this sickens me....

haha so i go on yahoo to check mail and started to read one of those little stories. and i ran past this

young 16 year old 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.Guitar Hero is his title of choice. "I usually play till I can't anymore," he says. 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.

ok first off. who pays someone 80 tho. to play a fake guitar. and who would quit highschool to play a video game. video games are taken over kids. as you can see by some of the kids these days. i am 14 and never had a video game. and have been fine. i dont know why this makes me so mad haha but it just does

((shakes head)) wow... and to think hes our future, boy are we lucky.

devils advocate: at least he has a dream :rolleyes:

I saw that story to thought thats the dumbest thing that any human has ever done its never going to get him any where in life.All my friends play the game constantly I tell them why dont you quit with game and pick up a strat and start kicking out some riffs.

exactly. all my friends always talk about it. i have played real guitar and drums for 5 years. and playing those games is nothing to me. but honestly.... who is paying these people to play a video game??? lol 25,000 in one competition is stupid!!!! and most of the people who have all these wii's and x box's are a lil on the obese side. not being mean ... but its the sitting on the couch that does it to people

I'm not saying it's not sad, but here's the answer from a game design grad (i.e. my boyfriend):

Those who would shell out 80k are endorsers. They only pay up to the best of the best, though. Like the Ogre Twins - the best Halo players out there, who skipped final exams to go to a championship tournament. They got 0's on the tests, but walked away with 20k prize money.
If that kid isn't in the top five champs of the WORLD, he is wasting his time.
As for those who would do such a thing, there is a legit 'business': video game athletes. They are professional gamers who get endorsements by the thousands to play new games. Kind of like having Tiger Woods use the newest Nike sports shoe.

Also, using the fake guitar for the game is VERY different from a real guitar. In fact, it's nothing like it. Real guitarists have tried the game and failed miserably because they were thinking like a guitarist, not a gamer. It doesn't train you to play a real one, just like playing DDR doesn't teach you real dance moves.

Oh, any BTW... those stereotypical, overweight gamers aren't the dedicated gamers. Real players use both hands and focus on the game, FORGETTING the food which the other players chow down on as they casually play. :) My BF happens to be @145 lbs and 5'11". Most hardcore video gamers I know, including my first BF, are thin and dexterous.

Gaming has got very competitive over the last few years...So this doesn't surprise me at all. There are kids winning 100k for MLG events across the USA every year.

I play both the real guitar and drums and guitar hero and rock band, and love them both. I am not bad at the guitar on guitar hero, but the RB drums kill me!! I don't know why I can't play them after playing a real set since I was 11!


Come on! He is doing nothing with his life, and is throwing it away..common sense tells this teen(me) to stay in school and do REAL things that will make me money. Your looking at the next big agricultural engineer here! He needs to look into the future and invest in something real. His parents need a good smakin' too! :ohmygod::frustrate

Now Halo and Madden are the real man games..Heh.

yeah alot of the people get alot of cash for it. i dont get why. but this was in the article too

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.

i dont think this world should come down to halo 2 championships. and as it does , everyone asks eachother .... why does the new generation just keep getting more obese???

his parents should have smacked him but instead .........

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.)
:rolleye2:

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Originally Posted by reptiman93

his parents should have smacked him but instead .........

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.)
:rolleye2:

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Hmmm. The parents are clearly het for no common sense, and they show markers!!!




Lolsnake joke.:rolleyes:

there was a point when everyone wanted to play REAL guitar and REAL drums. now it seems everyone likes matching up six colors to the tv screen. and if a parent encourages there kid to drop out and sit on couch all day..... haha i have nothing to say about that:rofl::rofl:

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Originally Posted by reptiman93

there was a point when everyone wanted to play REAL guitar and REAL drums. now it seems everyone likes matching up six colors to the tv screen. and if a parent encourages there kid to drop out and sit on couch all day..... haha i have nothing to say about that:rofl::rofl:

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I am afraid I have to much to say!! I don't care if your kids don't like sports, make them do something that involves physical activity...It is amazing to see the changes in weights of kids over summer. Most kids gain a whole bunch of weight, and its sad to see that.

i have wayyyyy to much to say. exactly. if your kids dont like sports. get them involved in music. even something different. but here is an example of one of the problems... i go over to a girls house. go into family room and her mom is playing guitar hero. wouldnt look away from tv!!! haha

I commend the kiddo for having the guts to take an adventure. Will he fail? Most likely. The game will be old news in a little while. Some of life's best lessons are often the hardest learned. Sometimes ya gotta take your own road...no matter how silly it is :rolleye2:

Bravo, Nate! Well said. :)

And the kids are obese and lazy because their parents feed them junk, let them watch TV 24/7, and never even suggest physical activities. It's not necessarily games. Like I said, most hard core gamers often love activities as well as their games. It keeps the mind sharp and the hand quick. ...it's the 'ho-hum I'm just gonna play these games cause it keeps me from doing chores' kids that turn into veggies.

