Daigo Umehara's Event Schedule 2015

- Canada Cup's Master Series [January 9-11]
- 5th Niconico Shotenkaigi [January 18]
- Yonpahi radio show [January 23]
- 6th Niconico Shotenkaigi [January 25]
- Taipei Game Show [Jan 31]
- Tokaigi 2015 [Feb 1]

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Mago & Tokido recruiting pupil

Mago and Tokido are recruiting a pupil who wants to train console SSF4AE with them on TOPANGA TV.

Conditions as written on Mago's blog
- Must appear on the stream.
- Can be a regular. Can travel to metropolitan area easily.
- Want to become strong.

I assume that a girl is okay. (Now begin your wild imagination.)

Monday, May 30, 2011

Alex Jebailey is a hypocrite

Alex Jebailey, the CEO tournament organizer, tweeted something that I thought it was just an unfunny joke at first. But after some replies, it turn out that he's actually mad and shows us what kind of people he is.

As you know, CEO happens at the same time (June 10-12)  as ReveLAtions and Daigo Umehara decided to go to ReveLAtions. Jebailey feels that running a tournament is helping the community, but if someone goes to other tournament on the same day, that's not helping! (Hey! You must go only to our church!)



I've never seen a tournament organizer calling out a player like this before, let alone an introvert like Umehara. Funny thing is Alex Valle who is a part of ReveLAtions is an organizer whom people respect. (except jealous ones)

Some people need to stop using "For the Communuty" and take time to look into their own actions. I'm not talking about just tournaments, but for everything. Is it primarily for the fame? Will it obstruct new players? Will it alienate some audience? Are you telling the whole truth? Is there a hidden propaganda?

(And no, this fansite isn't for the community, I do it for myself.)

P.S. I think this's interesting, too.


Sunday, May 29, 2011

Chiba vs. Kanagawa 39 on 39

"Chiba vs. Kanagawa 39 on 39" event is a (Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition) clash between players who represent Chiba prefecture and Kanagawa prefecture on April 30. No character duplication, no player order. Though there's a recorded stream here, I suggest you watch the edited version that was recently uploaded on Nico. (See links below) It shows stories behind the scene and different angles. It was nicely done, too. It's like watching a movie.

Even after the edit, it's still around 5 hours long. But I guarantee you that this's another legend you don't want to miss. Watch all of it from the beginning, not just certain parts.

  1. Part 1
  2. Part 2
  3. Part 3
  4. Part 4
  5. Part 5
  6. Part 6
  7. Part 7
  8. Part 8
  9. Part 9
  10. Part 10
  11. Part 11
  12. Part 12
  13. Part 13
  14. Last part
  15. ???
  16. ???

    Umehara reaches 200,000 BP in AE

    More stats for the hardcore fans. As reported, Daigo Umehara reached 200,000 BP on Thursday and 6,000 wins on Saturday.

    Compare to the stats on the previous months.

    Date MatchWinBP
    March 25 5,0004,000almost 120,000
    April 21 6,0005,000almost 160,000
    Now 7,000 6,000 200,000+

    Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition was released to the Japanese game centers on December 16, 2010.

    Saturday, May 28, 2011

    Kao TV 2011.05.27

    - Watch here.
    - Guest is (fan favorite) Fax Gimoto. But it took 1 hour 30 minutes for him to start playing.... a couple matches. We really saw him play only the last 30 minutes. (The show is 3 hours.)
    - After the actual show ended, Kami-chan and Ren played Virtual-On Force with KSK later joining the chat. There's no official recorded stream, but you can find them on Nico.

    I think I can conclude that Nakajima doesn't fit to the show at all. Sometimes he just killed the conversation or atmosphere. The way he speaks is difficult to hear. (I use headphones.) He doesn't play Street Fighter IV (which is the main show). He also concentrates more on adjusting his hair....

    This episode is a big disappointment because of this part.

    I don't know why they don't make Kami-chan a regular instead. His talk style is great, he can actually entertain, and the fans love him.

    Kami-chan, Ren, and Mariwo are the players who usually play on Ura Kao TV. They don't play SF4 mainly, but their shows are always fun. (BlazBlue, Arcana Heart, puzzles, FPSs, etc.)

    Also, they should separate answer-the-mails corner from the Ranked Match, because they kept distracting each other.

    Friday, May 27, 2011

    Tokido on Gaccha! (2011.05.27)

    Tokido made an appearance on Gaccha!, a game talk show on Nico Nico, to talk about console SSF4AE today. The comedy duo America Zarigani was there, too, which was a downside, because they doesn't seem to know about gaming, or probably anything at all. They should've called KSK instead...

    The good thing is the show is hosted by Ayana Tsubaki* who actually knows and plays the game. (She can do Focus Attack and special moves.) On top of that, she is an Umehara fanboy. On the show, she also mentioned about Denpa Jikkyou and Let's go Justin meme, but only Tokido (another Umehara fanboy) got it. (She's switching her main from Ryu to Yun in AE, just like Umehara.)

    *She wasn't born as a female, same with KayoPolice.

    Tokido only played 2 games with her, and it's not even AE version. I'm disappointed.

     

    Thursday, May 26, 2011

    SSF4AEPC: Must always be signed in GFWL

    Because of the piracy problem, Capcom didn't look to make a PC version of Street Fighter IV again. Today, Capcom posted an article that reveals why they decided to release SSF4AE on PC.

    To fight piracy, users are required to have a Games for Windows Live account signed in (Internet connection required) in order to play the full game. (Even you don't play online match.) If you don't stay signed in, important functions will be restricted, and you can only play 15 characters out of 39.

    SSF4AE PC is set to be released in July for $39.99.

    Umehara reaches 7,000 matches in AE

    It was reported that yesterday Daigo Umehara already played more than 7,000 matches of Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition. His winning percentage is still over 83%.

    Match playedDate
    5,000March 25
    6,000April 21
    7,000 May 25

    Umehara confirmed for ReveLAtions 2011

    The latest trailer of ReveLAtions revealed that Daigo Umehara will join the West Coast tournaments between June 10-12, instead of CEO 2011.

    The organizer replaced SSF4 with AE, that means you will see Umehara's Yun for the first time outside Japan at the event. If he joins Marvel vs. Capcom 3, too, then it'll be his first tournament ever for the game.

    The first place of SSF4AE and MvC3 will receive $10,000 and $2,500 respectively.


    Note that E3 is on June 7-9, and MadCatz will have a booth there, there's a chance that Umehara will be at E3, too. Google Maps said that the distance is 14.6 miles.

    Monday, May 23, 2011

    KayoPolice releasing a photo-essay

    KayoPolice revealed just now that her first photo-essay "reborn" will be released on June 23.

    MvC3 Paradox

    I just saw the latest episode of Cross Counter show. It seems like Mike Ross is mad about the Evo 2011 troll promo. (Maybe one of the reasons is they show a clip of him getting beaten, and now it's getting over 90,000 views)

    I don't want to talk about the video (again) but if you're an Umehara fan, you'd know (even without knowing Japanese language) that it was intentionally misinterpreted, from simple "I'm joining everyone, it'll be exciting (with old and new players)" into something rather hostile. Here's a hint, he ended his sentences with desu or masu, and use -san. That means he's using the polite form of the language.

    Anyway, let's go to the topic. I want to point out what I call the MvC3 Paradox. What Mike Ross said is a good example.

    He basically said Umehara can't win because in MvC3 anyone can win. ...Huh?

    If anyone can win then why Umehara can't win?

    Okay, let's move to another side. If MvC3 does require skills. Then why Umehara doesn't have a chance. He was a Vampire (Darkstaker) champ, and the game has the same (fast) pace as MvC3. More important, he's a Street Fighter IV champ, and the game is harder than MvC3...

    The American surely feel insecure.


    Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a party game

    On the same topic, but another story. For me, there's no paradox. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a party game. Niitsuma Ryouta (MvC3 producer) already stated both on a show and in an interview that MvC3 is a party game.

    付け加えるなら,マヴカプシリーズはストIVとの対比で差別化が図りやすいというのも,大きな理由ですね。ストIVは,じりじりとした差し合いを楽しむゲームですけど,マヴカプはある種お祭り的というか,難しいコマンドなんかもなくて,とにかく派手に楽しもうっていう。
    To add another thing, it's easy to tell the difference between MvC series and Street Fighter IV, there's one big [difference]. SF4 is a game where you have fun trying to gain momentum, MvC is kind of party type, there's no difficult command input, you can have fun doing flashy stuff anytime.

    Since it was made to be a party game for anyone to enjoy then it's everyone's game, isn't it? I'm not sure why some people try to make it complicate. (Tip: Google "お祭りゲー" (Omatsuri Game) and see what kind of games show up.)

    P.S. Don't get confused, I'm not saying Umehara will dominate MvC3, because that'd be stupid, and is a paradox itself. I'm just giving you something to think about.

    Sunday, May 22, 2011

    Umehara meme featured in eroge

    It was reported (link NSFW) that a scene in a newly released adult PC game features the Denpa Jikkyou meme, an Internet meme derived from a gameplay footage of Daigo Umehara.

    The scene shows Andou Rosa, a genius hacker, playing a weird arcade fighting game. The text box below reads

    Andou gaa! Tsukamaetee!
    Andou gaa! Gamen Hashii!
    Reversal Yondee!
    Mada Hairuu!
    Andou gaa! qtsudf ...Chikazuitee!
    Andou gaa! Kimetaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

    and also

    Let's go! Justiiiice!

    The game, called Henshiin!!! -Pantsu ni Natte Kunkun Perepero-, is about a boy who can transform into underpants of a beautiful girl of choice. The limited edition of the game (8,800 yen) comes with real girl's underpants.

    TOPANGA TV 2011.05.21

    - There's no (official) recorded stream, because Tokido feared that they'll accidentally say something bad. (again)
    - 3,280 viewers peak.
    - They played Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
    - Mago's team is Amaterasu, Magneto, Sentinel. Apparently he needs some serious training if he wants to compete.
    - Many viewers said that it's boring. One pointed out that easy win is meaningless. (And I agree to this point.)
    - Mago said again that his sub is now Yang and Sagat.
    - Some people don't like how they hardly reply to comments. (unlike KSK who always communicates with viewers)
    - Tokido said he won't be in this year's Tougeki.

    Saturday, May 21, 2011

    Kao TV 2011.05.20

    - Watch here.
    - 3,000 viewers peak
    - Japan's Portal 2 publisher, CyberFront, sent KSK a copy of Portal 2. So he'll play it on stream in near future.
    - GODSGARDEN #4 announced. See details the other post.
    - Online GG #3 is planned before after GG#4, but details undecided.
    - Guest is Mahou Shoujo Zangi-tan (the famous Zangief player). It seems like he waited outside 20 minutes until KSK noticed him, because KSK didn't pick up the phone or look at the chat.

     Update: Thanks to Ortega-san for the correction.

    Friday, May 20, 2011

    GODSGARDEN #4 announced

    GODSGARDEN #4 was announced by KSK on tonight's Kao TV. It'll be held on August 20 at the same place as GG #3. The players will come from voting, and I'll inform you again when the poll is up.

    What: GODSGARDEN #4
    Title: Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition
    When: August 20, 2011
    Where: Asagaya Loft A, Japan

    Thursday, May 19, 2011

    KSK stars in indie film

    The images below surfaced on the Internet a couple days ago and I thought it was a (high quality) prank. It turn out that our Soushihan KSK will actually appear in an indie film.

    KSK plays a role of the owner of a car shop where the protagonist works. His character is "a helpful reliable big bro."

    The film was produced by a group of Nico Nico users and the performers are also users, banned trolls included (which is why I didn't believe at first). It's still unclear where we can see it, but the release date is this Sunday (May 22). Anyway, not sure you want to see this, I expect tons of inside jokes since it targets the community.


    Happy Birthday! (2011 Edition)

    It's May 19 now in Japan, that means it's time to say Tanjoubi Omedetou Umehara-san!

    Wednesday, May 18, 2011

    Weekly TOPANGA TV planned

    Mago just revealed less than hour ago that TOPANGA TV is planned on Saturday 21, 22.00 (JST) and he plans to do it every week from now on.

