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Hire a Game Coach Online
Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "Expert videogame players, many of them teens, are forging professional careers as coaches, finding clients — many of them in their 20s or 30s — online, the Wall Street Journal reports. Some gigs pay $65 an hour. From the article: 'Gaming-lessons.com says its youngest "Halo 2" instructor is 8-year-old New Yorker Victor De Leon III — better known by his online gamer name, Lil Poison — who has given several lessons a month since late last year, fitting the classes in after he has done his homework. His father, also named Victor, says his son has used some of the money he earns from lessons (hourly rate: $25) to buy a hamster, named Cortana after a character in the game.'"
that is the gheyest thing I've ever heard. Paying a kid $25 to get good at Halo is pathetic to say the least.
-Dipster
I've heard of life coaches. But get-a-life coaches; that's something new!
Where were you when the voynix came?
People actually pay for lessons for skills that are useless away from video games? What's next, degrees and certifications?!
While 1-1 coaching will always have its place, there is more and more help getting available to on-line gamers in form of communities (gaming help websites) and some automated tools. If you are looking at making this your profession watch out for these help options as your competitors!
So many odd things about this article, including the kid's name: "Victor De Leon III". Sounds like a mafia boss. Wonder if he's allowed to play GTA?
What gets me is why anyone would want to pay? It's like paying someone to eat chocolate for you.
Argh.
That's really quite interesting. Too bad they only offer classes for first-person-shooter games. I've gotten good enough at City of Heroes/Villains that I could probably earn out some great rates giving hourly instruction in that game. I wonder if there are any other sites where a game guru could offer their teaching skills for hire. (It would certainly be a better value for the money than those "pay-for-PL" sites.)
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
Hopefully this Cortana can escape Lil Poison's "Halo" before it implodes....
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
I'd laugh at how huge a waste of life this is, were I not actually guilty of calling a Nintendo "game counselor" once during my childhood. Still, this would have been my dream job at that age, and a friend of mine in 8th grade actually made a few dollars selling VHS videos of him beating whatever NES game in his collection the customer wanted to see. Screw selling lemonade or delivering newspapers...
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It seems to me that some 30 to 40 year olds that have to much money but not enough youth are just tring to get it to this new thingy called video games. It's not the idea that they want to have fun that bothers me it's the idea that people that can't read and instruction booklet or stratagy guide have that much disposable income.
Top Starcraft players would offer lessons either on a hourly level or a per game level at some ludricous rate too. Of course, given the free flow of information of the Net, you'll find that none of these experts actually had any secret worth paying for because if they did, everyone would've known about it already. Although the secret to being good at games and almost anything else in general is just talent + practice, people are quite willing to pretend this isn't the case and if you just get 'the secret from the experts', you too can be a world class Starcraft or Halo 2 player even if you possess neither the talent nor the endurance to learn the game.
Why does anyone need to hire a coach for video games? If yo want to get better--here's a novel thought--find where the good players go, and go there, too. It will either force you to get better or give up because you lack any natural aptitude for the game.
Example: A lot of RTS games now have replay features. Want to get better? Every time you get stomped, watch the replay and see what the other guy did. Try to emulate it in sandbox or skirmish mode. After a few dozen replays you'll be playing like a competent player.
120 characters for a sig? That's bloody useless.
that is the gheyest thing I've ever heard. Paying a kid $25 to get good at Halo is pathetic to say the least.
For the past two decades the second highest market behind selling the games themselves has been the selling of magazines with cheatcodes, screens, etc. All of which may not actually make you a better player. Having someone to actually point out the things you do which are wrong and better ways to achieve results is nothing less than Big Business spends tonnes of money on every year, so why not avid gamers? Just because it doesn't work for you, don't dis everyone else.
One method I learned, years ago, was to play games at their hardest levels or accept the highest degree of difficulty missions. I'd get slaughtered, but at that pace I picked up better sends of timing, anticipation and reaction. Then returned to the easier levels/missions and I learned enough from them to actually beat/complete all levels/missions.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
I think "Kicked by console" must be some sort of certification or something, because I'm pretty good at CS and I get that all the time when I play and do well. Also people call me a "wallhack" and "aimbot", I don't know exactly what this means but I figure it's analogous to the title "Doctor" IRL.
1. RTFA. It's not just FPS-es. They specifically mention Super Smash Brothers Melee.
2. "I wonder if there are any other sites where a game guru could offer their teaching skills for hire." Answer: yes, if you start a website that does that.
Rather than paying $25 an hour, why not use gamefaqs or other related sites? If nothing else, its more convenient to print off a walkthrough and have it handy for when it is needed.
