eSports Ecosystem, a new organization that is developing cryptocurrency that can be utilized for FGC events, has joined Cygames and Nissin Cup Noodles as an official sponsor of Evo 2018.
It is with great honor to announce that we will be a sponsor to the world's largest Fighting Game tournament this weekend. It's going to be epic! See you there!#EVO2018#esportshttps://t.co/ketc9ZBf8T
While hearing developers talk about the actual development process of their games is nothing new today, this was something almost unheard off back in the 1990s. As such, it’s always a treat when developers get to talk about their games from that era.
In a recent issue, as part of their coverage of the upcoming NEO GEO Mini, Famitsu got a chance to talk to some of SNK’s developers who worked on some of the classic games back in the 1990s. This included designers Noboyuki Kuroki, and Naoto Abe, as well as the sound team’s Hideki Asanaka.
Among the game’s they discuss are the original Fatal Fury games, where Asanaka discusses how they were left to their own devices, allowing their diverse influences to be heard in the soundtrack. They also discuss how the voice work in the first game was originally done by the staff, before they transitioned to hiring the Osaka Drama Troupe for the second game onward, and then having voice actors for The King of Fighters series from the very start.
Speaking of The King of Fighters, they discuss how different the lead character, Kyo was, from their previous work. Kuroki states that their first reaction to seeing Kyo in a school uniform was “Wow.” Especially considering how much more “macho” their character designs in Fatal Fury were.
In addition to this, they also go a bit into Garou: Mark of the Wolves specifically about how it never got a sequel, and how that sequel would have turned out had it been made. Abe states that he recals that the scenario for the story had already been written up to the ending (beyond the original, which ended on a cliffhanger). Additionally, Kuroki also states that he had already created new moves for Rock Howard and B. Jenet.
Of course, this is just part of what they talk about. Check out a translated version of the interview over at Siliconera.
This Wednesday, Fighter’s Crossover Akihabara will hold tournaments exclusively for beginner and intermediate players of Street Fighter V. Taking place in Akihabara’s Esports Square, it is one of many fighting game events that the area hosts.
Much like the famed Wednesday Night Fights of America’s West Coast, Japan also has its own weekly tournaments on hump day. One of these, dubbed Fighter’s Crossover Akihabara, is featuring tournaments for less experienced players of Street Fighter V. Taking place in Akihabara’s Esports Square on Wednesday, August 1st at 7:00 PM (JST), players of all strengths can come test their mettle against those of their own skill level.
The elementary and intermediate SFV tournaments will be thrown in celebration of FCA’s 150th iteration, featuring free entry and an array of drink courses for attendees to choose from. Players can choose from two to three hour courses with one beverage of choice for ¥1300 to ¥1800 (the equivalent of about $11 or $16), or the all-night option for ¥2500 ($23), provided they arrive by 7:30 PM. Additional time in the arcade can be purchased per thirty minutes for ¥400 for those wanting to get in extra sets.
The beginner tournaments will be held on basis of merit, leaving it up to players to honestly declare their ranking before entering. With three tables available, those above Platinum, under Platinum, and players of any rank can fling fists in Street Fighter V. The event will feature 3 vs. 3 random battles from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM, as well.
Community leader and Street Fighter player Kagecchi stated that the event exists as a “place where you can feel free to fight as anyone.” By providing less-experienced players with the chance to play competitively against others on their skill level, their words certainly hold true. Players wanting to participate can read more about the event on Kegetchi’s website — but be sure to bring a newbie with you!
The King of Fighters ’97 is the latest retro SNK fighter to be ported to the Nintendo Switch. This particular iteration of the classic fighter takes place during the height of the Orochi saga, which deals with the ancient magic that is the source of Kyo Kusanagi and Iori’s flame-wielding abilities. This game served as the debut for KOF fan-favorite Chris, who was a member of the Orochi Team alongside Yashiro and Shermie, and also introduced the bloodthirsty Orochi versions of Iori and Leona.
Though this title was short-lived, it holds a unique place in The King of Fighters‘ storyline as well as in the heart of the series’ fans. Interested Switch owners can download The King of Fighters ’97 now for just $8.00 USD.
The King of Fighters ’97 is the latest retro SNK fighter to be ported to the Nintendo Switch. This particular iteration of the classic fighter takes place during the height of the Orochi saga, which deals with the ancient magic that is the source of Kyo Kusanagi and Iori’s flame-wielding abilities. This game served as the debut for KOF fan-favorite Chris, who was a member of the Orochi Team alongside Yashiro and Shermie, and also introduced the bloodthirsty Orochi versions of Iori and Leona.
