KOPW 2020 seeks to bring the videogaming concept of user generated content to pro-wrestling, explains Daizou Nonaka
Hi everyone! Capcom’s Daizou Nonaka with you again.
It’s been a bit strange this month, having an August without the G1 Climax. It’s something that I link to my summer so closely every year that it feels surreal to be thinking about it in the autumn instead. But there has been so much going on, that it’s been easy to forget the G1 isn’t underway yet!
Already this month we’ve had the ultimate happy ending when YOSHI-HASHI won his first championship in Korakuen Hall. NJPW STRONG and the New Japan Cup USA has been amazing on Friday nights, and then there’s Kazuchika Okada’s amazing new concept: KOPW 2020. That’s what I want to home in on this time.
The twin charms of KOPW 2020
So first of all, in case you aren’t familiar, a reminder of the KOPW 2020 rules.
-There are eight wrestlers taking part.
-Each are bringing their own rules, and fans have voted on what rules will be used in the first round matchups.
-The winners of these four singles matchups will move to a four way on August 29.
-The winner of that four way will be provisional KOPW 2020, and has to defend that title in stipulation matchups for the rest of the year.
-The title resets at the end of 2020.
It’s definitely a unique concept for NJPW. To me, there are two big appeals to this. Firstly, the stipulations themselves. Even after the first preliminary KOPW2020 is decided, there’ll be novel stipulations in defences for the rest of the year.
The other key factor that we shouldn’t forget though is the fan vote aspect. I certainly can’t recall another time in NJPW where the fans are this directly involved in shaping what happens in the ring on a consistent basis. It’s these two aspects that I think will make KOPW 2020 a hit.
The draw of UGC
Both of these aspects bring to mind a revolution that happened in gaming in recent years; the birth of User Generated Content, or UGC. The poster child of UGC in gaming is ‘Minecraft’. If you had to put it into the genre, we’d call it a sandbox game, but what made it a hit was the ability of users to create and shape their own content within the game world.
It’s an aspect I myself love in games, and I’ve sunk hundreds of hours into ‘Minecraft’ over the years. It really prompted gamers to be drawn into this idea of UGC and creation in games.
The true appeal of these titles is in creating somethign and sharing it with others. It isn’t a concept ‘Minecraft’ created; there was a title on the Famicom (which we in Japan called the NES) called ‘Dezaemon’ that let players make their own shooting games, and ‘RPG School’ is a franchise that has been around for years too.
The difference in the 2010s though is that ‘Minecraft’ managed to come along at the right time to leverage video sharing sites and the rise of social media to really let players share their creations much more easily. In the old days, you might be able to show your friends something that you had made; now you can share those creations with a huge worldwide audience. Those creations then inspire their own copies, or new creations, and everything only explodes from there.
These games, together with streaming services and quick communication have also meant that players are much more connected, and enjoy the communicative aspect of watching and discussing almost as much as the act of playing itself. It’s all about imagination and communication.
KOPW brings UGC to wrestling
So let’s get back to KOPW 2020 itself. The fans have the call at the end of the day to choose between the wrestlers’ rules. Everyone is different, and everyone has had their reasons, I’m sure. Maybe they might think one match looks more interesting on paper, or they might want their favourite wrestler to win the vote. In the future, this will be a title shaped just as much by a wrestler’s persuasive power and creativity as much as it is their ability in the ring.
Do you choose a rule that gives you an advantage in some way? Or something that you know the fans will want to see more, giving you a better chance to prepare? It’s hard to say, and it’ll be fun to watch. And what about the rules we might see in the future? There’s all sorts of directions it could go.
Restrictions on victory
Two counts only, pinfalls only, submissions only, KO only, no DQ
Changes of structure
Two out of three falls, round based matches, no rope breaks, no strikes, falls count anywhere
Deathmatches
Weapons matches, no rope matches, chain matches, Texas deathmatches, TLC, ladder, cage
High stakes
Mask matches, hair matches, loser leaves town or faction etc.
Wrestling fans have seen all of these rules at one time or other. I can’t wait to see what the wrestlers- and the fans- come up with next, and I can’t wait for this all to come into effect on August 26!