Jolt Cola, Mountain Dew, Coffee.
Hamburgers, Tacos, Pizza - lot's of pepperoni and sausage - need that protein!
Skittles, Gummi Bears, etc... - sugars for the brain.
Cross training across platforms: alternating days of: PS/2, PCGames, Nintendo, etc...
I know NOTHING, I know NOTHING
You would think so, seeing that his son is named Victor de Leon III!
You constantly struggle for self improvement - and it shows.
Hooray for bad Engrish on fortune cookies
Yesterday we had an article about fighting game addiction. Today we have an article about guys who are essentially paid to encourage more gaming.
The people who are paying for these lessons are getting schooled.
There are 0x40000000 types of people: those who understand 32-bit IEEE 754 floating point, and those who don't.
Is the minute I quit. I have a rule when playing video games. As soon as I am frustrated, I put the mouse/controller down and go do something else. I used to play UT a lot and would find that I started to get frustrated when I died and flip out at the computer. I still play UT, but not quite as much and I find that I have a lot more fun in doing so. Games are meant to be FUN, not a chore. I refuse to ever "practice" in a video game, I just play it and have fun, if I get better as a side effect, oh well.
I have a wonderful idea. Instead of hiring someone to try to make you a good player, you can hire me and I'll play for you as an excellent player! You specify game, weapon of choice, handle and taunts and I'll supply the a**-kicking.
IANA*
Doesn't anyone find it a little odd that an eight-year-old is making money playing an M-rated game?
welcome our new diaper-wearing game coach overlords
Interested in a Flash-based MAME front end? Visit mame.danzbb.com
${YEAR+1} is going to be the year of Linux on the desktop!
My parents knew I could handle certain violent movies at that age, so apparently his parents feel the same of him. That's as it should be, with parents informed about the content who know their own child making educated choices.
That said, imagine the uproar had Halo been M-rated for boobs instead of violence! Gasp! Shock! Horror!
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Just like all those child actors acting in R rated movies?
Reviewing just the first hour of video games.
why else would people pay for in-game money in MMOG's? Or for power-leveling, or for characters already at level 60? Don't enjoy life too much? Buy an expensive car or house, have the best stereo system and 64" LCD TV, make your kids go to Harvard, etc etc etc.
Its sad, but so many people believe it actually makes them happy. More of a vicious cycle I say.
People have been paying for tutors in games like Chess or Go for centuries. Sure you can get to a certain level just by playing, but sometimes you need someone else to show you a new viewpoint.
At least getting better at mentally challenging games may have some redeeming value outside of the particular game...
And so it goes, -seth
Between a faq and spending an hour or two, you should be able to be competent in just about any game. I'd put this on the same level as a pet rock(tm).
One day we have stories of rehab clinics for game depenencies, the next day we have articles about professional gaming coaches!
I think people are just confused about what to do with the enthusiams games generate.
to go rogue when Victor De Leon III turns 15?
I wonder if these kids are abiding by state labor laws. Many states limit employment for minors by time of day and hours/week. How many hours a week do these kids need to PLAY the games to be good enough to teach others to do so? Also, if they are earning more than $400 a year they are required to file with the IRS.
Regardless, allowing children to be employed this way seems short-sighted on the part of parents. Service jobs at least teach kids to deal with people they may not like. Employment of this sort offers no benefit to the child other than easy cash & the delusion that video games are something other than a passtime.
Have you seen my stapler?
Here's the thing, if you're going to hire a game coach, it's reassuring when your coach's name is VICTOR.
I think this is piontless. Most games require skills. If you need a coach you obviously do not have the skills needed to play the game. The rest of the game is strategy which can either be learned by playing, getting a manual, or listening to other people who have played (that don't charge you for the info). IMHO
Though I'd really like to condemn paying for video-game lessons as modern-day insanity, I'd probably just as soon turn around and be accepting of someone paying money for lessons from a chess coach. And though I'd like to think of chess as a much more noble cause for tutoring than Counter-Strike [It is.], I can't help but cringe at my double standard a little while doing so.
But, ah, this is ridiculous, in its own right.
Perhaps life really is full of possibilities.
I mean, to learn piano, all you need is to buy a piano and then just plunk away at it until you're playing Chopin, right?
You seem to be implying that learning to play a video game well is equal in difficulty to learning to become a skilled pianist. For that matter, do you think that becoming a skilled basketball player or swimmer is no more difficult than becoming skilled at Halo 2?
I don't think all activities are equal in difficulty, particularly given that video games are created specifically to be playable. The piano wasn't created to be easy to learn. Video games are.
Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
He used the money to buy a hamster... So, what, he taught for 1 hour at $25 an hour?
