Winning is everything.
Winning is everything
"Game coaches" can help you gain the upper hand.
By Scott Jones
Lessons occur in real time via the Net. But don't expect to upgrade skills immediately.
The world of online multiplayer games can be a cruel place. Whether they are playing "Gears of War" or "Warhawk," newbies should expect to die early and often, doing their doormat duty for veteran players.
One solution is to take some lessons. For $25 to $115 an hour, a "game coach" will meet you online to work one-on-one. Players sign up for sessions using a PayPal account or credit card. The training begins in the game's "lobby" (a sort of chat room where players can arrange matches). Your coach will create a "party" and invite you. In the game world, he'll instruct you in real time via a headset.
In the battle for bragging rights, some players turn to tutors to improve their skills in games like "Call of Duty 3".
Like their counterparts in high school sports, video game coaches run drills, bark orders and discuss strategy. In "Halo," players who get up to higher ground have the advantage, and your instructor can show you how to jump to ridiculous heights. You also may learn other tricks, such as quickie weapon reloads, melee attacks and up-close "frag" combos (kills are known as "frags").
"If golf is your hobby, you hire a pro to give you lessons," says Alexis Madrigal, an analyst for DFC Intelligence, a marketing and consulting firm for interactive entertainment. "The same holds true for gaming. The advent of coaches is an indication of the larger trend of peoples' electronic lives becoming embodiments of their real-world lives."
Many of the coaches are professional gamers, and they tend to be young. Between tournaments, Tom "Tsquared" Taylor, 19, schools "Halo" players on his site, gaming-lessons.com, which employs 10 other tutors. "The first thing I do is get into the arena with my students to see what skill level they're playing at," says Taylor, who is managed by Major League Gaming. "I figure out what they need to improve, then build the lesson from there."
Before the lessons, download the latest software updates and maps for the game to minimize incompatibility. And don't expect an instant transformation; honing the techniques your coach has taught you takes time.
"The typical Joe Blow isn't signing up for lessons," says Craig Levine, who offers coaching for game titles such as "Counter-Strike: Source" and "Call of Duty 3" at esportsea.com. "We get people who play on a team or people looking to break into professional gaming."
Game coaches are still scarce, but you can find a personal trainer for your thumbs at xitwoundz.net or on a social networking site like MySpace (myspace.com/gaminglessons).
All right, hit the showers!
"Game coaches" can help you gain the upper hand.
By Scott Jones
Lessons occur in real time via the Net. But don't expect to upgrade skills immediately.
The world of online multiplayer games can be a cruel place. Whether they are playing "Gears of War" or "Warhawk," newbies should expect to die early and often, doing their doormat duty for veteran players.
One solution is to take some lessons. For $25 to $115 an hour, a "game coach" will meet you online to work one-on-one. Players sign up for sessions using a PayPal account or credit card. The training begins in the game's "lobby" (a sort of chat room where players can arrange matches). Your coach will create a "party" and invite you. In the game world, he'll instruct you in real time via a headset.
In the battle for bragging rights, some players turn to tutors to improve their skills in games like "Call of Duty 3".
Like their counterparts in high school sports, video game coaches run drills, bark orders and discuss strategy. In "Halo," players who get up to higher ground have the advantage, and your instructor can show you how to jump to ridiculous heights. You also may learn other tricks, such as quickie weapon reloads, melee attacks and up-close "frag" combos (kills are known as "frags").
"If golf is your hobby, you hire a pro to give you lessons," says Alexis Madrigal, an analyst for DFC Intelligence, a marketing and consulting firm for interactive entertainment. "The same holds true for gaming. The advent of coaches is an indication of the larger trend of peoples' electronic lives becoming embodiments of their real-world lives."
Many of the coaches are professional gamers, and they tend to be young. Between tournaments, Tom "Tsquared" Taylor, 19, schools "Halo" players on his site, gaming-lessons.com, which employs 10 other tutors. "The first thing I do is get into the arena with my students to see what skill level they're playing at," says Taylor, who is managed by Major League Gaming. "I figure out what they need to improve, then build the lesson from there."
Before the lessons, download the latest software updates and maps for the game to minimize incompatibility. And don't expect an instant transformation; honing the techniques your coach has taught you takes time.
"The typical Joe Blow isn't signing up for lessons," says Craig Levine, who offers coaching for game titles such as "Counter-Strike: Source" and "Call of Duty 3" at esportsea.com. "We get people who play on a team or people looking to break into professional gaming."
Game coaches are still scarce, but you can find a personal trainer for your thumbs at xitwoundz.net or on a social networking site like MySpace (myspace.com/gaminglessons).
All right, hit the showers!