Rocket Surgeon!

[espn1]

16-year-old drops out of school to play Guitar Hero

Sun Aug 17, 2008 2:29PM EDT


Regular readers know that I love video games as much as the next guy. In fact, my right ankle is still sore from drumming my way through a marathon Rock Band session last night (who knew calibrating the TV would make such a difference!?), and I'm always looking for the latest titles to pop into my Xbox.

But how much gaming is too much? For North Carolina native Blake Peebles, there's no such thing. Guitar Hero is his title of choice. "I usually play till I can't anymore," he says, in this profile from the News & Observer.

In fact, young Mr. Peebles is dropping out of high school... in order to focus on Guitar Hero full time. Peebles hopes to join the small but growing crew of players looking to make gaming a job. Citing his victories in Guitar Hero tournaments, which include "gift certificates, gaming equipment, and chicken sandwiches," Peebles thinks he has the chops to play competitively and earn actual money in the process. As the story notes, top gamers on the competitive circuit can earn up to $80,000 a year (though $25,000 is more common). Peebles, of course, can count his 52 Chick-fil-A combo meals toward that total.

I was at first inclined to disparage the decision by his parents to let Peebles drop out of school, but it seems a little less ridiculous when you delve into the facts. Peebles hahdn't been doing well in school and wasn't liked, and even now he isn't gaming full time. He has a tutor that provides a private education, and his parents say he's doing well with the more focused instruction and that their son now even does his homework without complaint. (Presumably he can hit the axe sooner after he's finished his studies.)

However, I worry that Peebles, who's just 16, may have a tough road ahead trying to break into competitive gaming. The costs of traveling to tournaments alone can totally outstrip earnings, and the amount of training can be grueling. Sponsorships are often a pipe dream. And then there's the issue of games going out of date and being replaced by something new. Traditional athletes never have to worry about, say, distance running being upgraded with a new version, but many games can go out of style, fast. In the end, there's just not much cash there: One gamer, quoted at the end of the linked article, says that in eight years his total earnings are about $25,000 total, and that's including a national championship in Halo 2.

[sinton66]

Boy and his parents need to get a clue.

[popcorn screen]

That boy has got a future in the fast food business. Parents need help.

[espn1]

Originally posted by sinton66
Boy and his parents need to get a clue.

10-4!

[CenTexSports]

I listened to a half hour talk given about internet commerce as it relates to online gaming two weeks ago. The person doing the discussion says that video gaming is either bigger than or fast approaching being bigger than movies. This man spends hours and hours a day playing online games. Some examples of how people are making money at this:

1) An online game has 80 levels. You can pay someone to log in as you and work your character up to a certain level and then once you pay them, they turn it back over to you.

2) You can acquire weapons at various levels and then auction them off to other gamers online. Some sell for $1500 or more.

3) You can also sell your character online.

It was kind of interesting listening to all of the amazing stuff that they do in these games (there are hundreds if not thousands of these games).

BTW: The man that is doing this is the President of a CenTex school board and a member of Rotary where I heard the presentation.

[rockdale80]

Originally posted by CenTexSports
I listened to a half hour talk given about internet commerce as it relates to online gaming two weeks ago. The person doing the discussion says that video gaming is either bigger than or fast approaching being bigger than movies. This man spends hours and hours a day playing online games. Some examples of how people are making money at this:

1) An online game has 80 levels. You can pay someone to log in as you and work your character up to a certain level and then once you pay them, they turn it back over to you.

2) You can acquire weapons at various levels and then auction them off to other gamers online. Some sell for $1500 or more.

3) You can also sell your character online.

It was kind of interesting listening to all of the amazing stuff that they do in these games (there are hundreds if not thousands of these games).

BTW: The man that is doing this is the President of a CenTex school board and a member of Rotary where I heard the presentation.

My friend played World of Warcraft to pay his way through college. He earned several thousand dollars a month playing that game.

[carter08]

At least the kid has a tutor.

He's probably a D student. Would have dropped out on his own when he turned 17. At least he's still getting an opportunity to learn something. He can get his G.E.D., and if gaming doesn't work, he can work at fast food joints forever. Which, chances are, he would have been doing no matter what.

[AP Panther Fan]

Seems like the time would be better spent learning to play a real guitar.