This is no different than the people who buy gold in MMORPG's. If anything it might be more productive. There are always the people who have more money than time and are willing to make up the difference by pulling out the checkbook. Gold in a game doesn't buy - pardon the pun, game, but a few hours with a coach just might.
I think this is a symptom of games become popular with a lot of individuals who are just getting into gaming, and because many of the newer gaming audiences lack the youth, experience, or built-in reflexes that hardcore gamers have been leveraging to pwn them properly. Just as people pay money to have instructors come to their house and show them how to use their computer, I can imagine a day when grandma calls me in to help her figure out how to play sudoku online, or maybe pwn some n00b who won't keep off the damn lawn.
Victors problem is that he is blowing his money on hamsters. He really should be putting it away in a good IRA. The article provided some good insight into this hamster loving boy of a main character. I hope we get a follow up to see what he buys next. I'm betting he'll flounder it away on Cheeto's and pepsi and eventually start ignoring his homework. Would Victor Sr. allow that? I don't think he cares, as I understand- he owns the copyright for the 'Victor De Leon' name and is getting royalties from his son every time the name is published. I'm not sure if that's true- I think I just made it up- but it could be. Anyways- keep us informed on any hot updates.
I think that the idea of having a coach for gaming is pretty pathetic, not to mention useless. With the internet, and sites like Gamefaqs and IGN, most strategies and tips are all available free. If there are any special "secret" strategies for a game, they can usually be found for free on the internet. Another thing that is I find useless about coaches is that, if you are already good at a game, you aren't going to be needing a whole lot of help. People that already suck probably aren't going to get a whole lot of help by going to these coaches that just practicing isn't going to get them. I highly doubt an 8 year old is going to be able to actually analyze what it is that make him good, and see how he can improve other peoples skills Also, other sports, like tennis and basketball, often have coaches because they are professional sports, and have athletes competing in prestigeous tournaments, and the athletes are looking for any edge they can to get up on the competition. Video games haven't quite gained that amount of attention(and hopefully, IMO, they never do). Yes, there are tournaments for lots of games like SSBM and Halo, but they usually don't get a lot of attention outside of the inner gameing circles. Slightly off-topic, but it goes along with the above paragraph, I doubt that video game tournaments will ever have much success because in my experience, its not very much fun to watch people play video games. How many times has your little brother or sister bugged you for an hour asking if they can play.
That said, imagine the uproar had Halo been M-rated for boobs instead of violence! Gasp! Shock! Horror!
I don't think you can rate a game based on the intelligence of the players.
Yup, I remember it too. Another interesting thing was that you could *write* to Nintendo Power and get information from them (for free!). I remember having rented Wizardry and wanting to know what the hell the spells did, as well as being curious about the stats required for all the classes (unfortunately, the rental game did *not* come with an instruction book).
... Heck, I still remember random crap about games I've never played, like how you have to press up to go through the window in Golgo 13 ...
:-)
Anyhow, the local rental place liked me so much that *I* ended up being the one called for game hints on occasion (hey, I got a free rental or two out of it!)
And to the sibling poster, the ice wand is in the light world, north of Lake Hylia, you can get it pretty early on, I think that all you need is the power glove from the 2nd palace. It's the *fire* wand that you have to get from the dungeon north of town in the dark world. It's the main treasure of that dungeon. You also have to use it on that one long root that looks like an insect or something to open the way to the boss of that level.
Yeah, I probably could've been a game counsellor if I'd wanted to, but I think that everyone uses gamefaqs.com for that stuff these days. I mean, have you *seen* the detail on the FAQs for, say, Final Fantasy III (VI in Japan)? They've gone to the trouble to disassemble the damn game
Most people who are good enough to even consider coaching have been playing steadily for more years than that kid has been alive. He's eight. How many years can be reasonably have been playing? Three? Maybe four? He was put on the controller at the age of TWO. According to his website, he's been doing this since he was SIX and won a championship at the age of just FIVE. Does this kid have any activities (I'm not buying it if anyone says he actually goes out) aside from video games, or is he being set up for a miserable life of obesity and notknowing how to make friends and connect with people? Good gods, his parents should be ashamed.
It's a girl!
Playing video games is not rocket science.
WTF??
Yes, now I have seen everything. Time to check out of this big game called life.
There is a company called VG Sports that specializes in training (mostly e-books and newsletters) for the Madden NFL video games. Since the games have quite a learning curve, it always struck me as a promising business model.
They seem to be doing OK - I guess the next step is the army of consultants?
i dont get how hard this is to understand the tutor is providing a service that the customer asked for in return for payment
if you dont deem it worth the payment dont take the service