A Kid Drops Out Of School For Guitar Hero

[RickO'Connell]

Blake Peebles, a 16-year-old in Raleigh, N.C., whose parents have let him drop out of school so that he can focus on a professional gaming career via Guitar Hero.

Blake convinced his folks (that is, "We couldn't take the complaining anymore," said his mom) to let him drop out last September. They hired in-home tutors to continue his education there, at least, but there's no doubt priority number one is Guitar Hero. There's a vaguely defined goal of Blake playing it professionally, either through Major League Gaming or by winning prizes in a national and international competitions. But so far he's only made about $1,000, most of that value realized in meals and other freebies won at local competitions. The other pro gamer the reporter contacted for this story said he's cashed in about $25,000 in his entire career.

The description of Blake's room, his interests (or lack thereof) , and his folks' decision to let him do this just ... well, the don't make anyone look good. It would be one thing if the guy was a bona fide music or athletic prodigy. However quixotic a career in either field might be for the majority who pursue it, at least there's a long history of it paying off if you are that good enough. But Blake's never touched a real guitar (cue up the get-a-life bait). He didn't seem interested in much of anything in high school (a Christian academy where his parents had enrolled him) and wheedled his way out of going by complaining that it was a waste of time. (That line should sound very familiar to my folks. If only playing Master of the Lamps on the Commodore 64 could have won me some free Chik-Fil-A. I might have had better luck.)

http://kotaku.com/5037975/parents-let-kid-drop-out-of-high-school-to-focus-on-guitar-hero

 

[The Squirrel]

Every kid complains school is a waste of time and they would rather play video games. I guess we should just get rid of school all together.

Fail

 

[Spider-Man Luvr28]

Loser.

 

[Manic]

I don't have any children myself, so I don't want to sit here and judge their parenting skills.

HOWEVER, they leave me precious little choice. They need to get ahold of their kid, put him back in school, and tell him to pursue a real job. Professional gaming pays less than working at McDonalds, and people have a hard enough time surviving off of minimum wage as it is. "Oh, but we couldn't take the complaining!" Nut up, damnit!

 

[Nirvana]

The kid sounds like a dip ****. At least his parents are still trying to get his education moving.

 

[Groovetopia]

His parents are idiots! They let him drop out because their tired of his complaining??? Being a kid is synonymous for complaining, I bet when he was in kindergarten they let him go to school naked because they were tired of hearing him complain about wearing clothes. This is really ridiculous. This kid is going to have no type of a future ahead of him there's no real money in pro gaming because even if you do win a huge tournament prize you'll still have to offset it with your travel and food expenses, and I live in NC and to my knowledge there has never been any major gaming tournament here. Matter of fact are there any Guitar Hero competitions that pay big money at all?

 

[DDS]

If he can do Through Fire and Flames on expert-mode, he doesn't need school.

 

[jaguarr]

Terrible parenting and a terrible disservice to that young man. He'll have very few of the tools he'll need to survive in the real world thanks to a decision like this one. He'll probably have to live with is parents until he's 40 or longer because he won't be able to support himself or handle basic things like managing his money. I'm sure they'll all be happy living together for the next several decades. They deserve each other.

jag

 

[Dark Victory]

Little brat. If there's one thing I hate more than spoiled kids, it's parents that let them have all that crap.

 

[Immortalfire]

Moron.

The parents clearly didn't whoop him enough. "Can't take the complaining" ...my god people, have some freakin backbone. You're in charge of him, so stand your ground.

 

[SLVRSR4]

Maybe he'll get a gig when Guitar hero 4 comes out

 

[The Squirrel]

This is like if a group of kids wanted to take their Rock Band band on the road.

 

[Logan's Runt]

Terrible parenting and a terrible disservice to that young man. He'll have very few of the tools he'll need to survive in the real world thanks to a decision like this one. He'll probably have to live with is parents until he's 40 or longer because he won't be able to support himself or handle basic things like managing his money. I'm sure they'll all be happy living together for the next several decades. They deserve each other.

jag

Exactly.

