Forum Non Conveniens: Why EVO Organizers Should Consider a World Cup Style Host

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INTRODUCTION

EVO 2013 set records in terms of attendance, viewership, and hype. Numerous gaming websites
reported on the huge increase in viewership that occurred between EVO 2012 and EVO 2013.
1

Last year, there was an overall 50% increase in EVO viewership with nearly 1.7 million unique
viewers having tuned in.
2
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 lead the count for concurrent
viewership with 144,848 viewers as Super Smash Brothers Melee and Street Fighter 4 followed
close behind with 134,000 and 125,000 viewers respectively.
3
This years EVO should
undoubtedly break these records and represent the increasing growth and popularity of the
Fighting Game Community (FGC).

While this growth has been great for the FGC, even the most avid fan must admit that these
numbers pale in comparison to numbers for games and tournaments like League of Legends,
Starcraft 2, and DOTA 2 in terms of viewership and prize pools.
4
The International, scheduled
for the week after EVO 2014, has a current prize pool of over 10 million dollars for DOTA
teams to win a share of.
5
In comparison, while 144,848 people were watching Ultimate Marvel
vs. Capcom 3 at the same time during EVO 2013, there were over 1 million watching last years
International concurrently.
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The disparity between these viewership numbers, overall popularity,
and size of prize pools is the subject of debate and varying degrees of opinion depending on who
is asked (and thus not the subject of this Article). But one proposition is generally agreed upon:
there is nothing wrong with making room for growth in the FGC.
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This Article will briefly discuss why EVO organizers should consider the proposition of hosting
its future tournaments in different locations each year and why that could advance the goal of
growth within the FGC. The location can change from the west coast of the United States to the
east coast, or, ideally, it could change from one country to another. The first Section of this
Article will discuss the prestige behind EVO and its well-deserved throne atop tournaments of
the FGC on an international scale. The second Section will then show how players outside of a

1
Jordan Mallory, EVO 2013 smashes viewership records with 1.7 million spectators, JOYSTIQ (July 2012),
http://www.joystiq.com/2013/07/16/evo-2013-smashes-viewership-records-with-1-7-million-spectators/; John Leo,
EVO 2013 live stream draws in 1.7 million viewers on Twitch, GAMESPOT (July 15, 2013),
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/evo-2013-live-stream-draws-in-17-million-viewers-on-twitch/1100-6411490/.
2
Michael McWhertor, Evo 2013 livestream draws record numbers on Twitch with 1.7 million viewers,
POLYGON (July 15, 2013) http://www.polygon.com/2013/7/15/4526702/evo-2013-livestream-draws-record-
numbers-on-twitch-with-1-7-million.
3
Id.
4
Jenna Pitcher, The International 2014 Dota 2 tournament prize pool shoots past $10M, POLYGON (June 27,
2014), http://www.polygon.com/2014/6/27/5843926/dota-2-prize-pool-the-international-10m.
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Id.
6
Eddie Makuch, The International hits 1 million concurrent viewers, GAMESPOT (July 15, 2013),
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-international-hits-1-million-concurrent-viewers/1100-6412911/.
7
See generally, notGootecks, Growing the Scene and the FGC's "Welfare Mentality," REDDIT (February
2014), http://www.reddit.com/r/Kappa/comments/1x01ks/growing_the_scene_and_the_fgcs_welfare_mentality//
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driving distance of Las Vegas are at a serious competitive and financial disadvantage when
making plans to compete in EVO. Finally, the third Section will discuss how, from the Super
Bowl to the Olympics, other tournaments or competitions that are the respective best of the
best of their communities use a model where the tournament location changes for every
tournament run.
PREFACE

It is important to begin this conversation with a premise and overall background that must be
understood by readers. EVO is a tournament run by SRKX Productions LLC. If you are not
familiar with what LLC signals (let alone the terms general partnership, LP, LLP,
PLLP, or LLLP), you are not alone. Generally speaking (and not to be taken as legal advice),
LLC is short for a limited liability company. It is a type of entity that can be created for a legal
business purpose. It provides a way for people to go into business without having to worry about
being held personally liable for any of the companys debts or obligations (in case things go
south and it cannot pay its bills). There are a quite a few exceptions to this idea of protection
from liability that you can learn about in a corporations class in school that are not relevant here,
but that is the general idea.
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Have you ever taken a look at the Indemnification clause at the
very bottom of the EVO Tournament Rules page on SRK?
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Its worth a glance.