Though this title was short-lived, it holds a unique place in The King of Fighters‘ storyline as well as in the heart of the series’ fans. Interested Switch owners can download The King of Fighters ’97 now for just $8.00 USD.
Evo 2018 is sponsored by Cygames, well-known as the publishers of Shadowverse, but also now known to the fighting game community through the Street Fighter V competitors that comprise the Cygames Beast team: headed by Daigo Umehara, the team currently includes Fuudo, Chris Tatarian, GamerBee, and PR Balrog.
CYGAMES BEAST, from left: GamerBee, Chris Tatarian, Daigo Umehara, PR Balrog, Fuudo
After his recent win at VSFighting 2018 in the UK, Daigo Umehara had a message to share with his fans, as well as all attendees and audience for Evo:
My recent win at VSFighting, which was my first Premier win this year, reflects a recent revelation. Throughout all my years of competitive fighting, I never let myself be swayed by my emotions. I never got nervous or upset over a loss. I remained calm no matter what happened, which was good in itself, but somehow my burning desire to win had also subsided.
Then I have realized that my winning matters so much to people I care about — my sponsors, the people who support my work on day-to-day, and of course my fans. I wanted to persevere to the very end and win for those people. That’s what you saw at VSFighting.
You’ll see more of me throughout this CPT Season. I’m looking forward to my upcoming tournaments. The next stop is Evo!
As an event sponsor, Cygames themselves will not be idle during Evo: their booth will have activities throughout the event, and a selection of merchandise will be available too — including Daigo Umehara’s now-famous book, The Will to Keep Winning (note that the book will be sold at the Nsurgo booth, not the Cygames booth).
Cygames has a number of activities and surprises planned throughout the event:
Look for Cygames’ brand new social media accounts launching today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And watch for your favorite Cygames Beast competitors around the Evo venue sporting these custom-made Skajan jackets designed by Takuya Suemoto with Shishumania’s Street Fighter V artwork! (Designs shown are works-in-progress.)
If you want to learn more about Cygames and the sponsorship of Evo 2018, check out the Q&A below!
Cygames Evo 2018 Q&A
Why did Cygames decide to sponsor Evo?
We decided to sponsor Evo because we like fighting games! Cygames is a company that was founded by gamers, and our company mission statement is to deliver the best in entertainment. We are not a company that is driven by marketing logic; we don’t have any grand plan for targeting particular audience segments, or creating products according to a marketing checklist. We just make the games that we like to play; we make manga, anime, merchandise, and we sponsor sports teams, esports teams, and events that we like. And we think Evo is a great event.
It’s also a great fit to expand upon our existing sponsorship of Cygames Beast – our team of Street Fighter players, who will all be competing at Evo. We also want to use our sponsorship of Evo to bring those guys to a wider audience, because we think they deserve it, and because we think people will enjoy watching them play. And, of course, we hope that sponsoring Evo will help us reach new audiences.
What is it about the fighting games community that interest Cygames in terms of audience?
The thing that interests us about the fighting games fans is their passion: fighting games fans are passionate about games, and passionate about competing, and so are we.
You are also sponsoring an esports fighting team, Cygames Beast. Why did you decide to do that, while as a studio you don’t have any fighting games?
We didn’t decide to sponsor Cygames Beast to promote any particular game. We just think they are worth promoting in their own right; another way for us to deliver the best in entertainment. Cygames Beast includes some of the top players in the world, and some of the most charismatic, and people love to watch them play — whether they are winning or losing, they always seem to be involved in some epic match-ups. We hope that our support will help bring them to a wider audience and the recognition that they deserve.
You also have a booth at Evo 2018. What are you planning to showcase there?
The main goal for our booth at Evo 2018 is just to support Cygames Beast — to give them space to rest and to rehearse, and to give them every chance to perform well in the tournament.
But we will also have Cygames Beast merchandise for sale; we’ll be hosting Twitch Japan; we’ll be working with the amazing guys at Cross Counter TV who will be keeping people entertained at the booth and on stream; and we will be showing off Shadowverse, our strategic card game.
Cygames also sponsor the Juventus soccer team. Can you tell us a bit more about the company sponsoring strategy?
Juventus is one of the greatest soccer clubs in the world, and one of the most entertaining, so it was an obvious fit for Cygames to sponsor. Everything always comes back to our desire to deliver the best in entertainment, which is why we also sponsor Cygames Beast; a team of world-class Magic: The Gathering players; the Japanese soccer team Sagan Tosu; the rising MMA star Tenshin Nasukawa (who doesn’t seem capable of scoring a KO that is less than spectacular); and a host of other content.
