Aug 09
25
I Got Next: Sporting Drama
After being made aware of it by the GamerDork crew, I also wanted to make mention of Ian Cofino’s excellent documentary I Got Next. The free-to-download film dissects the competitive fighting game scene within America, one that now manifests itself not in arcades but in huge Street Fighter IV tournaments that are attended by hundreds of people. I Got Next shows coverage of these spectacular events, all while interviewing the competitors, revealing the reasons behind their passion for the fighting game scene and their overwhelming determination to be the very best SFIV player.
The film reminded me of discussions I’ve had with First Wall Rebate’s Trevor Dodge, both on this show and with his co-hosts on FWR, on how to define video games. In both shows we considered the idea of something being at stake in a game, whether it’s simply satisfaction at completing a level or something more serious and life-affecting. We argued where on this spectrum of experiences offered up by video games one could draw the line between game and something that’s different, depending on factors like gambling, danger and willing participation. What I Got Next highlights, maybe even more so than the ungodly high winnings related to professional gaming, is that trying to draw that line between video games and sport is a trickier affair.
I Got Next features scenes that immediately stir of great sporting moments. The huge crowds cheering at the unexpected unleashing of an Ultra move to win a deciding round reminded me of Steve Harmison’s dramatic, last-gasp taking of a wicket in the second test of the memorable 2005 Ashes series*. Players talking about how much they’d sacrificed to be part of the SFIV scene, whether it was their job, their girlfriend or their health, reminded me of the trials and tribulations professional footballers go through to try and reach the top of their chosen sport. The difference, according to one of the players interviewed, is that the Street Fighter IV scene represents an accessible sport. Unlike professional sports like football, baseball or basketball, Street Fighter IV doesn’t take years, or indeed the better part of one’s childhood to master. Anyone can pick up Street Fighter IV, no matter what their build is or how knowledgeable of the series they are, and they can work their way to being one of the best players over time – not immediately, of course, but in a far shorter time than compared to something like soccer.
But, like Trevor argued on our show, maybe it’s not that the video game those competitors play in I Got Next isn’t a video game anymore. Just like kicking a ball around is a form of play, but something different within the context of professional soccer, I Got Next shows that video games can become a platform for something that is unquestionably sport. But what about when I duel with previous BRP guest Paul Rooney at Street Fighter IV? There’s certainly a rivalry, mutual respect, and something at stake. But there are no crowds, no prizes, and I still feel that I play it for fun rather than to win. Is that just gaming, or is that sport too? How much of gaming appeals to my competitive side? We often hear players talk about “beating a game”, so is that a sport that’s held between the player and the game? What of professional sport itself, with its ties to monetary dependance and business? With so many factors involved to make it less and less about fun, is professional sport still definable as sport, given the word’s association with pastimes and recreation?
Maybe I Got Next will have you asking some questions about your own playing habits too. Either way, it’s a bloody good video and well worth your time – and it’s free. So head over to the site and check it out. Also, if you’re so willing, I’ve added a donate button to our sidebar that will allow you to help Ian make up the required funds to finish the documentary. For now, I’ll see you on the playing field.
*As a red-blooded Englishman, I of course had to make some mention of the Ashes. Get in!
