Spartan_X Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Video games pay off for 8-year-old NEW YORK -- Like other 8-year-olds, Victor De Leon plays video games. But he?s so good, he gets paid to play. Victor, or ?LiL Poison? as he called in the gaming world, takes part in professional ?Halo? tournaments. And he is rarely defeated. ?He's really good. I can't explain it,? said his father, also named Victor. ?For instance, he participated in this event in December in Chicago. And out of, I think, more than 550 people, he came in second. These are people that are my age, in their 20s, 30s or teens.? Part of what gives young Victor his edge is that he doesn?t know the meaning of pressure. http://images.news14.com/media/2006/7/11/images/01_11-teCompanies pay Victor De Leon to play in tournaments. tournaments. ?I don't get nervous when I play,? he said. What goes through his mind before competing against other people? ?That I'm going to beat them,? he said. Little Victor has been gaming for three-quarters of his life. His dad said he has been playing since he was 2. ?There were times he started crying, so I just gave him the controller and he would stop,? his father said. ?It got to the point where he started moving it and basically got the concept of what to do. It was kind of weird. So I started showing him what this button meant, what that button meant. In just a couple months, he was doing everything I was doing.? But this ability has gone far beyond a party trick or hobby. ?LiL Poison? now has sponsorships, companies that pay him to travel the country and play games. One gaming Web site pays for young Victor?s travel to Major League Gaming tournaments. It also gives him a little extra money, which his father puts straight into a trust fund. ?LiL Poison? has already earned enough money for college, so it?s no surprise that his parents actually budget some gaming after school. ?He comes home from school; does homework first; takes a little break; eats, of course; and then plays two games,? his dad said. ?That's it, just two. Then we leave, and he comes to my parents? house, goes in the pool, plays basketball. Then 8 o?clock comes, and he plays with the team from 8 to 10 p.m.? Little Victor said he's not sure if he'll pursue gaming when he gets Source:ents said they?ll let him do what he wants. Source: News 14 Carolina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myNando Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Sweet! It's like the times when my 7-year-old niece beats me in DOA! LOL I'm like "OMG!!! How'd you...?" She uses Tina, btw. lol! I guess I suck at it. LOL!!!!! :rofl: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaywood Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 (edited) Its all well and good but shouldnt the kid be outside interacting with children his own age, at that age all I wanted to do was go out and play. Edit: Just noticed that hes up till ten pm, I'm sure I wasnt up that late at 8 years old :| Edited July 17, 2006 by shaywood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Lyle Global Moderator Posted July 17, 2006 Global Moderator Share Posted July 17, 2006 an 8 year old finished second in a halo tournment.. i dont know what it is these days, maybe it's because they are so bored that all they do is play games, but younger and younger kids are getting better and better at video games :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Des429 Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 ^^^ well in the end of the article they mentinoed that he only plays for like hours which I think is great. the kid is just having fun, it doesn't seem like hes obsessed with it or anything. two hours a day is very healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myNando Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Its all well and good but shouldnt the kid be outside interacting with children his own age, at that age all I wanted to do was go out and play. Yeah, that is a bit not right for children that young to be cooked up playing video games for such a long time. I mean, with my niece, we used to play video games just for 30 minutes before she had to go to bed. When little Victor grows up, he's gonna be like: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo003 Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 Just give him couple of year and he should be normal, YES he's abnormal right now eventhough he goes to his grandparents house to play. It seem odd that his father didn't say anything about going out to play with other kids. Ohh I mean the kid going out to play with other kids, not his father lol :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matrix XII Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 These are the kids that beat me in games and I'm wondering whether they are just really good, or I'm slipping :pinch: lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdsams Veteran Posted July 17, 2006 Veteran Share Posted July 17, 2006 atleast now i know im not the only one who gets pwned by the young kids on live Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroChaos Veteran Posted July 18, 2006 Veteran Share Posted July 18, 2006 this kid was on 60 minutes last year when they were interviewing fatality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matrix XII Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 Was he 7 back then? LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PL_ Veteran Posted July 18, 2006 Veteran Share Posted July 18, 2006 That's cool! And, y'know, I think it's great he's so great at it, but his regime sounds a bit tight :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jowood Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Already has enough money for college? WOW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Des429 Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 i bet he'd be fun to watch play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyroteknikz Posted July 22, 2006 Share Posted July 22, 2006 Hehehe. I wanna make him cry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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