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I have heard many rumors of TOs making tough decisions so Nintendo wouldn’t have to tank PR and so the relationship would be preserved. Have you had any moments like that in your career?
I absolutely have. Nintendo requires certain things to be in place at an event for them to sign off on a license agreement for that event. [...] A lot of Melee TOs like myself we’ve had to make decisions on the format of our events on what to include and not include in our event to be compliant with what Nintendo requires.
And honestly, a lot of that was in the hopes of a future where we are more actively working with Nintendo to grow the scene even beyond our imaginations. That is, theoretically, the next step to making Smash get to the next level in terms of accessibility and exposure. Now the pendulum has swung, and it’s been enough years…
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You know, Big House was Nintendo partnered for four years, and there’s been no real payoff. There’s been no circuit sponsored by Nintendo. No real, actual financial support. So I think a lot of Melee TOs like myself have finally realized it’s time to move on from those hopes that we had and that at this point, we’re just better off on our own.
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The problem is Nintendo, throughout the years, they have tried, however slowly that they do things at the Nintendo pace, they’ve tried by creating a competitive play department full of people who can talk to these Melee TOs. And they are required to do their due diligence and check in with partnered events. Because of that, there’s an open dialogue.
So when I say something like, “Yeah we plan to use Slippi.” They might hear that and be like, “Well now I have to go tell that to the higher up and escalate to legal!” And that’s unfortunate.
We’re in a situation where they are watching some tournaments but not supporting them in a way that’s best for the community. People like myself might get punished for having an open dialogue with those Nintendo reps.
Right, rather than just brush it under the rug.
Yeah, exactly. Theoretically, we might have been better off four years ago if we had never answered those initial emails and never even partnered. But hindsight is 20/20. I don’t know if anybody could have foreseen that.
A fight for the life of an entire esport
Why is it vital for Smash as an esport to keep up content and tournaments?
We live in a content-driven world where consumers' attention is essentially the most valuable currency. When an esport goes months without the content that gets people talking and drives home a narrative, interest can peter out quickly, and it's hard to sustain.
This is especially true for competitive Smash, which gets no media promotion from its publisher/developer.
Why do you think Nintendo tends to target events like Big House or EVO?
The TOs are the trendsetters, so without the TO running the event there is no content for the event, the players can’t go, the spectators can’t watch. If you’re trying to eradicate an area of the scene - like let’s say that Nintendo doesn’t want Melee to be a thing - they should start with the TOs because that would bottleneck everything else.
And you’re right, no grassroots TO could ever potentially stand up to a lawsuit. We don’t have the money or resources.
That extends to all of the Twitch DMCA stuff too. How could a twitch streamer possibly fork over not just the money but the time off of streaming while they’re under scrutiny to fight a potential lawsuit? There’s just no way and that’s the broader issue that we’re fighting for right now. The stifling of content creation.
What can fans of Smash Melee and the Big House do to help out right now?
I think a couple things: One is sharing the news and helping inform people who are kind of tangentially related to understand the situation. That’s the first step, kind of like education. The second is, support the events that share the values that you have as an attendee and spectator. The only way we’ll find out what the precedent was [that was] just set or if this was a one-off thing, is for the next big Melee event to have support from the community.*
[Editor’s Note: Streamer Ludwig Ahgren is planning to run a charity Melee tournament with top competitors in attendance. All Twitch donations to him will go to the prize pot of the tournament, which will in turn go to the winner’s charity of choice. Fizzi, the creator of Slippi, has pledged to donate $2,500 to the charity of the runner-up’s choice]
Does Melee survive if it can’t run online events through the entire COVID era?
Honestly I don’t think Melee survives if it can’t run online events during COVID. It is too important to keep putting out content and keep getting eyeballs on the scene.
If this means more cease and desists are dropped, that will be, in my opinion, an existential threat to the Melee scene. That’s why anybody who cares about watching Melee or playing Melee should be part of this movement.
Postscript: Levity
I’ve heard that Michigan has been struggling in the college football department recently.
Oh big time.
Do you think it’s time to ask Ohio State to settle it in Smash?
[Laughter] I don’t… I don’t know what that means!
Is it time to bring this rivalry up to the next level, to put this rivalry in Melee and Ultimate?
Okay, listen. If there’s gonna be something to decide the fate of the universe and it’s Michigan vs. Ohio State… [Laughs] we’re a lost cause in football. I have much more hope in our Smash ability.
And I think it’s only fair that if you guys beat Ohio State you guys should also get Toledo back.
[Laughs] Dude, Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer, I believe were born in Toledo! That’s a crazy coincidence.
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