Meet Blake Peebles, a sixteen year-old from North Carolina who has aspirations of professional gaming. He's so serious about it that he's dropped out of high school to focus on improving his skills full-time, according to this story at The News & Observer. What's more, his parents actually consented to this decision.
Now, before everyone gets into a tizzy about bad parenting practices and poor decision-making, Blake is still receiving an education. His parents have arranged for private tutoring which allows for the boy to practice his gaming late into the night. The arrangement apeears to have improved Blake's study habits as well and his mother, "hasn't once had to tell him to do his homework, because he does it on his own."
Blake isn't earning any serious cash just yet, having only made about $1000 and mostly in non-cash prizes from local tournaments. He has his sights set on bigger things and is heading to a regional qualifying tournament for the World Cyber Games in California this month.
While I'm not sure I could condone behavior such as dropping out of school to pursue a career in playing video games, it's refreshing to see that Blake's parents were willing and able to help him pursue his goals in a responsible manner. And the kid appears to have a decent head on his shoulders about it, too. Still, pro gaming is a tough racket and I hope he has a few ideas for what he can fall back on if he winds up investing several years into this and doesn't become the next Johnathan Wendel.
[Via Kotaku -- Thanks, Pedro!]
Conrad Zimmerman is Destructoid's News Editor and home to the busiest mustache in the gaming press. An amateur historian and pop culture fanatic, Conrad possesses a nearly limitless wealth of videogame factoids and a passion for the power of games to teach, inspire and entertain. He enjoys reading, writing and turning things which should be fun into work.
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Contest:
3:54 PM on 08.17.2008
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If this kid makes the cash, I guess we can all just shut up. If he doesn't, rhk had it right.
Fuck, I passed, with honors, and I didn't do shit.
[/rant]
That being said, I wouldn't hold my breath expecting him to make a decent living off professional gaming, so hopefully he's making plans for a back up career just in case.
Move on to Rock Band.
@ Heretic
Jesus, you're more negative than Nanbu. How did that happen?
Still, I dunno how in the crap he talked his parents into this.
Well, as long as he continues his education, it's all good. Just...if things do bomb...hopefully he'll have a backup. Still, it will be awhile before this kind achieves the ranks of:
PriestMLH
Tipperqueen
Hellsashes
wULFE
Kov
and of course
iamchris4life
Good luck to the kid. He's gonna need it.
America's school system is shit anyway. All were taught is that getting a job in a cubicle is the best thing that could happen to you. Unless your in elementary school where they teach you that you are special which is utter shit since most kids these days I fucking retards who will have a career in pushing buttons all day until they die.
Unless your in elementary school where they teach you that you are special which is utter shit since most kids these days I fucking retards who will have a career in pushing buttons all day until they die.
Unless your in elementary school where they teach you that you are special
Unless your
your
Bling-bling.
You've failed at life already kid.
I wonder if he can play on expert without even having his guitar hooked up?
At least then you can make a shitload of money in South Korea, unless you are worse than the millions of Korean pro's, hmmmmmmm.
that's stupid.
..............
........
...
how effing dumb do you've got to be in order to
do something like this?
He's 16 !!!
If he was 12... or 11,
but he's 16.
Wow.. earth is overpopulated with this?
"Well I did 5 years years in guitar hero the game the game itself"
They will just laugh there ass off
Somebody better get his ass in gear because that will be talent or potential for something else just gone... just for a game....
...twice...
...with a spoon.
Anyway, yeah. This Kid's an Idiot, and His parents are Unfit to keep him.
You couldn't be anymore wrong.
He may have one things, but I fear he just one himself a one way ticket to his parents basement until he is 43.
such horrible parenting...
What an idiot!
Sadly, I thought the exact same thing.
"Hey buddy got a quarter"
Pro gamers are the biggest pieces of shit on Earth the lowest of the low. The most vile disgusting lazy fucks ever created.
Competitive eating? Professional power walking? Rock-paper-scissors championship?
QFT.
There's nothing special about pro gamers. They have to practice so much to get ahead of the competition, it's a joke. Can you honestly imagine just playing one game every day for hours on end for months? I'm willing to bet it'll become a chore after a bit. I have no idea how it doesn't drive these people to the brink of insanity. Not just that, but I'd also like to know what other games these so called "pro gamers" play. I had no idea spending all your time on a single video game made you a hardcore gamer.
The lifestyle itself is just completely ridiculous too. I don't give two fucks about how much money they make through sponsors, tournaments, etc. Money doesn't equate happiness or success in life. The fact is, spending all your time playing one or two video games every day of your life isn't anything fulfilling. You're not creating art, you're not reading, expanding your knowledge, exploring what life has to offer, etc. All you're doing is sitting in your room playing a video game. Absolutely pathetic.
I'm willing to bet this is just a quick phase in this kid's life. He'll become disheartened and bored within a few months, and if he doesn't, then he must really be easily amused because no matter how hard I try, I can't wrap my head around the concept of someone playing the same damn game day in, day out, without playing any others, while somehow managing to stay entertained.
Competitive eating? Professional power walking? Rock-paper-scissors championship?"
I lol'd.
Pro power walking ftw.
http://qualify.us.worldcybergames.com/?a=standings&stageid=2299