In its heyday, the video arcade was a social scene to prove one's video gaming prowess. The introduction of a revolutionary head-to-head fighting game called Street Fighter II in 1991 ushered in an era of competitive video gaming with unparalleled complexity. An influx of copy-cat games and the arrival of consoles with capabilities rivaling coin-ops led to the arcade's demise. However, the release of Street Fighter IV (SF4) has brought about a revival. I report on the cultural practices of

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... ore gaming that have revolved around SF4. SF4's release on both the console (which enables fighting others online) and the arcade has engendered a new set of challenges in constructing what it means to be competitive and legitimate in the world of head-to-head fighting games. I observe that the enrolment of an ecology of technological artifacts allows players to translate braggadocio from the arcade, a central phenomenon in competitive gaming.