Are you good at typing? With the introduction of mandatory programming in compulsory education programs, typing is becoming an essential skill in today's society, but it is difficult to learn unless you use a computer on a daily basis. On the other hand, if you use a computer on a daily basis to do research or play games, it is a skill that you will naturally acquire without even being conscious of it. The " REALFORCE TYPING CHAMPIONSHIP 2023 " was held on March 12, 2023 (Sunday), and only those who have mastered typing the best can participate. Topre Corporation, well known for its high-end keyboard REALFORCE, held the event jointly with Nippon Television Network Corporation, and here is a report from the event!
The pinnacle of typists will be decided at RTC2023
"REALFORCE TYPING CHAMPIONSHIP 2023 (RTC2023)" was jointly held by Topre Corporation and Nippon Television Network Corporation to determine the best typist in Japan. The top 16 winners of the online preliminary round will advance to an offline tournament held at NTV's office building. The winners will receive cash prizes and REALFORCE keyboards.
Arrival at Nittele!
Amidst the skyscrapers surrounding the building, the NTV Tower stands out in a strikingly large presence. The Nittele Grand Clock, designed by Hayao Miyazaki, is also eye-catching.
To the studio
Enter the special studio where RTC2023 will be held. The RTC2023 will be broadcast live on YouTube andTwitch, and will also be featured later on NTV's e-sports program "eGG. The large amount of equipment meant a large number of staff members, as one would expect from NTV.
Denasu System, e-typing, KORG, AKRacing, and Mouse Computer (G-Tune) cooperated with RTC2023. The fierce battle will unfold in the best environment.
The host and play-by-play announcer for RTC2023 will be NTV announcer Hikaru Shinohara, and commentary will be provided by Takahiro Sumino, representative of the All Japan Typist Union.
The tournament is about to begin!
The offline tournament of RTC2023 will be a single-elimination tournament. The typing software "Weather Typing 4.3 (RTC2023 version)" will be used, and the first player to complete 10 words will win a round. The first player to complete 10 words wins the round. The other rounds are 3 rounds, except for the finals, which are 5 rounds.
An important rule is "accuracy. If a player gets 10 words and his key type accuracy is less than 95%, and his opponent gets more than 95%, then his opponent wins the round. However, if the opponent's accuracy is also below 95%, the player with 10 words wins the round. Ideally, a player should get 10 words while maintaining a 95% accuracy rate. If the accuracy rate is below 95% after 9 words, the strategy is to intentionally not finish a word to regain accuracy.
This "accuracy" rule is really interesting and creates the drama that is eSports.
The 16 typists who won the preliminary rounds held on the typing practice site " e-typing " lined up for the tournament. The main attraction of the tournament was the absolute queen, miri, who has won the RTC three times in a row. The video of her explosive typing speed uploaded to YouTube has been viewed approximately 17 million times, and you have probably seen it at least once.
There are many other notable players, and muller has a history of losing to miri in all three previous RTC tournaments. Let's take a look back at the matches to see how it all turned out!
RTC2023 Offline Tournament
Game 1: Goe vs.
| Goe | Teru | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Devil of Latency | Ultimate all-rounder |
| Input Method | Romaji input | Romaji input/Kana input |
| Devices used | bitFerrous BFKB88PCBK | REALFORCE TKL SA / R2TLSA-JP3-BK |
| Typing history | Sushi typing, ordinary 3,000 yen course, 15,020 yen gain / ordinary 10,000 yen course, 40,480 yen gain | Typewell Roman/Kana/English National 1st place |
The first game was a showdown between Goe and Tell. A unique sense of tension enveloped the audience as this was their first match.
Goue is confident in his initial speed from the time a word is displayed to the time he actually starts typing. In contrast, Tell is a two-sided player who uses both Romaji and Kana typing. It was interesting to see how he would change his typing method depending on the genre of the question.
The result was a 1 to 3 victory for Tell! Although the atmosphere in the hall was not yet warm, Ter was able to put pressure on Goe by maintaining a high level of accuracy.