When people agree to create this type of legal entity, there is usually what is called an operating
agreement filed along with other incorporation papers. This agreement will set out between the
members of the LLC who runs what, who gets paid what, and how decisions about the LLC get
made. Any sort of decision that EVO makes is done through whoever the members of the LLC
are by the terms of their operating agreement.
10
It is a business through and through (and there is
nothing wrong with that). The decision to do something like this is 100% up to the members of
that LLC. However, that does not mean the invisible hand of the FGC is powerless when it
comes to making suggestions or advocating for a change like this.
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I. INTERNATIONAL EVO PRESTIGE

EVO has been described as the World Fighting Game Championships in all but name.
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Indeed, the front page of the EVO website says that it gathers the best of the best from around
the world. Players that win outright their tournaments often hold themselves out, or are referred
to as, world champions.
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The EVO website also has a section of its tournament rules titled,
Motivation. It sets out the goals and mindset of EVO organizers:


8
If you are interested in learning more about corporate formation, see the Legal Information Institute of
Cornell Law at http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/limited_liability_company_llc.
9
See EVO, Tournament Rules, at http://evo.shoryuken.com/tournament-rules/#indem.
10
The F.A.Q. page of the EVO website maintains that the event is run by Joey Cuellar (MrWizard), Tom
Cannon (Inkblot), and Tony Cannon (Ponder). See http://evo.shoryuken.com/f-a-q/.
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Adam Smith, THE WEALTH OF NATIONS (1776).
12
See Giant Bombs database on EVO at http://www.giantbomb.com/evo-championship-series/3015-7054/.
13
Mortal Kombat Onlines Facebook page refers to Perfect Legend as a world champion here:
https://www.facebook.com/MortalKombatOnline/posts/728299830541610. See also a self-reference at:
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1la1n2/iama_mean_saltine_evo_world_champion_in_the_newly/.
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Tournaments are about more than just winning. They are an opportunity to meet people from
different countries and different walks of life who share the passion for the game. They also
serve[] as a meeting grounds where you can finally hang out with friends from thousands of miles
away who you might have only talked to online. Nevertheless, a major part of tournaments is
about determining an eventual champion. We all have a competitive spirit within us, otherwise we
wouldnt be attending tournaments in the first place. As the stakes are raised, so is the pressure to
perform.
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Part of the EVO draw is the international flavor. Another part is the ability to win a tournament
and, with inherent legitimacy recognized by the FGC, hold yourself out as a world champion
in your favorite game to the world. The interesting thing about this label from winning an EVO
tournament is that it is, in fact, justified. Unlike the NBA, NFL, or MLB, there is an actual
international aspect to the competition. When Bala faced off against MadKOF in the 2012
King of Fighters XIII Grand Final, the hype was uncontrollable. Whenever Bala did well, the
chants of Mexico! Mexico! could not be silenced.
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The same hype and international
representing showed when Poongkos Seth perfected Daigos Yun in EVO 2011. After throwing
his badge in the air, Poongko unfolded the flag of his country in front of the crowd while they
chanted his name.
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Needless to say, EVO represents the chance for competitors to not only represent their country,
but to do so while besting top players from other countries in a legitimate international event.
The winner of EVO is undoubtedly the world champion. When the San Antonio Spurs, on the
other hand, defeated the Miami Heat in the most recent NBA finals, they called themselves the
world champions even though there was not really any international element to the competition.
(Of course, the phrase is arguably justified in that context considering most international talent
aim to compete in the NBA, NFL, or MLB in the United States, but does not necessarily mean
the phrase world champion should be used in the same way it is used after winning the
Olympics or the World Cup.)

