MVC2 did not carry Evo before SFIV.
3S, Tekken and Guilty Gear put up bigger numbers almost every year. Hype and exposure? Sure MVC2 is the best. Turn outs? not so much. It was bigger then CVS2 and ST I guess...
Also being in a small tiny hotel no where near the strip for the first few years definitely helped. I think 2k8 was the first year near the strip. Moving to the strip was a big advancement for them. SFIV being as big as it is skyrocketed it.
Final Round, SBO, NEC are the other big tournaments. Evo is the only important one to fighting gamers tho. The timing and everything is just right. Summer, Vegas, Friends, Games. Other tournaments are placed at kinda weird times of the year in places not as easily accessible for travelers.
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Whatever...