Making cash playing Super Smash
A student turns his hobby of playing Super Smash Bros. into a way of making money and connecting with a community that spans a nation.
Every Saturday, Jacob Smith spends his day traveling to compete in Super Smash Bros. tournaments.
Smith said he has been playing the popular nintendo video game since he was a kid. As he grew older, no one would play with him anymore because he always won. The Belding junior is now the second best Super Smash Bros. player in Michigan. Competitive gameplay is his part time job. In March, Smith made more than $1,000 through winning tournaments.
He said he used to work part time at more traditional jobs. When Smith realized he was making more money competing in Super Smash Bro tournaments, he decided to follow competitive gameplay as his primary source of income.
Smith's tagname in tournaments is “Dirtboy.”
He said he is known by the tag name Dirtboy more than Jacob, because he is so involved in the gaming community.
Smith said he usually uses Squirtle, from the Pokémon series, as his Smash character.
He started going to tournaments in May 2014, but only became seriously active in a competitive play about a year ago.
Smith usually competes in three tournaments a week, which are held by fans across Michigan. Saturday tournaments, Smith said, are attended by more gaming competitors. Usually about 50 people attend these tournaments, though some tournaments attract more than 2,000 attendees.
He travels to tournaments out of state when the opportunity arises. Smith said smash has taken him to tournaments in Canada, Chicago, Texas and Oklahoma.
On occasion, Smith is paid to attend tournaments when a group specifically wants talented players at its event.
“When I went to Canada (in March), they paid for top Michigan players to come out. They paid for entrance, gas and housing," Smith said.
In the Canada Tournament, Smith made $750 in Canadian currency — his largest cash prize yet.
Smith is well known in the Smash community because tournament matches are streamed online.
“GLS Smash is the big Michigan streamer,” Smith said, “Every tournament that’s worth anything gets streamed on there, and there’s subscribers who pay monthly to help support.”
Super Smash Bros. has brought a community together across the nation, and Smith said he has friends everywhere.
“When I go out of state, I like to find the players that I know, that I don’t get to play with often,” he said. “Enough people know me now, because of online videos, that they’ll find and ask me to play them, too.”
Smith said he has always been a fan of Nintendo games, but Super Smash Bros. specific gameplay has keeps him hooked.
“Generally, with combos in fighting games, you have to memorize a set of patterns that will always work, but are hard to pull off,” he said. “Smash is a lot more free form. The controls allow you to get into the game more.”
Project M is his game version of choice at tournaments.
“Project M is a modification of Super Smash Brothers Brawl, which is a sequel to Super Smash Brothers Melee. The purpose is to make the gameplay more like Melee,” Smith said. “Melee has faster gameplay that (Nintendo) had an unintentional competitive scene for, which they didn’t really do for brawl. So the modification is to bring that back, the way people want it to be played.”
Smith is also involved with the club on campus, CMU Smash, which meets three nights a week at 6 p.m. in Pearce Hall 124.
Smith hosts the meetings on Monday nights, which are dedicated to Project M. On Tuesday’s they play Super Smash Bros 4, the newest version of the game, and on Thursday’s they play Super Smash Bros Melee.
Mason Hesse is a senior at Forest Hills Eastern High School in Grand Rapids, who came to CMU's campus for CMU Smash meeting.
Hesse said Smith has a knack for video games, especially Super Smash Bros.
“He puts in a lot of time, and thinks about the game a lot to figure it out,” Hesse said. “It’s all a big puzzle to him.”
Hesse said he has always felt a personal rivalry between himself and Smith.
“I’m always cheering for and against him at the same time,” he said. “I want him to lose because he’s my rival, but I also want him to win because he’s my friend.”