Sorry, ever since I partnered up with a game design prospect I've been defending games. It's not the games, it's the people who play them. :D

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Originally Posted by Argentra

It's not the games, it's the people who play them. :D

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YES! :banana:

I work a lot and I get out alot..but damn I love some Call of Duty :D...it's my stress reliever.

Don't blame the kid, blame the parents!

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Originally Posted by Nate

YES! :banana:

I work a lot and I get out alot..but damn I love some Call of Duty :D...it's my stress reliever.

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DUDE! COD rocks!:D

lol i seen this also, and to top it all off i have a bud who lives in NYC that does just that. he plays video games and gets paid for it, kinda like grandmas boy (the movie) he actually sites in a station all day playing new games that come out on the market to see if there are any bugs, glitches, and errors in the games. and makes i dont think 80k but is doing good for himself, drives a nice car (BMW) and owns his house (paying mortgage) but he went to school for it video game design i think and landed a great job. ha but he is 27 and has no girlfriend lol so its a win lose situation...i dont think girls find video gamers too sexy ..ladies correct me if im wrong...:gj:

There are multitudes of dumb crap people do for “entertainment” that I find appalling and have no interest in, so I respond with the attention it is due; which is to say, none at all. Why waste precious moments of my life, not to mention adopting needless aggravation and stress, by even thinking about it?

In the case of this specific topic, they are not hurting anybody and they are not breaking the law. There are many, many more terrible things they could be doing with their time.

And if FPS (First Person Shooters) is not your thing, than try something like Civilization, or the upcoming Spore. ;) I am willing to bet there is at least video game genera that will appeal to you!

When I was in high school I saw a lot of kids dropping out because, "I'm a thug, I'm a be out on the streets hustlin'!". This kids goals are about on par with that. What a hemipene.

im never gonna drop out of high shool but dude at least practice real guitar.

To me, this is just another sign of the decline of intelligence in the world. Technology is taking over and kids are turning to TVs and video games instead of books or using their imaginations...

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that technology is a bad thing. I'm just as dependent on technology as the next person. The responsibility for things like this lies with the parents who didn't make the time to raise their kids the way we were raised.

It makes me think of the movie Idiocracy... Anyone else?

He should've at least graduated from high school. I hope that he has fun taking inane GED classes in a few years!

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Originally Posted by Inknsteel

It makes me think of the movie Idiocracy... Anyone else?

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Awesome, yet sadly frighteningly possible, movie. Everyone should watch it!

and the money people spend. i remember when that like playstation 3 came out. people sold the first copy on ebay for 13k..... for a game system. you could buy a gibson sg real guitar and like 4 years of private lessons with that money. video games are taking everyone over. grades have dropped alot in schools. overweight. and like the kids who bring guns to school probably get the idea from the video games lol

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Originally Posted by reptiman93

exactly. all my friends always talk about it. i have played real guitar and drums for 5 years. and playing those games is nothing to me. but honestly.... who is paying these people to play a video game??? lol 25,000 in one competition is stupid!!!! and most of the people who have all these wii's and x box's are a lil on the obese side. not being mean ... but its the sitting on the couch that does it to people

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I am 28 and a video game fanatic.....tho I would NEVER quit my job to play full time. I also play alittle drums,guitar and a little bass and althoght the game(s) is fun there is alot more to be acomplished with the real thing. As far as people paying them it is all from marketing. You get the game out and people love it and it becomes a job to them. Think of all the people that sign up for the tournements and prob. $100 entry(and we are prob. talking thousands) fee and 1 winner. Yeah they have top 3 I belive but not near the payoff for first. That's is how the money game is played. :rofl: Hope this helps in any way.-Ray

alot of my friends play so i have heard plenty about the game. but i actually had kids say its alot more fun than a real guitar!!! i mean come on memorizing six colors of the rainbow is nowhere near as fun as picking up a real guitar with 6 actual string and hundreds of frets. its come to the point where people think fake guitar is cooler:rolleye2:

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Originally Posted by reptiman93

alot of my friends play so i have heard plenty about the game. but i actually had kids say its alot more fun than a real guitar!!! i mean come on memorizing six colors of the rainbow is nowhere near as fun as picking up a real guitar with 6 actual string and hundreds of frets. its come to the point where people think fake guitar is cooler:rolleye2:

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Very true However my guitar is a 7 string Ibenez I play alot of older Korn.:gj:

sweet. i have a gibson sg. emptied every penny for it but i love that thing. :rockon:

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Originally Posted by reptiman93

sweet. i have a gibson sg. emptied every penny for it but i love that thing. :rockon:

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Very nice!!

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Originally Posted by scales owner

Very true However my guitar is a 7 string Ibenez I play alot of older Korn.:gj:

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Originally Posted by reptiman93

sweet. i have a gibson sg. emptied every penny for it but i love that thing. :rockon:

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Psh, this kid has a sweet Sony with rainbow colored buttons... :rofl:

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Originally Posted by PythonWallace

Psh, this kid has a sweet Sony with rainbow colored buttons... :rofl:

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No doubt I have it too. PS3 baby love it!!!

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Originally Posted by PythonWallace

Psh, this kid has a sweet Sony with rainbow colored buttons... :rofl:

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And only one string!:D

lol funny. :D but wouldnt waste one $$$$$ on one of those

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Originally Posted by reptiman93

and the money people spend. i remember when that like playstation 3 came out. people sold the first copy on ebay for 13k..... for a game system. you could buy a gibson sg real guitar and like 4 years of private lessons with that money. Video games are taking everyone over. Grades have dropped alot in schools. Overweight. And like the kids who bring guns to school probably get the idea from the video games lol

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You may be shocked at the price some people are willing to pay for a video game system, but consider this; there are many people who are not into reptiles. To them, you are wasting your money on buying these "ugly" "stupid" animals. They may even think you would be much better off spending your money on something "worthwhile" like dance lessons, because, to them, dance is a hobby they love and is therefore far more valid than yours.

Maybe people into video games don't want to learn a 'real guitar.' Maybe they just want to come home from a hard day of work/school and vege out for a little while, pretending to be a rock-star. Is it really so different than listening to music (CD prices are crazy, too, if you ask me) or reading a book about it? Neither equips you with the skills to actually do what you are being entertained by, but they are enjoyable nonetheless.

Learning an instrument takes a lot of dedication and a lot of work. I know. It isn't for everyone. The same can be said for any passion.

I think it’s snide to dump on other peoples hobbies just because they may not appeal to you on a personal level. Adding half-baked conjecture in an attempt to further validate your points is also unsmurffy. Using the logic you've displayed I could argue that guitar lessons are dangerous, based on how many rock-stars become addicted to drugs; thus, guitar lessons = miserable heroin ODs in the gutter. :O

Well...im not dropping out of school to play with my snakes am I? I don't have a problem with him gaming, just with him dropping out of school, when he could still stay in school and game at the same exact time.:confuzd:

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Originally Posted by PythonWallace

When I was in high school I saw a lot of kids dropping out because, "I'm a thug, I'm a be out on the streets hustlin'!". This kids goals are about on par with that. What a hemipene.

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I LOL at this post :8: :rofl:

ya some people might wanna come home from work and play for a while.... but its not like this kid comes home from a hard day of work. he is dropping out of school to play a game. i mean dedicating your whole life and education to a piece of plastic just i seems kind of a waste. ya it could be a hobby. but it cant be your life

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Originally Posted by stangs13

Well...im not dropping out of school to play with my snakes am I?

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Having herps has actually made me want to get back in to college. I am currently looking in to classes in biology and zoology. Between what I can learn through forums like this and actually classes, I may actually start understanding more about why my snakes do what they do....hopefully. I also think it would help to expand my horizons past aircraft maintenance.

On-topic: I know that people get paid to play this games, but the small percentage getting paid compared to how many play and this kid is working for an impossible dream. At least his parents are getting him a tutor so he won't come out of it a complete waste.

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Originally Posted by stangs13

Well...im not dropping out of school to play with my snakes am I? I don't have a problem with him gaming, just with him dropping out of school, when he could still stay in school and game at the same exact time.:confuzd:

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The dropping out thing is truly sad and wrong. That is something to diss. But (and I speak to all seeing this thread) do Not put video games down as a 'waste of time and money'.