Game 2: Harumaki vs.
| Harumaki | Kuna | |
|---|---|---|
| Two names | High-speed typing college student | Head of the Typer VALORANT Club |
| Input method | Roman input | Roman input |
| Equipment used | Logitech G813 LIGHTSYNC RGB MECHANICAL GAMING KEYBOARD | ARCHISS ProgresTouch TKL Cherry Speed Silver |
| Typing History | First RTC main tournament entry, e-typing, test typing 745 pts. | Highest rank reached by VALORANT Immortal 2 |
The second game was a showdown between Harumaki and Kuwana. Both players were competing in the RTC for the first time, so we wondered if they could show their usual performance in the unique environment of typing while being watched by over 100 spectators.
The result was 0 to 3 in favor of Kwana! Kuwana's highest rank in the tactical FPS "VALORANT" is Immortal 2. Immortal 2 is said to be the top 0.2% of all players, and he has demonstrated a high level of performance in both typing and gaming.
Game 3: MIYAMAGAMI vs ARUPPARU
| Goat | Aaruppa | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Seeking 80 million keys | Herbivore Fingertip Tricky |
| Input method | Kana input | Romaji input |
| Devices used | REALFORCE S / R2S-JP4-BK | bitFerrous BFKB113PBK |
| Typing history | 80 million keystrokes practiced in 2 years | RTC2019 5th place, Typewell Japanese R 1st place nationally |
The third match was a showdown between San Yamamitsu and Arupa. MIYAMAYAMAYAMA has passed the preliminary round of the Kana input category with an overwhelming score to take first place. In contrast, Ararupa won 5th place at RTC2019. He entered the tournament with an alpaca doll, which he says is his favorite.
The result was 3-0 in favor of Mishan Goat! Both players showed tremendous key speed, but Mishanamitsu's momentum was unstoppable.
Game 4: Serenade Yuki vs.
| Yuki Serenade | Hoshinagi | |
|---|---|---|
| Two names | Careful internet life | Randomly typed Yawayawamentaru |
| Input method | romaji input | Romaji input |
| Equipment used | REALFORCE A / R2A-JPV-IV | HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Japanese / Snow |
| Typing history | The Typing of the Dead 2004" Clear Time World No.1 | Mainichi PC Typing Contest, Japanese A, Prime Minister's Prize |
The fourth game is a matchup between Yuki Serenade and Nagi Hoshi. Yuki Serenade is a fierce competitor who has participated in the past 3 consecutive tournaments. In contrast, Hoshinagi is a young junior high school student.
The result was 3-0 in favor of Yuki Serenade! The difference in experience was evident. Yuki Serenade, who maintained a high level of accuracy, dominated the competition. Hoshinagi also fought well, and we look forward to her future growth and success.
Game 5: Hayato vs.
| Hayato | Ano player | |
|---|---|---|
| Two names | His speed is like a cheetah | National Treasure Class Rampant Striking |
| Input Method | Kana input | Kana input |
| Equipment used | REALFORCE R3S KEYBOARD / R3SC21 | REALFORCE R3 KEYBOARD / R3HC13 |
| Typing History | RTC2019 U-22 champion, 4th place in the main tournament | Practice to the point that fingers swell |
The fifth game was a matchup between Hayato and that player. Hayato won the U-22 division of RTC2019 and placed 4th in the main tournament. The other player was making his first appearance at RTC, but was confident in his mental abilities, so it was interesting to see if he could take advantage of the atmosphere.
The result was 3-1 in favor of Hayato! In the fifth game, the accuracy was quickly discarded in each round, as the two players were playing against each other with kana input. The game of accuracy is interesting, but it is also fun to watch a game where the faster player just wins! The match was also worth watching.
Game 6: Y-i vs really
| Y-i | really | |
|---|---|---|
| Two names | The last one to cheer is me! | Mie's Typing Date Man |
| Input method | Romaji input | Romaji input |
| Equipment used | REALFORCE R3S KEYBOARD / R3SC12 | bitFerrous BFKB88PCBK |
| Typing History | First place in RTC main competition, e-typing, typing skill test 834pt | 1st place in Mainichi PC Typing Contest, Japanese B |
The 6th game was a matchup between Y-i and really. Shinohara, the announcer, described this match as a "refreshing" versus a "sexy" confrontation. As the match progressed, both players seemed to be in a relaxed mood before the match, perhaps because they had become accustomed to the atmosphere at the venue.
The result was 0 to 3 in favor of REALLY! The result was a 0-3 win for realy. realy showed his unique setup by tilting his pantograph keyboard diagonally down to the left. Although Y-i had the advantage in accuracy, really's momentum exceeded it as he hit 1383 kpm in the first word of the third round.
Kpm stands for "keystrokes per minute," the number of keys typed in one minute. Although it is instantaneous, 1383 kpm means that the player is typing about 23 times per second. I don't know what's going on anymore.
Game 7: The devil's advocate vs. muller
| Muller | muller | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Drunkenness Drunken Key | Kana input word specialist |
| Input method | Romaji input | Kana input |
| Device used | bitFerrous BFKB113PBK | REALFORCE 91U |
| Typing history | First time to participate in the RTC main competition, e-typing, test typing 797pt | All RTC main tournament entries, TYPEWELL Japanese K, 1st place in the nation |
The seventh game was a matchup between TYPEWELL and muller. This was the first time for Majagasu to participate in the RTC main tournament, while muller is a well-known typist who has participated in all of the RTC main tournaments. In the pre-match interview, I got the impression that Magagasasu was more relaxed than muller, but muller was also quietly determined to fight, saying, "I'm not confident, but I'm going to beat them all.
The result was 0 to 3 in favor of muller! Kana input tends to be a bottleneck in accuracy due to the small number of inputs, but muller was able to steadily win rounds at a very high level.
Game 8: miri vs.
| Player miri | NON player | |
|---|---|---|
| Two names | Absolute Queen | Bouncing Fingertips |
| Input method | Romaji input | Romaji input |
| Device used | bitFerrous BFKB92UP2 | bitFerrous BFKB113PBK |
| Typing History | 3 consecutive RTC competitions | RTC2018 4th place |
The 8th game will be a showdown between MIRI and NON. In the final match of the best 16, we have the absolute queen, miri, who has won the RTC tournament three times in a row. She is confident that she has come here to win this tournament as well. NON, on the other hand, had a direct confrontation with MIRI at RTC2018, and was eager to take revenge.
The result was 3-0 in favor of miri! Despite the difference in the number of rounds, NON did a great job of maintaining his accuracy and getting 9 words. The audience was very excited.
3rd Place Match
After the quarterfinals and semifinals, the third-place game was decided between Mishangamu and Hayato. Both players were the same age and both were from the "Singing Typing Theater. Hayato taught Miyamayamitsu when he was just starting to learn kana input, making this a matchup between two players who know each other very well.
The first round was won by San Yamamitsu. In the second round, Hayatoh's astonishing figure of 1360 kpm was met with a stir among the audience, but San Yamamitsu calmly took the third round with his high accuracy.
Hayatoo won the third round, and the shocker came in the fourth round. Hayatoo gets 9 words with 91% accuracy, but his opponent Miyamitsu gets 95% accuracy, so if Hayatoo gets the 10th word, Miyamitsu wins. After a few typos by MIYAMAGIRI, HAYATOO is forced to get the 10th word! At that moment, MIYAMAGAMI's accuracy dropped to 93%, and HAYATOH won the round after obtaining the 10th word. The audience was excited by this daring attack that took advantage of a momentary lapse in accuracy.
The game went into the final round. It seemed that Hayato was the one to gain the momentum, but Mishangamu regained his composure and showed his amazing speed and accuracy. She showed no signs of weakness until the 10th word, when she won the round with an accuracy rate of 98%! He took third place in RTC2023!
- Hayato, how do you feel about the match?
Hayatoo : It was a disappointing result. I am frustrated because I could not do my typing.
- Your opponent was a good friend of yours, San Yam Yam.
Hayatoh : I know him well, but I am nervous in a tournament like this.
- How did you feel about the 4th place?
Hayatoh : I am not very satisfied with the result, but I would like to aim for a higher position in the next round.
- You seem to be a little out of breath.
San Yam : Yes, I don't feel like I won.
- There were some scenes where we were being caught up.
MIYAMAYAMA : The word genre "food" is a genre in which kana input tends to be less accurate, so I tried to focus on accuracy, but I made a few mistakes because I was nervous, and that upset me.
- Congratulations on your 3rd place!
MIYAMAGUCHI: Thank you very much.
The Final
Finally, the time has come. This was the first time for Kuwana to participate in the RTC main tournament, but he had won so far with his calm typing, which is both fast and accurate. Against her was Miri, the absolute queen who has won the RTC championship three times in a row.
In RTC2023, the BO9 rule was adopted for the final match only, where the winner must win the first five rounds. The maximum number of rounds is 9, so concentration and stamina are very important.
The first round was the highlight of the tournament. Miri started the round with an unusual mix of typos, but recovered perfectly. As befitting a final match, both players got 9 words to win the championship. The 10th word was obtained by Kuwana, but his accuracy rate was 94.7%, which was just short of 95%, and miri won the first round.
In the second round, Miri got 8 words with 97% accuracy, and Kuwana got 5 words with 94% accuracy. However, Rakuwana was able to catch up with her opponent. In the second round, Rakuwana won the second round with an amazing comeback.
In the following round 3, MIRI was in a bad position. Kuwana, who has the momentum, greatly exceeded in both accuracy and the number of words won, but the absolute queen is not defeated at this point. Miri won the third round by getting five words in a row with accuracy back to 95%.
Miri, who has won the championship three times in a row, was the most popular player in the tournament, but the performance of Kiwana overturned her previous reputation, and the game became uncertain. Both players seemed to be calm at all times, but to their surprise, Kuwana won the fourth and fifth rounds in succession!
The back-and-forth battle continued, but it was MIRI who took the first victory. After winning the 6th and 7th rounds in succession, it was time for the fateful 8th round.
Both players showed equal speed, but Miri had a slight advantage in accuracy. Kuwana was the first to get 9 words, but before he could recover his accuracy, miri got the 10th word! The winner of RTC2023 was miri!
- How do you feel now, Kuzuna?
Kuwana: I feel like I lost in a frustrating way.... When I was breaking accuracy (95%), miri put a lot of pressure on me, and it was a tough battle.
- It was my first time to compete in RTC, and I came in 2nd place!
Kuwana: I am happy, but I wish I could have won the final.
- Miri, you successfully defended your title.
miri : I am really relieved. I think I played my best match so far.
- You have overcome the pressure to win the title for the fourth consecutive time.
Miri : I am really relieved. I don't think there are many fields where women are at the top. I myself have often been called the "fastest woman," but I thought, "That doesn't mean I'm the best. I have been practicing hard with the feeling that I have to beat all the fastest typists regardless of gender, so I am relieved to have won again this year.
The tournament ended with MIRI's fourth consecutive victory!
After 4 hours and 30 minutes of fierce competition, which exceeded the original schedule, the winner was MIRI! In addition to the 200,000 yen prize money, the winner received a REALFORCE Hope model and a trophy! The winner's trophy is a gold REALFORCE with a great impact.
This was the first time in three years that RTC was held, and the heated games and gamesmanship were exactly like e-sports. All you need is a computer and a keyboard to play, and you can hone your typing skills, which will surely be useful in the future. You can watch archived videos of RTC2023 on YouTube andTwitch. The typing software and word files used in the competition can be downloaded for free from the official RTC2023 website!