Are Fighting Games Decaying into Drama, Twitch Highlights, And Hype Reaction Videos?

Electric Underground Podcast

Are Fighting Games Decaying into Drama, Twitch Highlights, And Hype Reaction Videos? A discussion with @RedLineFGC . I have been actively involved with the fighting game scene (attending locals, watching majors, etc) since 2012 and over the past ten years it feels like there has definitely been a big shift in tone where the passion for the games have cooled, despite there being more fighting games being produced than ever, and the passion for the internet sub culture, especially drama, has grown. I'm not an arcade purist or anything like that, but I do think there is a balancing point in terms of the type of content being made and the tone of the content. I would argue that since the esports shift, the tone of the content has become more generic, bland, and more geared towards filler and there also now exists a thriving subculture of pure drama. Also the rate of turnover between games has become so fast that it's essentially impossible to keep up with as a fan, as a player, and as a video maker / youtuber. On top of this, it is a bit of a shame the so many channels that I have enjoyed over the years like Avoiding the Puddle and The Main Man SWE are more on the side of stream highlights than making dedicated videos and podcasts (especially ATP), but I also do understand why this shift has occured. This all being said, keep in mind that I am much less invested in what goes on with fighting games and am perfectly willing to now retire to playing locals and less popular fighting games online :-) I am interested to see what happens with Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, King of Fighters, Guilty Gear, Dead or Alive, Virtua Fighter, and many other upcoming fighting games, but I'm not holding my breath for a healthy shift in quality and engagement around the games. You never know though! Thanks so much to @RedLineFGC for being a guest on the episode and be sure to check out his "Tekken 7 - A Five Year Critique" video and subscribe to his channel! Link to his vid: https://youtu.be/OlcFHI9RYAs Link to his recommended fighting game channels: Rubbish: https://www.youtube.com/c/HQRubbish Leon Massey: https://www.youtube.com/c/LeonMassey Gekko Squirrel: https://www.youtube.com/c/GekkoSquirrel ProxicOn: https://www.youtube.com/c/Proxic0n TheoryFighter: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheoryFighter