To be fair I think it happened when he was really young and happened on the smashboards back when he was getting a ton of hate and harassment himself.
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Kotaku: Melee Player's Criminal History Divides Smash Bros. Community
- Thread starter Makonero
- Start date
To be fair I think it happened when he was really young and happened on the smashboards back when he was getting a ton of hate and harassment himself.
Steve Youngblood
Member
Yeah. I get that. I'm just saying that if this was brought to your attention, I don't think you go "look at this guy's rapsheet. He's a ticking time bomb that doesn't belong anywhere near this community." "Yeah, but I heard he can beat Armada." "Really!? Well this I gotta see! He's in!"
mr teaspoon
Member
> I am human and you are human, Layton told me over the phone from his Las Vegas hotel room last week at EVO, the biggest fighting games tournament in the world. Who are you to judge me?
a) I wonder if he asked that to the judge.
b) I'm a person who has never assaulted anyone, so that's why I get to judge. You fuck.
a) I wonder if he asked that to the judge.
b) I'm a person who has never assaulted anyone, so that's why I get to judge. You fuck.
GiantBreadbug
Member
I myself prefer a "one strike and you're out" policy when it comes to violent crime, especially when the person in question refers to his crime record as "exquisite," deflects blame, and in general seems entirely unchanged, but you know.
"It's just a crime everybody does a crime sometimes"
Assault. Stop this.
"It's just a crime everybody does a crime sometimes"
Assault. Stop this.
andrerobot
Member
Who are you to judge a man of God?
uncredited male
Member
Non-smashers have been put on notice.
You didn't read that as an autocorrect of 'extensive'?
Tarextherex
Banned
Smash (mostly melee) community allowing criminals in there just because they are top players and/or friends with them (mango, shiz, ken's family, plank, zelgadis, unknown etc). Just like the FGC allows scum like noel brown and flashmetroid. Stop normalizing literal crimes just because they are good at a fucking videogame
If he is making the efforts for a second chance, I say give it to him. Mind you though that in terms of Melee, I will remain respectfully neutral on it since that community tends to be rather deceive in its own right.
All I know is that if you don't talk about Melee when you talk about Smash Bros, you get that look that makes you feel like you stepped into the wrong neighborhood.
All I know is that if you don't talk about Melee when you talk about Smash Bros, you get that look that makes you feel like you stepped into the wrong neighborhood.
FriskyrumX
Banned
Why is Kotaku randomly just posting about this now? He's been allowed to enter tournaments, it's already been stated that he's taken classes for what he's done and has done his time.
He was fine at EVO, had nothing happen, and it seems like the community discussion died down on it after a week when the discussion first started.
Just makes no sense why they're bringing it up now lol
He did his time and wants the chance to show he's changed and hasn't been involved with anything ever since, and the people he's had stuff happen with in the Smash community won't even come to him to discuss anything and make amends.
If he fucks up, he fucks up, then get's banned. Simple as that.
He was fine at EVO, had nothing happen, and it seems like the community discussion died down on it after a week when the discussion first started.
Just makes no sense why they're bringing it up now lol
He did his time and wants the chance to show he's changed and hasn't been involved with anything ever since, and the people he's had stuff happen with in the Smash community won't even come to him to discuss anything and make amends.
If he fucks up, he fucks up, then get's banned. Simple as that.
Wolfgunblood Garopa
Member
Yeah it's stupid, but it's also ironic seeing as judging others is a human survival instinct.
clarknova156
Member
Except you know if his aggressive nature towards people or the opposite sex gets out of hand he might end up assaulting someone again so fuck them let's have our Falcon meta because that will elevate the whole scene? Come the fuck on..
He is a violent criminal. 14-15 anger management classes won't stop that behavior. I had a close friend who took 35 anger management classes and was also a violent crimes offender and it didn't stop him from going to jail for beating the shit out of his girlfriend and putting her in the hospital for a month and ending up in jail for 2 years.
The women of this event have the right to be nervous. In sports you can beat the shit out of your significant other and no one cares as long as you keep playing and playing well.
Fuck that. Ban him. Zero tolerance policy towards violent criminals. No one should feel unsafe at these events. The smash scene wonders why it remains poverty tier for sponsors..
FriskyrumX
Banned
You realize that's your own experience? People can change lmao.
"Women shouldn't have to be afraid in these communities" "Only after he allegedly commits a 13th offense, then they shouldn't have to be afraid because he will be banned, only then though. Right now he's totally fine"
People can absolutely change in the criminal justice system, its rare in the systemic fuck hole that America is letting private companies run for profit, but its the original intent of the system. BUT there are lots of jobs you can't do with a criminal record
PeskyToaster
Member
He served his time. what good is rehabilitation if you're shunned by society?
clarknova156
Member
Statistically speaking violent crime offenses are often repeat offenses. Would you feel safe if your daughter was going to spend time with him? Like days at an event and after parties?