 

[mmxvi]

Blake Peebles, a 16-year-old in Raleigh, N.C., whose parents have let him drop out of school so that he can focus on a professional gaming career via Guitar Hero.

Blake convinced his folks (that is, "We couldn't take the complaining anymore," said his mom) to let him drop out last September. They hired in-home tutors to continue his education there, at least, but there's no doubt priority number one is Guitar Hero. There's a vaguely defined goal of Blake playing it professionally, either through Major League Gaming or by winning prizes in a national and international competitions. But so far he's only made about $1,000, most of that value realized in meals and other freebies won at local competitions. The other pro gamer the reporter contacted for this story said he's cashed in about $25,000 in his entire career.

The description of Blake's room, his interests (or lack thereof) , and his folks' decision to let him do this just ... well, the don't make anyone look good. It would be one thing if the guy was a bona fide music or athletic prodigy. However quixotic a career in either field might be for the majority who pursue it, at least there's a long history of it paying off if you are that good enough. But Blake's never touched a real guitar (cue up the get-a-life bait). He didn't seem interested in much of anything in high school (a Christian academy where his parents had enrolled him) and wheedled his way out of going by complaining that it was a waste of time. (That line should sound very familiar to my folks. If only playing Master of the Lamps on the Commodore 64 could have won me some free Chik-Fil-A. I might have had better luck.)

http://kotaku.com/5037975/parents-let-kid-drop-out-of-high-school-to-focus-on-guitar-hero

Oh man- Master of the Lamps! There were a ton of games on the 64 I could have made a living on!

 

[darkseid26]

his parents get my nomination for Worst Parents Of 08.

 

[Symbiotic]

These parents are morons.

 

[terry78]

Did he even watch the South Park episode focusing on this? That should scare him straight.

 

[C. Lee]

My advice to the paresnt....let him play until he is 18....then kick him out of the house, change the locks on the doors, rent out his room to someone else, and call the cops on his ass when he tries to crawl back in the window because he's starving to death and tired of living in a cardboard box NEXT to the guy living in a van down by the river.

Oh, and yeah....they should drive by his cardboard condo every now and then and laugh.

 

[JP]

My advice to the paresnt....let him play until he is 18....then kick him out of the house, change the locks on the doors, rent out his room to someone else, and call the cops on his ass when he tries to crawl back in the window because he's starving to death and tired of living in a cardboard box NEXT to the guy living in a van down by the river.

Oh, and yeah....they should drive by his cardboard condo every now and then and laugh.

Sounds like a plan.

 

[tuffenoughtoroc]

There's a reason why video games are forms of "entertainment." It's basically a reward for when you get all your homework and **** done and when you have nothing else to do. This kid's got it backwards.

 

[bullets]

i had some games on the nintendo 64 that i was willing to drop out of school for ,damn you mom and dad.

 

[C. Lee]

Sounds like a plan.

Write me in for President.....I'll give this country a freakin change....

 

[The Squirrel]

My advice to the paresnt....let him play until he is 18....then kick him out of the house, change the locks on the doors, rent out his room to someone else, and call the cops on his ass when he tries to crawl back in the window because he's starving to death and tired of living in a cardboard box NEXT to the guy living in a van down by the river.

Oh, and yeah....they should drive by his cardboard condo every now and then and laugh.

If only they were that smart.

 

[jaguarr]

My advice to the paresnt....let him play until he is 18....then kick him out of the house, change the locks on the doors, rent out his room to someone else, and call the cops on his ass when he tries to crawl back in the window because he's starving to death and tired of living in a cardboard box NEXT to the guy living in a van down by the river.

Oh, and yeah....they should drive by his cardboard condo every now and then and laugh.

Now THAT is some tough love.

jag

 

[C. Lee]

Since he'll be living outside without any electricity....hey can go down to hobo town and play air guitar with him on the weekends.