Those with guitars: You spent a lot of money on those instruments because it's what you love to do. Those of us with pricey BP morphs have done the same... well, so have those people with game consoles and games. The guitar is enjoyable to the player, but most likely will not get you tons of money or fame and glamor. The games are a passion to the player, but often times don't get them huge paychecks.

Of course, you CAN get big bucks in either industry IF you're good enough and really really dedicated. In fact, you have more chance of breaking into the gaming industry than you do the music industry!
BTW - I am a musician. My father plays guitar and drums in two bands, making fair money with it. I myself am a singer who was highly encouraged to attend Julliard...but decided against it because I didn't want to contend with that cutthroat competition level.
My BF is a gamer extraordinaire. He has a degree in game design and hopes one day to use that degree. He plays games, not just to play them but to analyze them and get a better idea of what is playable and fun and what is not. Yes, he's spent a pretty penny on the two consoles he has (a 360 elite and a PS2), but if they help with his future career, then it's money well spent. Just as my 12 snakes are not only a pleasure to me but an investment.

So, as was beautifully said by Nightlad (:D), do not put down someone else's passion just because you think it's a waste of time and money. :) It isn't to them.

it doesnt matter what you do . drugs is a personal choice. ya of course there are hard core druggies who get slammed with other bands but still. there are bands that dont. there have been A+ students who OD on meth or crack every year. so you cant look at a guitar player or drummer and go... o look!!! he probably snorts coke!!!

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Originally Posted by NightLad

I think it’s snide to dump on other peoples hobbies just because they may not appeal to you on a personal level. Adding half-baked conjecture in an attempt to further validate your points is also unsmurffy. Using the logic you've displayed I could argue that guitar lessons are dangerous, based on how many rock-stars become addicted to drugs; thus, guitar lessons = miserable heroin ODs in the gutter. :O

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Bravo! The only thing sad in this thread is how many people are willing to make such snap judgments on a passion they have no experience or knowledge of.

the true sad thing is someone dropping out of highschool. maybe it is a cool hobby. but why would you drop out of school for guitar hero??? i mean if you were to #1 and could make enough money to support yourself then go for it. but the kids not #1. its not a highpaying job unless you are up there. and finish highschool!!!! this game isnt going to have competitions until this guy can retire. so when he is 35 and no more competitions he is going to have to go back and repeat highschool. ya,,,, go for it if its a hobby. but dont throw life away cuz you could win a little bit of money for a short amount of time

Personally, i see nothing wrong with playing video games... i play Call Of Duty 4, and the Wii and my brothers xbox... what i see wrong here is the plain fact that not only is this kid wanting to drop outa high school and sit around playing video games hard core... but the fact that no one is stopping him.

and i understand that sometimes its to get away from stress.. but seriously, it becomes an obsession when a kid drops out of highschool just to play a video game... he is going to regret his choices when he actually desides to grow up a bit

edit ~ you beat me to it reptiman

ChicaPiton519 is exactly right. ya video games are fun. but dropping out shouldnt be an option. and he has no support from his parents

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Originally Posted by reptiman93

the true sad thing is someone dropping out of highschool.

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That is a good point, I agree. However, one doesn't have to repeat high school, many people go on to college with a GED. Myself, for example ;)

Dropping out of high school is the BS part of the story. There are very few good reasons to drop out of high school. Things like being a computer genius and getting hired at 16 to make $180,000 a year to start your career early is up there. Dropping out of HS to play fake guitar in a video game is near the bottom. Even if he becomes the #1 GH player in the world, he might make $80,000 for a year or two at best, than GH will be old news. I hope he's a ninja master of every other genre of video games, because $150,000 isn't quite enough for a 17 year old to retire on. Unless he invests in a few trios of LAs and champaigns or something. :confused:

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Originally Posted by ChicaPiton519

i play Call Of Duty 4

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do you play on xbox live?

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Originally Posted by reptiman93

the true sad thing is someone dropping out of highschool. maybe it is a cool hobby. but why would you drop out of school for guitar hero???

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That was the bottom line of the OP's story, yes. However, in a previous post you made, the specific one I responded to, you branched away from that point to make statements about people who play video games in general. That was what prompted me to respond, and those statements are what I was addressing.