I would like to thank everyone who has been working hard to ensure regional MK tournaments take place. The positive energy that channeled all throughout 2010 has manifested itself in 2011 and we continue to see results. Krayzie Bone ran a UMK3 tournament at Ultimate West Coast Warzone 3! this weekend. Results are in for top 8 so far:

1 – Online Tony
2 – McNasty
3 – Mr. Pasadena
4 – Tom Brady
5 – FLoE
5 – Vegeta (Utah)
7 – Filthy Sal
7 – Big Nasty

Congrats to Online Tony on his win.

Now, I’d like to get into some things that I’ve been hearing lately and take the time to fill people in.

It is to my understanding that there are many players who primarily play online and would like to come out to tournaments, however they are preventing themselves from doing so because they feel as if they would be betraying their loyalty to a certain website, or something to that effect. Let me make it clear, the tournaments run by and sponsored by the people from this site and other sites, are not specifically tournaments designated for these sites alone. They are run at larger tournaments, coordinated by people who have nothing to do with this site, other than they support MK at tournaments and allow us to be there in general, and need people to help. No one site has a monopoly on 2D or 3D MK tournaments and by working together, we can raise the turnout attendance considerably. There is, however, more to it than that.

It is true, that for the most part, if it weren’t for the hard work of the staff of UltimateMK.com, there would not have been UMK3, MKII, or any MK tournaments and the games would be completely dead today. That is because for years (even as DarkTemplarZ before we were UltimateMK) we have taken the initiate to rebuild the MK scene and forge a presence in the fighting game community that is respected and sought after. It is because of this hard work that others can step in and help us out where we cannot be. When Tim Static runs a UMK3 tournament at a major or a small SF tournament in Ohio, it helps the scene. When Konqrr runs a side UMK3 tournament at a 3D tournament and introduces the game to new and old players, it helps the scene. When UMK3 debuts at a West Coast major out of nowhere, it helps the scene. When MK comes to Final Round, it will help the scene. When players show up to these tournaments and play, it helps the scene.

When players don’t show up to a tournament minutes from their house out of spite for another website, it doesn’t help the scene. When players talk trash about the offline scene as if they have any influence or authority on it, it doesn’t help the offline scene, and it hurts the online scene. No one is turning their backs on online players or stepping on anyone’s toes by running tournaments. No one needs permission from any one group in the community to run an MK tournament, but don’t expect to arrive and overshadow an existing sponsor (anyone who already puts money, equipment or promotion into a tournament) and run in it in their place.

The online 3D MK players have a scene waiting to be tapped into. I cannot stress it enough that once you go to a real tournament, you have a hard time going back to the online environment, or at least looking at it in the same way. Don’t be afraid to make the transition. There are many a testimonial to the fact and anyone who says that offline is not the standard for a fighting game is living in their own world and quite frankly doesn’t know any better. The fact of the matter is, there are a lot of online players, and they all way recognition. Unfortunately, their status will continue to go unrecognized until they get serious and start making an effort. We are more than willing to work with tournament coordinators to get the 3D community a position to be at a major. We’ve tried to run 3D tournaments in the past, and have been unsuccessful at drawing their audience. In fact there was an MKDA tournament run on the pool tables in the back of University Pinball at NEC3 in 2002, never to be heard from on the east coast again.

A lot of these players don’t realize that most of us have been around a long time. I’ve been playing SF and MK since day one. A number of the great players weren’t even born the first time I myself got beat down in World Warrior. There’s a reason why the tournament scene for all fighting games is bigger than it’s ever been and why there are so many dedicated players to every scene, in every community. SF has many games that are still played, Super Turbo, Marvel, Third Strike, Super 4, HD Remix, Alpha 3 and you still see side tournaments for other games. Why is it that for the last 9 years, the most prevalent MK game has been UMK3? Can’t the other MK games get in on this? We’ve tried and are finally starting to have some success with MKII. We don’t expect there to be tournaments for MKDA, MKD, and MKA, but at least one of them and MKvDC can be represented at tournaments, and this won’t happen unless the players make it happen. When a part of the community reaches an extreme goal, and the turmoil of the rest of the community is what keeps it down, it cannot be an accepted excuse. Suck it up, and take things seriously.

Anyone interested in helping run MK tournaments, feel free to contact me. If anyone wants to know when tournaments are being run, they are always posted at UltimateMK.com, classicmk.com and testyourmight.com. We still spread the news at other sites where players might be interested but just don’t realize there is a community to be a part of and that’s understandable. We just ask, please don’t try to tear down what a lot of us have worked hard to give back to the players who couldn’t be a part of it.

Shock

UltimateMK.com Staff