Cygames is mainly known outside of Japan for the TCG Shadowverse. Can you tell us your plans for this game?
Shadowverse is one of Japan’s leading esports. Many thousands of people turn up to our offline tournaments in Japan, and the competitive scene is growing around the world, too. The esports teams Tempo Storm and Panda Global have just signed up to participate in our Western tournaments, and this December will see our World Grand Prix take place in Tokyo with a first prize of a million dollars. So we intend to support that competitive scene for the foreseeable future. But beyond the competitive scene, Shadowverse is just a very interesting card game, featuring a ton of interesting design mechanics, thanks to a design team made up of world-class card game players. New expansions come out every three months to keep the game fresh and balanced; we are always adding new chapters to the single player story mode; and our new pre-built decks make the game easier to get into than ever before. It’s never been a better time to start playing!
Evo 2018 is sponsored by Cygames, well-known as the publishers of Shadowverse, but also now known to the fighting game community through the Street Fighter V competitors that comprise the Cygames Beast team: headed by Daigo Umehara, the team currently includes Fuudo, Chris Tatarian, GamerBee, and PR Balrog.
CYGAMES BEAST, from left: GamerBee, Chris Tatarian, Daigo Umehara, PR Balrog, Fuudo
After his recent win at VSFighting 2018 in the UK, Daigo Umehara had a message to share with his fans, as well as all attendees and audience for Evo:
My recent win at VSFighting, which was my first Premier win this year, reflects a recent revelation. Throughout all my years of competitive fighting, I never let myself be swayed by my emotions. I never got nervous or upset over a loss. I remained calm no matter what happened, which was good in itself, but somehow my burning desire to win had also subsided.
Then I have realized that my winning matters so much to people I care about — my sponsors, the people who support my work on day-to-day, and of course my fans. I wanted to persevere to the very end and win for those people. That’s what you saw at VSFighting.
You’ll see more of me throughout this CPT Season. I’m looking forward to my upcoming tournaments. The next stop is Evo!
As an event sponsor, Cygames themselves will not be idle during Evo: their booth will have activities throughout the event, and a selection of merchandise will be available too — including Daigo Umehara’s now-famous book, The Will to Keep Winning (note that the book will be sold at the Nsurgo booth, not the Cygames booth).
Cygames has a number of activities and surprises planned throughout the event:
Look for Cygames’ brand new social media accounts launching today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And watch for your favorite Cygames Beast competitors around the Evo venue sporting these custom-made Skajan jackets designed by Takuya Suemoto with Shishumania’s Street Fighter V artwork! (Designs shown are works-in-progress.)
If you want to learn more about Cygames and the sponsorship of Evo 2018, check out the Q&A below!
Cygames Evo 2018 Q&A
Why did Cygames decide to sponsor Evo?
We decided to sponsor Evo because we like fighting games! Cygames is a company that was founded by gamers, and our company mission statement is to deliver the best in entertainment. We are not a company that is driven by marketing logic; we don’t have any grand plan for targeting particular audience segments, or creating products according to a marketing checklist. We just make the games that we like to play; we make manga, anime, merchandise, and we sponsor sports teams, esports teams, and events that we like. And we think Evo is a great event.
It’s also a great fit to expand upon our existing sponsorship of Cygames Beast – our team of Street Fighter players, who will all be competing at Evo. We also want to use our sponsorship of Evo to bring those guys to a wider audience, because we think they deserve it, and because we think people will enjoy watching them play. And, of course, we hope that sponsoring Evo will help us reach new audiences.
What is it about the fighting games community that interest Cygames in terms of audience?
The thing that interests us about the fighting games fans is their passion: fighting games fans are passionate about games, and passionate about competing, and so are we.
You are also sponsoring an esports fighting team, Cygames Beast. Why did you decide to do that, while as a studio you don’t have any fighting games?
We didn’t decide to sponsor Cygames Beast to promote any particular game. We just think they are worth promoting in their own right; another way for us to deliver the best in entertainment. Cygames Beast includes some of the top players in the world, and some of the most charismatic, and people love to watch them play — whether they are winning or losing, they always seem to be involved in some epic match-ups. We hope that our support will help bring them to a wider audience and the recognition that they deserve.
You also have a booth at Evo 2018. What are you planning to showcase there?
The main goal for our booth at Evo 2018 is just to support Cygames Beast — to give them space to rest and to rehearse, and to give them every chance to perform well in the tournament.
