Shmups as an eSport

[SAM]

I always think those Shmup games which does not have infinitive loops are very suitable for eSport, for example Dodonpachi, Battle Garegga, Ikaruga, etc.. The tournament format would be somthing like each player is given 3 runs of a single credit each at default settings, the highist scores amoung the 3 runs would be used to determine the winner.

The problem obvious is the lack of sponsors for this kind of tournment. Currently eSports are mostly sponsor by the games' makers. But the makers of shmup games are not making much money, that even the best shmup games makers are trying to make money by making games of a diferent genue.

Let's assume someone has donated the starting money to held such tournaments. Could shmup game competition generate enough spectators to support the event?

Do you think it is possible to promote shmups as an eSport?

[Sengoku Strider]

There are already exhibition spectator events, so it's probably an inevitability. It's just waiting for someone to come up with the right game. Things like Twinkle Star Sprites or Kingdom Grand Prix are probably the better direction. I can't think of an established eSport game that doesn't involve direct head to head competition.

[Rastan78]

Change Air Blade at EVO? I got to play this game 2P vs once on a cab. It was fun. You do see some more obscure games like Windjammers cropping up and having little side tournaments at big events so who knows.

Doing a format where you have 2 or more people on different machines playing a shmup for score could be fun to watch. You see this done in speedrunning races.

Ultimately I think who has highest all time PB is the better measure of where a players skill is at though.

[Plasmo]

A very timely topic!

Shmups can be played in a versus setting! We have tried this format during Stunfest 2018 for Battle Garegga and it was a lot of fun!

The Touhou community already has a long history with the regular Touhou World Cup series.

Just today, we have posted an official announcement for an event that is going to greatly popularize the versus format for arcade shmups. Please check out the upcoming Kumite streaming event! It's organized by Mark MSX from The Electric Underground.

Schedule here
More information & rules

[Meriscan]

Competetive STG is just as easy as setting up a speedrunning race. Both for versus games (Change Air Blade, TSS) as well as general scorerunning. If this idea will ever catch traction, we need to do events ourselves and get noticed first. First AGDQ was also an amateur event.

I don't think I'd have any more/less respect for STG if it were to become an eSport. Games that become eSports are only based on popularity. Not how well fit the games are for a competetive setting.

[Queen Charlene]

I can't think of an established eSport game that doesn't involve direct head to head competition.

there's actually a guy who got a sponsorship from Red Bull eSports for Mario Maker (GrandPOOBear)! so it's actually not completely out of the realm of possibility... i think anything that has competitive aspects to it (such as scoring in a shmup, for example!) totally has grounds to become something bigger. it really comes down to how much the community wants it and how much they are willing to do to will it into existence. we saw this with Street Fighter IV, the fighting game that arguably put "fighting game as an eSport" on the map, a big part of that being because of the things that several members in the community were willing to do to elevate their game to the point where bigger businesses wanted to get involved.

[ZPScissors]

Touhou World Cup is a thing

[tizerist]

Theoretically, a group of people here could host a competition among themselves on something like Twitch

[KAI]

Hope not, eSports are cringe.

[MathU]

Hope not, eSports are cringe.

Finally someone said it.

[bigbadboaz]

I'll say it again.

eSports