If he did one violent crime and did his anger management classes and hasn't committed a crime since that's one thing. But he has a sheet. Second chance is one thing but he had that and women at the event have complained of his behavior previously.
A Link to the Past
Banned
So you believe that because your friend's behavior did not change that no one else's can? And that zero tolerance bans are a good idea when Unknown, one of the players mentioned in the article, has come back from a violent event at a Smash tourney to be a respectable top player?
Cow Mengde
Banned
So that that's why they're making a game based on Layton's daughter and not his son. /badjoke
Sohter.Nura
Member
If he's able to show he's a reformed individual, fine.
If not, nope.
If not, nope.
clarknova156
Member
Zero tolerance considering he has already made female participants uncomfortable at previous events. My friend is just an example but no I have interacted with enough violent offenders and have seen them rarely change for good.
I guess the women concerned have been proven right as far as "anything goes as long as it doesn't effect the event" mentality smash fans have. Top player or shit tier , zero tolerance towards anyone with an extensive criminal past that has actually brought that shit to events either this year or previously.
Edit : my FORMER friend
One of the accounts of his misconduct is noted as being at a previous EVO. That doesn't feel "outside" of the tournament scene.
BronsonLee
Member
WHOA WHOA WHOA
THIS IS NOT ME
THIS IS NOT ME
From what I understand that was a verbal argument, unless threats were made its very different from violence.
That accounts to nothing though, without detail on what "he got aggressive" means. We just know it wasn't physical.
If he said, "Go fuck yourself", does it matter?
In terms of appearance / use, I don't think he's all that common, actually. Westballz is the only notable modern Falco main I can think of. Fox and Sheik are far more common.
Reading one of the witness accounts of it, it sounds like there wasn't direct threats or violence, but I can get people still holding it against him.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
IIRC Marth is the only character more popular than Falco among the entire tournament scene. At the top level Falco is underrepresented, but that doesn't apply all the way down.
So two people blew up at each other. I can't add that to the rap sheet.
Yeah I'm talking top level.
A Link to the Past
Banned
This only makes you more guilty
NHarmonic.
Member
Yeah, all this chat about falco as the character is so cringe-worthy, really. Thing is a computer generated playable character and doesn't need any redemption or shit like that, lol.
Last I checked Falco was never a character about redemption he was just a lovable dick lol
MugiwaraCole
Member
On the one hand, you don't want people to feel threatened by his presense - justifiably so, given his actions.
On the other you want to give people the opportuntity to better themselves, and give them options other than returning to criminal behaviour.
As such, I suggest a compromise:
/thread
For better or for worse the community has moved on and the only way to see this change is to change the community leaders' minds, as the majority of players are open to accepting him for now. If anyone wants to make a difference in this matter I suggest contacting the head TO of Big House 7, the next tournament Shiz will be attending, @Jugglerob.
Melee community: So starved for players that they're allowing a person who should have recieved a life ban back, because that's how impossible to get into the skill wall is.
Can't the game just die? Or we have to wait until the thinly veiled ripoff with bland characters inevitably fails?
Can't the game just die? Or we have to wait until the thinly veiled ripoff with bland characters inevitably fails?
Gentleman Jack
Member
I would be with this if the FGC didn't have a horrible history of letting players slide just because they're good at the game.On the one hand, you don't want people to feel threatened by his presense - justifiably so, given his actions.
On the other you want to give people the opportuntity to better themselves, and give them options other than returning to criminal behaviour.
As such, I suggest a compromise:
BennyBlanco
aka IMurRIVAL69
So, just like real sports then.
I say let him play. The guy paid his debt to society. Nobody here can say whether he is truly repentant or not. Some people are just better with words than others... a lot of these 'i'm so sorry and i'm a changed person' statements you see from people who did bad things are total bullshit but sound sincere.
Fair enough
Seems like the whole point of this article is that the community hasn't entirely moved on.
Weltall Zero
Member
I admit the thought didn't cross my mind... which I guess says something of the overall level of contriteness I gleaned (fairly or not) from the rest of his statements.
Weltall Zero
Member
Fixed that for you. It's frankly amazing that the game has a competitive scene at all. For context, it is ten years older than the second older game on Evo.
This is not a knock against Melee, I think it's an amazing game, but it's undeniable that older games with no online play and running on discontinued hardware attract less new players, to say nothing of the logistics of tournaments.