had personally wanted to host some type of charitable event years ago revolving around Smash, but then life sort of got in the way. Then, about a year and a half ago, I decided to tackle the idea again. I spoke with various people inside the Smash community for ideas and tips, including other TOs, other charitable organizations, and then regular players/spectators to hear their insight. The Smash community is no stranger to donating for a good cause. Back in 2013, Evo ran a charity drive for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), and of their total (over $225K), the Smash community came together for Melee and raised over $94K. Or what about #SmashTheRecord? Since 2014, they’ve raised over $64K for St. Jude, and they’re going to be holding another event again this November. In honesty, Share Stock’s team just wants everyone to enjoy playing Smash, no matter which installment, but also giving to those in need, no matter what the amount. Every dollar, euro, what have you, matters.

Trilby: Besides donating to Child’s Play directly and buying items from the Share Stock store, how can people help this initiative grow?

Yink: Simply put, by sharing our website around! Telling friends, loved ones, gaming enthusiasts, etc.! The lovely team at smash.gg worked hard to make our site look good and easily accessible. You can follow us on Twitter too for updates, future events, artist talks, and other neat stuff. We encourage people to talk about us and talk to us as well. The more people signal boost the more places we’ll reach. Our shop on smash.gg will have different items in the store from time to time, so I always encourage people to take a look. The items made are generally from people within the Smash community who think the cause is something special, and we appreciate it.

Trilby: I know TOs from USA, Canada and the UK are part of Share Stock, how can others become a Share Stock supporting event?

Yink: Send us an email or a direct message on Twitter! We’d like to hear from you and talk about how we could potentially work together! More events means more chances to make a difference.

Trilby: Smash ‘n Splash 2 was Share Stock’s first event, what was the response from Smashers attending?

Yink: I’d say it was a positive response. Many people enjoyed the idea of the initiative and can’t wait to see it grow over time. People came up to me at the event while I was TOing and said they couldn’t wait to pick up a wristband, shirt, or just donate directly because they wanted to help. The commentators on stream did a wonderful job promoting us so I’m thankful to each and every one of them.

Trilby: Are there any plans for a Share Stock specific event like Smash the Record sometime in the future? Maybe possible charity tournaments as part of a big event like Super Smash Con?

Yink: At this time, no, we do not have any plans of a specific event similar to #SmashTheRecord in size. But, we have talked about having perhaps smaller events (such as weeklies or monthlies) that could be specifically to benefit Share Stock. As for charity tournaments as part of a bigger event or national like Super Smash Con, perhaps a future endeavor!

Trilby: Will it be an unwritten rule that if someone shares a stock during top 8 of a Share Stock supporting event, they will have to donate a dollar to the cause?

Yink: Hahahaha! If the TO is okay with it and the players are down for it, I’d say go for it!

Trilby: If people want to help out, what is the next event that will be supporting Share Stock?

Yink: As of right now, we have a few events that are still in their planning phase so I cannot say exactly when they will be available. You can always check our smash.gg page for more information on upcoming events. If you scroll down, you’ll see the events that are currently supporting us. Shine and Super Smash Con are the next events that are 100% supporting us. However, we’re hoping to have a Canadian event support us in July, and then later down the road, a UK event as well.

Uncertainty for Street Fighter V’s Future? Daigo Umehara Comments on Capcom Cup and Importance of Arcade Culture in Japan

When Daigo Umehara–Red Bull partner, Twitch Global Brand Ambassador, one of the most well-known professional players in the FGC–speaks out about Street Fighter V or the Capcom Pro Tour, players tend to take notice. A number of interesting comments by Umehara, taken from his BeasTV channel, have been posted to Twitter by BeasTV producer Jiyuna.

Consistent with his attitude that he expressed previously, Umehara’s focus is less on winning specifically, but more on exploring his style and preparing for the upcoming Capcom Cup.

Umehara is apparently not feeling ready to compete at Evo 2016 yet. But surprisingly, in addition to this, he indicates uncertainty that Street Fighter V will remain the focus of the Capcom Pro Tour, or possibly tournament play in general, in years to come.

Significantly, Umehara reportedly feels the lack of an arcade version of Street Fighter V is holding back its acceptance by the Japanese FGC.

Jiyuna elaborates further on the arcade scene in Japan:

An interesting disparity between fighting games in Japan and much of the rest of the world; could Street Fighter V fail in Japan without this social connection? Time will tell if Umehara’s comments reflect more than his personal opinion.

Source: Jiyuna

Ryan Hart Talks to Capcom About Ken, Community, and Keeping Sharp at DreamHack Summer 2016

In the latest Capcom Pro Tour Interview Series video from DreamHack Summer 2016, Capcom community manager Matt Edwards speaks with “prodigal son” FA|Ryan Hart, well known longtime Ken main. They discuss why he continues to stick with Ken in Street Fighter V (comparing Ken’s flamboyance to Ryu’s stiffness), the high demands of time and effort needed to stay sharp in fighting games without a local arcade scene, methods of sharing his knowledge and experience with the community, and how his outlook on the game would have differed if the CPT had existed when he first entered the FGC.

