Enjoy & Exciting

Hello, this is a promotion group of Global Sense. This time, we interviewed SHO, who belongs to our company, about the Cooperation Cup Vol.18 held in May 2023.

This time is the interview with Hayao’s part of the story, including the behind-the-scenes of the competition and his practice methods!

▶︎SHO’s story

What is the Cooperation Cup?
The Cooperation Cup is a community event for the historic “Street Fighter III 3rd STRIKE -Fight for the Future-” (“3rd STRIKE”) that has been held since 2001. The regulation is a 5on5 competition with a winner-takes-all rule, and this time, 85 teams and 425 players participated.

4Gamer.net,「ストリートファイターIII 3rd STRIKE」の祭典が4年ぶりに復活。「第18回クーペレーションカップ」フォトレポート,30 May 2023 
https://onl.sc/W1iY6bm

<Hayao’s Profile>
PGW Division in 2019
Hayao is known as the Hugo God of the West in Street Fighter III 3rd Strike.
Although Hugo is considered a weak character in 3rd Strike, his play of throwing down even the strongest players has fascinated people all over the world.
twitter: @880880880880

Promotions Group (Promo):
It has been almost 4 years since the last tournament in 2019 . We would love to hear your thoughts on the competition!

Hayao：
The first thing that comes to mind is that I am glad and thankful that we were able to hold the convention.
The last tournament was cancelled in the Pandemic, and I was wondering when we would be able to hold Cooperation cup again.

I think there was not enough time for the players to have this year’s tournament, but I am glad that we were able to hold the tournament and make it possible for them to participate.
That was my first thought before I said, “I’m going to win the tournament.

Promo:
Did you have any special training, strategy, etc. prepared for this tournament?

Hayao:
I didn’t do anything in particular. There was no preparation, and I was aware of what I would normally do. I often think about whether I can move in a tournament as usual. I also think about what I should do if the tournament decides to have a Gigas, or how I should show off my charm in areas unrelated to the game.

Since this is a team competition, I think about how I can get my teammates excited, so that’s something I was thinking about for the competition. I was thinking about that for the competition.

Promo:
I would like to ask you a few more questions about your own strengths and style of play, which you play in a captivating way.

Hayao:
I use a throwing character named Hugo, and his Super Art is the Giga Breaker, which is a great frame throw that is basically fixed. On the other hand, I think it is also my strength to make it look like I am going to decide a technique, and then to take advantage of the match without making a decision.

Promo:
You often appears in cosplay to enliven the audience, so I also thought that this aspect of his work was one of his strengths.

Hayao:
Yes, I think that if you do those things as usual, I don’t get strangely nervous.

▲Photo by Promotion Group

Promo:
How were the members of your “Kiseki no Sedai” team decided this time?

Hayao:
Conceptually, the concept is the same as it was before the last Cooperation Cup was cancelled. However, one of the members of the concept team was unable to participate in this year’s tournament, so a replacement member was brought in, but the basic concept remains the same.

When it was decided to hold the coupe, the team leader sent me a line asking if it would be okay to keep the same members as before. I replied, “Yes! ” Since the previous LINE group was still there, people other than me replied one after another, “Yes, we can do it”.

Promo:
I was very glad you guys reunion the Cooperation Cup.

Hayao:
Yes, that’s right. And not only from the Kanto region, but also from Okinawa, Kyushu, and other regions. We announced the cooperation cup about a month before the event, so it was good that people from far away could come.

Promo:
How did you practice this time with some of the people living far away?

Hayao:
Each of us would report what we were doing on the group LINE, such as “We did this today” or “The finished product looks like this. I was in France at the time* and reported that I had won the championship in France.

My report was only about the results, but the other members of the team were a little more concerned about the situation. I was just reporting the results, but the other members had a bit more of an impression of the team, such as, “I’m a bit worried, so I want to leave it to you.

*Hayao was in France at the time to participate in HFS2023.

▲Photo by Hayao

Promo:
I would like to ask you about any memorable scenes from this Cooperation Cup and any difficulties you had as a team.

Hayao:
The most memorable scene was the first team we played when we got to the Top 8.
As a result, they…3rd Monster won the championship.

In that match, Shinta-san, a Ken player, won three in a row. I don’t remember the details of the game, but I just remember that it was great. The people around me were also very excited. I don’t remember the details of the game, but I just remember that it was great. I almost cried.

▲Photo by Promotion Group

Promo:
We would like to ask you about your 3rd passion and thoughts on it.

Hayao:
The 3rd game is basically played in game centers and arcades, so game centers are the only places where it is possible to play the 3rd game. Nowadays, new games are played at home, and most people don’t play arcades anymore, but people who like the 3rd game go to game centers and play arcades.

So, I think that people like the 3rd and also like the arcade culture.

Through the 3rd, I hope that people who do not play the 3rd will know about the game center, and if they like, they can come to the game center and play the 3rd and other arcades as well. I would like to have people who have not played the 3rd game come to game arcades, and if they like, have them put 50 yen or 100 yen into arcades and play.

I would be most happy if players, including myself, could go to the cooperation cup and people see our games and visit game centers.

Promo:
Is there anything that you would like to challenge in the 3rd in the future?

Hayao:
I wonder if FT10 quite popular in other games now?
I thought it would be good to play such a game after a long time.

I think the last time I played 10-pin was at the FT10 Special with Genki, and with Ippei was at a game center with Chun-Li.

If I go back further, there was a game center in Osaka where we played FT5.
I think it would be good to do something like that.

Promo:
Thank you very much. Final question, what does “3rd” mean to you?

Hayao:
3rd is definitely one game, but it’s like a club or bar for me. Big tournaments like Cooperation is like reunions, and there are people who haven’t seen each other in a long time, even years.

We can also talk about what’s going on with each other, such as how you’ve been feeling lately, or what’s going on with your Twitter feed. What’s going on with you?

I think it’s great that the 3rd is a place for communication and interaction. It’s like a club activity or a lounge. When I first started playing 3rd, I thought it was just a game and win other players! It’s been 20 years, my mind is changing a bit, it’s a “3rd place” for me now.

Promo:
Thank you very much for sharing your valuable story with us today!

Hayao:
Thank you very much!

▲Photo by Promotion Group

▶︎The 2023 Couperation Cup distribution can be viewed here.
STREET FIGHTER III 3rd STRIKE「The 18th Cooperation Cup」Final Tournament

▶︎PGW.tv look-back Cooperation cup 2023. Guest :SHO (Japanese only)
【PGW.TV# 231】3rdクーペ振り返り!! ゲスト : SHO　

▲PGW eyeglass wipes are new!!

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Editing and photography by Promotion Group