There’s always been something irresistible about watching a good fight.
While society has invented countless different forms of competition, from racing to sports to intellectual, we still find ourselves coming back to the innate human conflict of watching two people beat each other to a pulp.
Going in the hard opposite direction is the world of eSports, or competitive video game play — a form of competition with almost no physical exertion at all. While watching other people play video games may sound odd, it’s become a proven entertainment product. Last year’s world finals for League of Legends drew more than 32 million viewers across the globe, engaged by the complex mechanics and strategy. But for everyone else, it’s an extremely complicated game to watch as a spectator. The rules are counterintuitive and the screen dense with action.
Fortunately, a middle ground exists between these two extremes. A spectator sport with all the nuance and fun of an eSport, with the simple rule set and flow of play seen in a boxing match. Welcome to the world of fighting games, which comes together this weekend (July 17-19) for the annual Evolution Championship Series in Bally’s Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.
Evolution 2015 (EVO for short) is the penultimate tournament to prove the best of the best in Street Fighter, Super Smash Bros (both Melee and WiiU) and five other fighters. It’s where scores are settled and battles play out for a cheering crowd of thousands. Every moment is streamed live for a global audience, cheering from the comments section.
Unlike most eSports, anybody can understand the mechanics of a fighting game. Two players select a character, and engage in a head-to-head fight in order to establish supremacy. In fact, you’ve probably played one of these games in the past. But for the players at EVO, these games are a way of life. They’ve spent countless hours mastering techniques, perfecting execution and facing foes new and old. New strategies are being constantly uncovered and introduced to competitive play.
This year’s series has a tournament for just about anyone.
Interested in bloody kung fu with a nice heap of visual polish? Killer Instinct or Mortal Kombat X will fill your need. Want to see some iconic characters beat on each other with stunning precision and speed? Marvel vs Capcom 3 and Super Smash Bros are full of can’t-miss moments. Prefer the distinct art style of anime? Persona 4 Arena and Guilty Gear Xrd are loaded with personality. Or if you’d rather focus on the pure art of execution, Ultra Street Fighter IV and Tekken 7 are bringing decades of arcade authenticity to the stage.
The world of eSports might seem crazy to the average Joe, but the language of EVO is universally understood. It provides the sort of live experience that few sports can ever create.
Follow Chris Berg on Twitter: @Mushroomer25

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Evolution brings the hype.