    What: TOPANGA TV
    Where: Here
    When: Every Saturday night, 22.00 (Japan Standard Time)
    Who: Mago, and probably Tokido, and maybe more

    Mago is known to be practicing Marvel vs. Capcom 3. This will be interesting!

    Umehara joining NorCal 2011?

    The announcement of NorCal Regionals 2011 mentioned the possibility of Daigo Umehara's appearance. The event is on June 18-19, around 5 days between CEO 2011 (June 10-12) and Shadowloo Showdown 2011 (June 25-26). It could be another busy month for Umehara.

    Last year in November, Umehara went to North America 3 times and to Kuwait.

    - SoCal Regionals 2010 [1][2] [November 5-7]
    - The Canada Cup 2010 [November 13-14]
    - NorCal Regionals 2010 [November 20-21]
    - Exhibition in Kuwait [November 26, 2010]

    Talking about tight schedule, Umehara is yet to play Tougeki 2011 qualifier. We only know now for one thing that he won't go with (his close friend) Bon-chan who went with Momochi.

    This year's Tougeki for SSF4AE is 2 on 2, instead of 3 on 3 like last year.

    Monday, May 16, 2011

    Umehara Believer winners announced

    The winners of "Umehara Believer" campaign was announced just an hour ago. It's like a dream, but Gama no Abura, Nagoya Street Battle organizer and one of the true Umehara fanboys, won it. ChocoBlanka also won it.

    In March, people who bought Arcadia Extra Vol.84 got a chance to win "Umehara Shinja" (ウメハラ信者 or Umehara Believer) title for their Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition card*. From his tweet a couple months ago, Gama-san apparently bought more than one. And ChocoBlanka also sent 2 postcards.

    *NESYS card used to record and track your data and stats in arcade game centers. You can modify your character this way.

    Anyway, Acqua, another true Umehara fanboy, didn't make it. He said he "wants to cry" because he wants it so much. I feel very sorry for him, because on the same day he just had a traffic accident. He got hit by a car sending him flying away for about 2 metres.... He (miraculously) suffered only a minor injury but he said that was closest to death.

    Update 1: Gama-san accidentally cancelled his ID that has the title....
    Update 2: ChocoBlanka was so excited. She went out immediately and came back with a picture of her "Umehara Believer."

    Evo 2011 and Japan (part1?)

    I have many little things to say about this year's Evolution and Japan side, so let's put them all here.

    Who's coming to Evo 2011?
    • Umehara - Of course.
    • Tokido - Should be no problem. He has a sponsor now, not to mention that he has a relative in US.
    • Mago - He watched Evo stream last year closely and really wants to come since then. He won 500,000 yen from GODSGARDEN Online #2 so money shouldn't be an issue. He also said he'll come since The Canada Cup last year.
    • Gama no Abura - He showed a strong interest since last year. He mentioned about plane ticket last week, and just confirmed that he'll come as a media reporter.
    • KSK(?) - It looks like KSK made a last minute decision last year to come to Evo 2010. He shared a hotel room with Tokido and Eita. He went back and forth to the hotel just to update us via Twitter because he couldn't find Internet access at the venue. (and that's why he went to (SSF4) Loser Bracket due to lateness...) For this year, I'm not sure he'll come. I think Inaba-san (GG co-founder) actually has more chance than him.

    Evo Tour
    Some Japanese fans proposed to KSK and Gama-san the idea of organizing a tour from Japan to Evolution. It's a good idea but it probably won't happen, at least this year.

    A separated Japanese stream?
    Gama-san (and probably someone from GODSGARDEN) with a laptop and Internet provides many possibilities about steaming. If Evo allows, he could make a stream focussing on Japanese players when they're not playing or not on the official stream.

    A real Japanese commentator?
    Gama-san is a legendary commentaor, it'd be epic if they let him on the mic on the official stream.

