this sickens me....

[Argentra]

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.

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 (), 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.

[reptiman93]

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!!!

[SarahMB]

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.

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.

[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??? 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

[ChicaPiton519]

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

[reptiman93]

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

[SarahMB]

the true sad thing is someone dropping out of highschool.

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

[PythonWallace]

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.

[Nate]

i play Call Of Duty 4

do you play on xbox live?

[NightLad]

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???

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.