Speedrunning

This piece is in regards to speedrunners setting up payed private lessons to help with speedrunning. A topic that came back into focus, as a runner setup such a program on their profile just recently.


I'd like to start out by saying charging for lessons in regards to speedrunning is not something I would ever engage in.

But I don't have an issue at all with someone else doing it.

There seems to be this huge taboo on anything within the community whenever it comes to money. People seem to stop thinking and immediately cast negativity and throw around the term sellout as soon as they see a dollar sign. I'm not saying that these things don't exist within the community, I think there are certain members who do things purely for money that don't sit too well with me. You might have heard me talk about them before, I have some pretty strong opinions on the matter.

This though? This isn't one of them. And I'm certainly not going to go out of my way to attack someone who is trying to come up with an innovative idea to get more people into speedrunning.

Fact: One of the most common problems with speedrunning is accessibility, new people to the concept find it very difficult to get started. This is proven by the fact that it's what several people wrote as the biggest issue facing speedrunning right now in my questionnaire.

Fact: As much as you might have been told, someone making money out of something they are passionate about, and providing a service, is not an evil crime.

Fact: Coaching is something that happens with everything that comes to a certain popularity. Business, sport, other gaming communities. I'm not saying it's inevitable, I'm saying it's healthy.

Fact: The demographic it would target is those who feel they need it. No one is going to pay for something they can do for no cost whatsoever. Therefore if something like this was successful, it would only show that the current system of information is not 100% effective.

Fact: For some people, speedrunning is and always will be a hobby. That is fine. For some people, speedrunning is a hobby they might make a little money out of. That is also fine. For some people, speedrunning is something they are so passionate about, they might try to make it their full time income. That is also fine. No one of any of these demographics has the right to say the other is at fault for what they are doing.

At the current optimisation level speedrunning is at now, some runners have to dedicate serious amounts of time in order to stay competitive. In the vicinity of 40+ hours a week in some cases. To say that they not just don't deserve money for their dedication, passion, and service they provide, but to go so far as to say they are scum for it, is simply absurd.

Some people seem to think that something like this compromises the entire camaraderie of speedrunning being a team effort. Again, this is not the case. As I mentioned earlier, access into speedrunning is a huge issue right now, there is a huge influx of people to the idea of speedrunning from things like GDQs that have no idea how to go about getting started. Or they can't find the help they need when they get stuck. Not everyone can look at potentially outdated wikis and absorb that information. Not everyone can get into the small Skype groups and what have you where it is passed around.

If you have been speedrunning for a long time, think about all the times you haven't been able to figure something out, and someone else gave you the tip that made it work for you. I know personally, it has happened hundreds of times at least. Not all that info is out there. Personal coaching isn't how I would go about it, but it is a method that can work quite effectively. Some people simply get information and help better from coaching. There is nothing stopping people from still seeking out tutorials/wikis, that information isn't going anywhere, it's just another option for people who want it. And if you think that speedrunners should be giving 1 on 1 lessons to each person who wants help with a game, again, potentially 40+ hours of work a week without any financial benefit, I fear you aren't thinking very hard about the concept at all.

I've seen some people say that this is somehow the worst thing that's ever happened to speedrunning, and it's just utterly ridiculous. No, this isn't how I would go about things. As I mentioned in my foreword, I wouldn't charge people for lessons. But I will say one thing without a doubt, certain parts of the communities reaction to this has been far worse than the act, by an enormous distance.

Obviously it hasn't been the entire community who have had this backlash jerk reaction of hatred, but it has been a significant part. The mentality isn't helping anyone or anything at all. Targeting someone for making money out of something you enjoy is simply ridiculous. I don't hate PPMD for making money out of Smash. I don't hate hate Usain Bolt for making money out of his achievements. It makes no sense at all to do the same to a speedrunner.

Thank you for reading all of this. I hope the community takes some time to reflect upon these sorts of issues in the future. The growth of speedrunning has been quite rapid, and sometimes it's hard for people to understand that not everyone does something to the same level as everyone else, and it's ok. I'd like to think moving forward we can be more understanding towards this, to create a better atmosphere for everyone. If you have any feedback, feel free to let me know, I am always willing to listen.