    Evo 2011 on Nico's official channel
    Nico Nico Douga began streaming more and more American/European anime and game events/conventions for months. With last year's Tougeki stream, I don't see why Evo shouldn't be on Nico, too. (2 separated stream channels for 2 languages) This's business opportunity or just for getting more exposure to Japanese audience. Evo could sell a right to broadcast (or just offer it for free for free PR) to Nico using GODSGARDEN as a negotiator. Nico stream is so smooth I never have an issue. And if Evo is on Nico, it'll totally make Tougeki look bad because Tougeki streamed on Nico last year and it's pay-per-view. (1,500 yen a day)

    Rare footage of Umehara playing MvC3 in Evo 2011 promo

    Last year, Evolution released a troll video message from Daigo Umehara to all Evo participants. This year they did it again, but this time it's for Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and it's super effective. One, they managed to get the world's first gameplay footage of Umehara. I, for one, thought AE made him lost interest in MvC3, since we haven't heard a news after a message on his official site in January. Two, they managed to have his super cocky face. (The message also confirmed that he'll be in Evo 2011.)


    I like the troll video, because it's funny. They tried to make him look like a villain in WWE, though in fact he's very humble. You'll probably notice by looking at his pre-match screen. While people always have a nice/funny message and title, Umehara never put one.


    Right now, famous players who play MvC3 are Umehara, Tokido, Mago, Nemo.

    Saturday, May 14, 2011

    Kao TV 2011.05.13

     - They had a problem with Ustream, so they moved to Nico. Gama-san came to rescue (as usual) by doing a mirror.
    - Kao TV is now sponsored by Nvidia. There's another sponsor yet to be announced.
    - Inaba-san was there.
    - Gama-san confirmed that he'll be at Evo this year.
    - Guest is FAX Gimoto. He just appeared in Chiba vs. Kanagawa 39 on 39 on April 30. (Watch recorded stream here or Nico video here.)
    - A new regular is revealed. Nakajima-san who is a Tekken player and a sparring partner of Tokido.
    - In previous Ura Kao TV, KSK let viewers decide (by voting) what character to play in Ranked Match from 0 to 2,000 PP. The first character is Makoto and he made it to 2,000 on Thursday. The second character is T-Hawk, so he continued playing T-Hawk a bit. But he then switched back to Makoto. Gimoto did a great job giving him useful advices.
    - Gimoto played Mokoto and showed how good he is. He apparently like to bait Super/Ultra.
    - There're many people who made a new ID just to troll KSK in Ranked Match. (Their GamerTag are obvious.)
    - Gimoto is funny and was a bit drunk so he brought up some forbidden topics like conflicts between people in Japan's Street Fighter community.
    - They teased GODSGARDEN's next project.
    - 2,000 viewers on Nico, 1,000+ viewers on Ustream.
    - Watch original here, or Ustream mirror here (part 1) and here (part 2).

    Tuesday, May 10, 2011

    TOPANGA Charity Cup raises 760,000 yen

    TOPANGA reported yesterday on the official site that their charity campaign raised total 760,125 yen. (437,444 from the event and 322,681 via Paypal) They also posted a picture of the certificate from Japan's Red Cross.

    Monday, May 9, 2011

    Eita team wins NSB24

    I was busy and just had time to watch Nagoya Street Battle 24's top 8 videos. The event was on May 4. Eita's team won, and Eita himself did a great job keeping the team alive. He even OCV'd Momochi's team (Momochi (Cody), Taison (Bison), Rikuson (Sagat)) in the semi-final.

    Eita is a very skillful player but (his gameplay) isn't reliable (in my opinion) so this's a surprise.

    Eita started his own stream channel at the end of March and plays (console SSF4) almost everyday. (He has almost 3,700 subscribers now) He's a guitarist so sometimes he plays guitar while playing game....

    You can watch all the videos here (look for NSB24) or watch the last part below.

    Saturday, May 7, 2011

    Kao TV returns

    Yesterday, GODSGARDEN staff and KSK had a drinking party at KSK's place and restarted GODSGARDEN stream (nicknamed "Kao TV'). The show was  forced to stop in February because the main man KSK couldn't stream at Gamer's Vision anymore, then he quitted GG shortly after. Now he has a new house where he uses as a new station. (However, he actually started streaming there casually since April 15) This also means KSK will resume activities in GG.