Accordingly, EVO should take steps to solidify its place atop the FGC tournament scene and live
up to the words in its own Motivation. EVO knows that players come from different countries
. . . thousands of miles away to attend and compete.
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It should reasonably accommodate those
players who have to travel a great distance to compete year after year.

II. COST OF TRAVEL

The cost of staying at the EVO hotel and fee to compete not considered here, traveling to EVO
can be expensive. Below follows a list of flights from national and international locations to Las
Vegas. These flights were scheduled with two months in advance of the departure date.

DESTINATION SOURCE PRICE
Las Vegas, NV Tokyo $1800
Las Vegas, NV London $1800

14
EVO, Motivation, at http://evo.shoryuken.com/tournament-rules/#motivation (emphasis added).
15
EVO 2012 - KOF XIII Grand Final, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFSs5ygXgR4.
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Poongko The Machine Perfects Daigo The Beast, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baaQVhbbFho.
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EVO, Motivation, at http://evo.shoryuken.com/tournament-rules/#motivation.
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Las Vegas, NV New York City $600
Las Vegas, NV Orlando $500
Las Vegas, NV Chicago $400
Las Vegas, NV Austin $400
Las Vegas, NV Los Angeles $200

The numbers here speak for themselves. In the time it would take a fan of EVO from Japan or
the United Kingdom to save up enough money to travel just one EVO, a fan from California
would have been able to save up enough money to travel to nine. If EVO is serious about treating
its spectator and competitive audiences equitably, it ought to consider distributing the physical
and financial burden of travel among its fans evenly. Even the disparity between the east and
west coast is obvious.

III. MODEL SCHEMES

Every year, universities and colleges around the world gather in December for a debate
tournament called the World Universities Debating Championships. In 2015, the tournament is
scheduled to take place in Malaysia. Last year, it took place in India. The turnout for these
tournaments is always diverse. The same set of internationally competitive universities and
colleges from North America, the United Kingdom, and Asia are usually present (and usually are
the same ones to do well and win). Even for the United States Universities Debating
Championships, the tournament location varies from city to city each year.

While the tournament takes place, the World Universities Debating Council convenes to discuss
the rules of the tournament and to hear bids from universities and colleges that want to host a
world championship. Usually, the bid is made for a tournament two or three years in advance in
order to give the selected university or colleges debating group the time to plan and procure the
necessities to be able to host. The members of the council will vote on who they believe has the
best plan for hosting the tournament, and that is where it will take place. The future location is
announced and the attendees and other schools that might want to go are on notice of where the
tournament will be two years in advance.

This type of host country model is not exclusive to the world of collegiate British
parliamentary debate. FIFA, the Fdration Internationale de Football Association, does the very
same thing with its members when selecting a location for the World Cup.
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So does the NFL
with various cities that want to host a Super Bowl.
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These organizations do this because, among
other things, they want to secure a neutral location for the teams that make it and spread the
burden of travel and attendance evenly across wherever fans may be. EVO should do the same.

One major difference that a reader might point out is that FIFA, the NFL, or MLB, etc., are
operated by some type of central authority whether it is called a governing body or board of
directors. There is often talk in the FGC of a governing body and why a system like that may be

18
Brazil set to host World Cup, BBC NEWS (March 18, 2013),
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/2858989.stm
19
Greg Rosenthall, The ins and outs of the Super Bowl location vote, NBC SPORTS (May 2010),
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/05/23/the-ins-and-outs-of-the-super-bowl-location-vote/.
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a good or bad thing (and most members of the FGC are quick to dismiss the idea of one). But the
important thing to recognize is that the FGC, in effect, arguably already has a de facto
governing body.
20
EVO essentially operates as a governing body of most fighting game
tournaments and discusses how it does so on its website:

Its our privilege to be able to work with so many of the grassroots tournament organizers
worldwide to help seed players for Evo. In 2014 were making two big changes to the tournament
season.