But we will also have Cygames Beast merchandise for sale; we’ll be hosting Twitch Japan; we’ll be working with the amazing guys at Cross Counter TV who will be keeping people entertained at the booth and on stream; and we will be showing off Shadowverse, our strategic card game.
Cygames also sponsor the Juventus soccer team. Can you tell us a bit more about the company sponsoring strategy?
Juventus is one of the greatest soccer clubs in the world, and one of the most entertaining, so it was an obvious fit for Cygames to sponsor. Everything always comes back to our desire to deliver the best in entertainment, which is why we also sponsor Cygames Beast; a team of world-class Magic: The Gathering players; the Japanese soccer team Sagan Tosu; the rising MMA star Tenshin Nasukawa (who doesn’t seem capable of scoring a KO that is less than spectacular); and a host of other content.
Cygames is mainly known outside of Japan for the TCG Shadowverse. Can you tell us your plans for this game?
Shadowverse is one of Japan’s leading esports. Many thousands of people turn up to our offline tournaments in Japan, and the competitive scene is growing around the world, too. The esports teams Tempo Storm and Panda Global have just signed up to participate in our Western tournaments, and this December will see our World Grand Prix take place in Tokyo with a first prize of a million dollars. So we intend to support that competitive scene for the foreseeable future. But beyond the competitive scene, Shadowverse is just a very interesting card game, featuring a ton of interesting design mechanics, thanks to a design team made up of world-class card game players. New expansions come out every three months to keep the game fresh and balanced; we are always adding new chapters to the single player story mode; and our new pre-built decks make the game easier to get into than ever before. It’s never been a better time to start playing!
Despite being a game that’s been available for barely a month, Fighting EX Layer is getting an official side tournament at Evo 2018. Now, for those interested in joining said side tournament this weekend, details on how to register have just been revealed.
Registration for the official Fighting EX Layer side tournament at Evo 2018 opens today at 4:00 PM Pacific Time. As with the other games at Evo, registration will take place via smash.gg.
The tournament itself will be capped at 128 entrants, who will be divided into 4 pools of 32 players each. From these 4 pools, the top 4 players will then have a double-elimination playoff to decide the flow of the finals. Of course, Evo registration is required to participate.
Evo 2018 will be taking place this weekend, August 3 to August 5, 2018 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, NV. Fighting EX Layer is currently available on PlayStation 4.
Zeal is an upcoming indie ARPG with MMO elements being developed by Lycanic Studios. It features instanced PvP modes, PvE, Conquest mode and much more. The game is currently in pre-alpha testing, but players are able to stream the game so that you can get a look at how development is progressing.
Arc System Works revealed a slew of information regarding their presence at this year’s Evo — including their playable demo for the upcoming Kill la Kill game, exclusive merchandise, and a Bar Fights takeover!
Arc System Works is bringing their A-Game to Evolution 2018. With two games in Sunday’s finals, their presence at this year’s Evo is stronger than ever — but that’s not where their involvement ends, of course. ArcSys recently tweeted a link to their Arc System Works x Evo 2018 page, detailing their ambitious plans for the biggest fighting game tournament of the year.
ArcSys’s booth will open up at 9:00 AM PT on Friday, August 3rd, with a live stream beginning at 10:00 AM PT. Attendees can stop by to purchase an array of tournament-exclusive merchandise, including BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle acrylic standees, posters, keychains, Evolution T-shirts, and more. The special BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Collector’s Edition will likewise be available to buy, complete with 52-page art book, four figures, and a 15-song original soundtrack.
However, there’s much more than merch to be found at ArcSys’s booth: the company is also showcasing a playable demo of their upcoming title Kill la Kill the Game: IF. Inspired by Studio Trigger’s Kill la Kill anime, the arena-style action game will feature button-mashing combos, fast-paced “verbal disputes,” and an array of the anime’s dynamic cast of characters. Although only 35% complete, fans should get their hands on the title while they can — but don’t lose your way in the crowd (get it?).
ArcSys will also host a panel on Saturday, August 4th, at 4:00 PM PT, for fans who want an inside look at the studio’s upcoming projects. They aren’t stopping at the showroom floor, though — fans will find that ArcSys has taken over Bar Fights, as well! Starting at 8:00 PM PT, an hour after their booth closes, ArcSys will join players and party-goers at the House of Blues for a fighting game fiesta.
Be sure to stop by the Arc System Works booth to catch up on their latest projects, and don’t miss the Kill la Kill playable demo!