    Summary (watch here)
    - Sakamoto-san (GGO#2 commentator) and Kokujin were there.
    - From their reactions, Kokujin and KSK aren't sure about going to Australia...
    - Since Tokido and Mago went on with TOPANGA behind KSK's back, we can assume that the pair won't be in Kao TV anymore.
    - In the end, KSK had a first-to-ten match with Almfelt (an Akuma user GG's staff who just competed in TOPANGA CC). It was exciting.
    - They streamed 3.5 hours more on Nico. (Ura Kao TV) KSK went to work (see below) after the stream ended in the morning.

    The other day, KSK revealed on his private channel that he was offered a show promoter job at a live house (mini concert hall) and he's now working with indie bands. He'll stream events, too, starting this Saturday. (It looks like he has two jobs now.)

    Thursday, May 5, 2011

    Shadowloo Showdown 2011 bigger than Evo?

    The latest trailer of Shadowloo Showdown 2011 made a shocking revelation as some of well known Japanese players added, including Kokujin and KSK (probably the most shocking part). Team Hori is now confirmed. (It wasn't clear in the previous trailer.) Gootecks and Mike Ross, as well as MarkMan (as previously hinted) will also be joining. The trailer hints, but still doesn't confirm Daigo Umehara. Maybe it's KayoPolice with red nails!



    (trailer by BossLogic as usual)

    Anyway, what I'm thinking is with these players, it's actually bigger than Evolution (right now) considering the participants (both players and famous persons) and the level of competition. And I think maybe Evo should give more seed points to the winner of SSF4.

    List of participants from the trailer
    - Tokido
    - GamerBee
    - Mago
    - Kindevu
    - Uryo
    - Momochi
    - ChocoBlanka
    - Toxy
    - HumanBomb
    - Poongko
    - Makoto
    - PlayerJun52
    - Itabashi Zangief
    - Sako
    - Tatsu
    - Andy OCR
    - Warahk
    - MOV
    - Deshiken
    - TSRAI
    - Haitani
    - Kokujin
    - Umezono
    - KSK
    - Gameoutttt
    - -R-
    - FollowupURSF
    - Mike Ross
    - Gootecks
    - MarkMan
    - ?

    Wednesday, May 4, 2011

    Justin Wong penalized for intentionally underperforming

    Regarding a Marvel vs Capcom 3 match in the recent tournament Power Up 2011, Evolution staff announced via SRK that they decided not to give Evo seed points from the tournament to Justin Wong, and they also gave him a Yellow Card for intentionally underperforming.

    The reasons are these combined.
    • He didn't choose his main team. (Even though he said he underperformed because lack of practice. He could at least pick the main team to increase the chance of winning. So he didn't do his best for winning.)
    • His unusual strategy for putting Phoenix out first while the low-health character usually is a trump card. (More risk of dying as the opponent has a full team.)
    • His opponent was his close friend. (His close friend will gain more Evo seed points for winning, therefore will play less matches in preliminary rounds in Evolution 2011 in July.)

    I have no comment whether Wong intentionally underperformed or not. I'm just glad that a big organization like Evo enforces the rules to keep a real competition.

    Still one thing, that I already pointed out, Filipino Champ admittedly threw a fight, why didn't Evo staff do something with him? If Wong got Yellow Card, then F. Champ should get Red.

    Monday, May 2, 2011

    Haru no Jin 2011 Summary

    Itabashi Zangief's team "Kou Mochibe" (Fuudo included) won Capcom's official tournament Haru no Jin yesterday. The final was between Kou Mochibe and Cabbage's team. Itazan's Zangief took out Yang and Fei Long first, then his partner's Yang took Cabbage's Viper. Apparently strategy is important.

    (Kou Mochibe was at TOPANGA Charity Cup and Cabbage actually was in the team.)

    The stream had around 1,400 viewers peak.

    See report from Famitsu here.

    Stunfest 2011 Summary(?)

    Tokido won Super Street Fighter IV (single) and Marvel vs Capcom 3 (single) at Stunfest in France. He probably won more, but this's only what I can confirm from watching (a part of) the (re)stream and video uploaded on Nico.

    The organizer used Dailymotion to stream the event, but obviously I and some people couldn't watch it. The stream stuck at the opening clip. However, Gama-san (Gama no Abura from Nagoya Street Battle) was kind enough to do a mirror stream on USTREAM (and provide Japanese chat) and update some information for us.