First, we are including every tournament from January 2014 until June 2014. This means that if
you run a tournament for one of our official Evo games, you are eligible to be in the Road to Evo.
Bigger tournaments will receive preferential treatment, but everyone is welcomed. All you have to
do is get your Tournament Organizer to submit complete results to us. Second, since there isnt a
static Road to Evo this year, make sure you get out and visit all kinds of tournaments. You will
never know where you might be able to earn some Evo seeding points!
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This type of seeding program is not the only way EVO has flexed its authoritative muscle in the
FGC. Whenever Full Schedule was under scrutiny for the type of stick he used at Final Round
17, Full Schedule relied on a message from Mr. Wizard, and it was Tom Cannon that spoke on
behalf of EVO to the community when explaining the relevant rule that also applied to Final
Round (its own separate limited liability entity and different tournament).
22
Another example of
EVOs de facto authority can be found in the fallout caused by alleged collusion at fighting game
majors. An article on SRK discussed how EVO and other major tournament directors
collectively agreed to standardize Evos rule regarding player collusion.
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But even if one tosses the idea of a governing body aside, the members of SRKX Productions
LLC are the ones who make the decisions regarding EVO nonetheless, and it is presumably
within their power to either: (1) make their own plans to host and run EVO at a different
location; or (2) delegate or contract with others to run their tournament in a different location
while under SRKX Productions LLC supervision. There are numerous variations on putting a
plan like this together. Regardless of how it is done, the possibility to make EVO a truly
international event still exists.

CONCLUSION

EVO is an amazing tournament and the individuals that help run EVO each year are incredible.
One wonders where the FGC would be without it and its storied history. Every member of the
FGC can contribute, in part, the thriving communities it has to EVO. It is because of EVO and
tournaments like it that the FGC continues to grow. This Article is not designed to aim criticism
or critique at those involved with running the event. Nor was this Article drafted with the

20
De facto is Latin for in fact; actually; in reality.
21
EVO, Road to EVO at http://evo.shoryuken.com/road-to-evo/ (emphasis added).
22
To read the SRK communitys discussion on the issue, see
http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/188627/full-schedule-s-stick-hitbox-at-final-round/p2 and
http://www.reddit.com/r/Kappa/comments/20ysls/a_tos_perspective_on_top_player_privilege/cg81rom.
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inkblot, Major Tournaments Agree to Rules Standardization on Player Collusion, Event Coverage
Determined by Rule Inclusion and Enforcement, SRK (July 2013), http://shoryuken.com/2013/07/30/major-
tournaments-agree-to-rules-standardization-on-player-collusion-event-coverage-determined-by-rule-inclusion-and-
enforcement/ (emphasis added).
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intention to address every possible logistical, social, or economic aspect involved in taking on a
decision to have EVO change locales each year. It is just an idea. And much like the FGC has
handled any issue or controversy that has come before it in the past as a cohesive community, it
can do the same when taking on a simple suggestion that aims to increase the hype, make things
fair, and help the FGC grow: make EVO international. That being said, the words of Mr. Wizard
himself perfectly summarize why EVO is as great as it as and why it has the potential to be even
greater:

I just look forward to having you guys all come out again. Its a great event. I know there are
some concerns about how we do stuff, but we are always looking out for the player whether you
believe it or not. We are always we will always fight for you and give you the best possible stuff
we have to offer.
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24
The Fray!, EVO 2014 Games/RTE Announcements w/ @EvilMrWizard, IPLAYWINNER, http://youtu.be/-
AjZ3BeVSoQ?t=51m50s (Feb. 6, 2014).