The CPT Interview Series also has caught up with BX3|Phenom (winner of the SFV event) and Rize|Infexious at DreamHack Summer 2016–the final standings of which can be viewed here.

Source: Capcom Fighters

Capcom Announces Upcoming Improvements to Street Fighter V Matchmaking

In another development update blog post–the second in as many days–Capcom’s Neidel “Haunts” Crisan discusses impending improvements to Street Fighter V’s matchmaking that we’ll be seeing in next week’s update.

These improvements include a fix to matchmaking preferences, improved matchmaking speed, and improved match quality–specifically in relation to accuracy with connection quality range settings. Additionally, Haunts mentions that matchmaking in general will be smarter, saying that “players should now be matched with other players of similar skill more often.”

If you missed yesterday’s development post, which features all upcoming costume and stage content in the June update, you can find that here.

Source: Capcom-Unity, with a tip from Yaiba4869

See Sylvie, Kukri, and Mian In Action in the King of Fighters XIV’s Latest Team Trailer

SNK and PlayStation are back once again with another weekly team trailer for the King of Fighters XIV. This time, the trailer focuses on the eclectic group of newcomers that make up the “Official Invitation Team.”

Two of the members, the sand-bending Kukri and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu-inspired Sylvie, have already been introduced before. This is, however, the first time that we’ve seen the third team member, Mian, in action.

A Bian Lian performer, Mian brings with her her art’s traditional masks that she quickly switches between in battle. This seems to indicate that she may be a “stance” character, with each mask allowing access to different moves.

The King of Fighters XIV will hit PlayStation 4 on August 23 in North America, August 25 in Japan, and August 26 in Europe.

Source: PlayStation, with a tip by P2D.Marlon Panday

Dream Team Signs Both ANTi and Dabuz as Part of Their Expansion into Super Smash Bros.

CEO fever has truly gripped eSports organizations this week, as top flight players for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U have been snapped up left and right. In a landmark double signing, Dream Team has picked up both Samuel “Dabuz” Buzby and Jason “ANTi” Bates to be their initial two Smash 4 players. They join Melee player Hugo “HugS” Gonzales as members of the growing team, with both Dabuz and ANTi placing within the top 10 of the Panda Global Rankings for Smash 4.

Ranked 10th in the world, ANTi is most known for his plethora of counterpicks alongside his main man Mario. ANTi is always prepared to counter the opponent in-game, as well as on Twitter where his words are as ferocious as Mario’s up smash. Sporting a tournament win over TSM|ZeRo, along with victories over Team Liquid’s Nairo, Abadango and team mate Dabuz, ANTi can be the sleeper pick to win any tournaments he decides to enter.

Contrasting ANTi’s ferocity, Dabuz is infamous for his rock solid defense along with his vast match up and player knowledge. When you see his laptop full of notes come out mid-set, you know you are in trouble. Ranked 3rd in the world and considered the best Rosalina and Luma main out there at the moment, it’s surprising that Dabuz has not been signed earlier. Dabuz has taken sets on all of the top 10 ranked players beside the top dog ZeRo but CEO may be the chance for a clean sweep.

Source: Dream Team

Check Out Some More Footage of Street Fighter V’s Balrog in Action

We all know that Balrog, the Street Fighter series’ most well known boxer, is on his way to Street Fighter V. While we don’t know when he’ll be be available for competition, we do know he will be playable in the game’s cinematic Story Mode.

GameSpot recently shared some footage of the American boxer in action from that very mode. While what’s shown in the video below isn’t really anything new–it’s from the same scene that we’ve seen in other videos–there is something magical about seeing the footage set to Balrog’s classic Street Fighter II theme.

Source: GameSpot

One Smash Dojo Offers Massive, Searchable Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Knowledge Base

There are hundreds of places to go online for information on how to play your favorite game. With resources all over the place, it can be hard finding a reliable source to keep coming back to. This is something the folks at One Smash Dojo aim to fix.

One Smash Dojo is a hub containing loads of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tech, offering users the ability to search for exactly what they’re looking to learn. The search function includes filters for characters, damage percents, tactics, and matchup advice. To get a better idea of what is (and isn’t) possible through the use of the site, check out the video below.

Source: Smash Dojo, Richard Terrell

Rule the Roost with This Project M King Dedede Throw Guide

Although he’s one of the weaker characters in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, King Dedede is still living his most glorious days in popular Super Smash Bros. Brawl mod Project M, where he is one of the most effective heavy characters in the game.

One reason for his powerful presence in Project M is the reward he gets from his throws; once he lays hands on his opponent, King Dedede has a myriad of options to put the pain on, some of which can put the enemy at risk of death almost singlehandedly.

He’s got so many options in fact, that it can be tough to pick the right one. Thankfully, Roanoke884 is on hand to break down the big bird’s throws, what you can get from them and what might be optimal in any and all situations. It’s a lengthy watch, but with all the information that it covers, there’s plenty of content to keep you invested. Roanoke even goes into some DI mixups that you can get out of a simple grab that can see you nabbing kills at surprisingly low percents. Check it out!

Source: Roanoke884