Perhaps a better headline for this post would be "High school dropout plays video games," depending on your take on the authenticity issue with Guitar Hero and Rock Band. But don't say that to 16-year-old Blake Peebles of Raleigh, North Carolina, who believes he can make it big in the professional video game circuit. We see this all the time in terms of musicians, actors and athletes in certain sports (tennis, hockey, soccer), but this is the first time it's happened explicity to perfect one's skills in a competitive activity as new as video games.
Even if Peebles makes his rounds in the Guitar Hero world, however, it's certainly a foolhardy move. Even the best Guitar Hero players in the world only make around $25,000, and only those at the absolute top of the totem pole acquire any sort of fame and sustainable wealth. Then again, young Blake's just 16 years old, so he's in the prime time of his life to make stupid decisions. Though at least he gets the fringe benefit of not getting made fun of for having the name Blake Peebles. [NME]
At least in most pro sports there's the potential to make millions. Unless the endorsements are really high, it doesn't seem like the kid even stands to make a lot of money.