The 8-year-old professional Halo player

by Ross Miller { Jul 14th 2006 at 4:25PM }

Victor De Leon III is younger than Duke Nukem Forever, but that has not stopped him from becoming a certified professional Halo player, with sponsorships and has already earned enough money to pay for his college, according to News 14 Carolina, who today did an article on his success.

Victor, known as LiL Poison, played his first tournament at age four. He was signed by MLG in February 2005, making him the youngest pro gamer in the world. Victor currently plays with Team Versus and is sponsored by 1UP (you can check out his blog here). As his website puts it: "pound for pound, Lil Poison is quite possibly the best gamer in the world." Unfortunately, no weight measurements are given.

Victor has been gaming since age two, when his dad used to hand him a controller to soothe crying fits. Nevermind that Victor is technically too young to play Halo by about a decade, this kid gets paid to enjoy a childhood we had to give money away to experience. Whether or not he continues professional gaming into his adult years (he says he is not sure), he will have one helluva good life story (and a nice savings account to top it off).

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

spil @ Jul 14th 2006 4:33PM

some politics person could get mad and say videogames are ruining society and stuff, then get him cut from teh leugue and there would be a big controversy which is like free advertising, so every one would know about MLG, so then it would become bigger than the superbowl, and it becomes America's new favorite pass-time!!!

Or no one could care except for some 28 year old gamer watching this kid on g4 at 2 am in his parents' basement.

electro^plankton @ Jul 14th 2006 4:34PM

He is way too young to be playing a game like that.

DJ @ Jul 14th 2006 4:38PM

Younger than Duke Nukem Forever?!! LMAO That's awesome.

Tom @ Jul 14th 2006 4:38PM

This is far from a good thing.Making money is all welland good,but living a real life is much more important. While i also spend way too much time playing games,I thankfully enjoyed playing outside much more than sitting in front of a tv at that age. What kind of fat slob is this kid going to be when hes 18. Scarry to think of.

student @ Jul 14th 2006 4:40PM

So when you play games online and hear that high pitched annoying brat laughing at you... you now know who it is. BARGGHHH

that guy @ Jul 14th 2006 4:42PM

Tom - just because he plays a lot of games doesn't mean he's not active. I work in front of a computer at an office for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. No one gives me crap for that. If this kid played video games for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, is that so much more wrong? If he still has an active social life and gets exercise, who cares if he plays 40 hours of video games a week?

I'm probably in the minority here, thinking this way, but I don't care. There's still a double standard it seems these days in terms of video game playing.

NETNAVI @ Jul 14th 2006 4:44PM

So instead of reading, play a videogame! Yay! No we know why the USA is going down the pooper. Thank you parents of America!

-end sarcasm-

NETNAVI @ Jul 14th 2006 4:45PM

Edit-

No=now.

Nigeria @ Jul 14th 2006 4:46PM

I can beat him

rudy @ Jul 14th 2006 4:46PM

muttermutter.... I sent you guys a tip on this kid like a month back.... muttermutter

KungFu-tse @ Jul 14th 2006 4:56PM

I remember him on 60 Minutes. They briefly showcased him during the Fatal1ty story.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/19/60minutes/main1220146_page3.shtml

spil @ Jul 14th 2006 5:00PM

Rudy, that didnt make any sense.

chris w @ Jul 14th 2006 5:01PM

Am I the only one who finds this sad?

But then again, people like Ross miller will continue to do nothing but praise people like this. It's a shame that the MLG would support undermining the ratings system; that casts a nice shadow of hypocrisy to ignorant politicians wanting to glean more power from the ignorant masses.

Ross miller, It's pathetic that you condone such virtual violence for this 8 yr. old. It's disgusting how gleeful you are about "his future". I would love to hear how his life turns out in the next 15 yrs...

While we are on this moral decay bandwagon, let's stop and wave by the numerous 12 yr old britnney wannabe's and rapper look-a-like's..../sarcasm

marcin @ Jul 14th 2006 5:02PM

i can beat him with ease, and youre entirely correct #7.

Measure @ Jul 14th 2006 5:03PM

No doubt this kid is on a dangerous path. The evil videogames are surely leading him onto a life of crime. By the time he's 16, he'll already be a vicious womanizing serial killer.

Don't believe me? Just listen to Hillary Clinton.

Thanks alot, Halo.

Ted D. Moncrief @ Jul 14th 2006 5:04PM

@ Number 6

You're right. It's a shame that people are so ready to buy into the stereotype that gamers don't do anything positive or healthy with thier time. I suppose it's easier for people to just call gamers (and professional gamers) slobs instead of actually thinking that they might be people with just a slightly different way of doing things.

LethaL ImpuLse @ Jul 14th 2006 5:06PM

Cool kid, but..

LiL Poison? What the hell?

joe @ Jul 14th 2006 5:08PM

"Victor has been gaming since age two, when his dad used to hand him a controller to soothe crying fits"

that should be enough reason for this douche not to be allow to have a kids..

yea i mean never mind that fact that were trying to legitimise the ratings system for these games and then you have something like this, and it doesnt dawn on this brats father that hey he's 8 years old, and hes better at simulated killing then a 22 year old soldier playing the same game...

the difference?

the soldier knows the game isnt real.

the 8 year old? well that remains to be seen..

I for one would rather have my kid have a balanced childhood...and be a father when my kid is crying then give him a controller and walk out of the room...

Alex @ Jul 14th 2006 5:10PM

@15. JT, is that you?

I have to admit, that kid is pretty
impressive. It's funny how on his 1up page it shows all the games heplays, most of them halo games and then you see "Spongebob: The Movie" on there. Looking at that, you can know he doesn't only play maturegames. He's still a kid.

bounchfx @ Jul 14th 2006 5:11PM

this kinda pisses me off.

are we really angry about the situation?

or just jealous we arent good enough to make hundreds of thousands of dollars playing games?

joshness @ Jul 14th 2006 5:20PM

Did you guys even read the original article? Here's a quote,

"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."

Seems pretty structured and well rounded to me. Seems that his parents are trying to keep his priorities straight. Let's see, School? Check. Exercise? Check. Family time? Check. Responsibility to his team? Check.

Just from reading this article, there is nothing here that suggests that the parents are doing something wrong. (We won't know for sure, but why do we have to assume the worst?) The child is being allowed to do something he enjoys. The parents even say that they are allowing him to do it as long as he wants.

Yep, sounds like a horrible situation to me.

Also, to the people complaining about the kid being underage and playing Halo. Obviously the father is aware what his child is playing. So what is it going to be? Take away the parenting from the parents? or let the parents make the choice on how to parent their children?

Also, how many of us saw horror or violent movies as children? I know I have as a child, and I haven't committed any violent acts as a child or as an adult. Proper parenting isn't about shielding a child from everything in the world. A proper parent will teach and explain when the child is exposed to something. The parent will teach what is acceptable behavior and try to instill a set of morales. The parent will be there to help the child up when he stumbles and give advice.

Nerdtacular @ Jul 14th 2006 5:30PM

In the early 80's, I grew up with a TV, VCR, and C64 in my bedroom since I was two years old.

Today, I work for a production company, producing shows about videogames. Put kids on technology early and they have no fear and can do amazing things.

I've seen Lil Poison at MLG events and to all you who think you can beat him...you are probably wrong. He is friggin unbelievable.

el nico @ Jul 14th 2006 5:39PM

21.)

you're a wise man, but i hate you for saying what i was gonna say.

to the rest, please read the article before commenting. it sounds like his parents are properly structuring their child's life. Furthermore, the rating system is there so that parents with a modicum of knowledge of videogames can be aware of what their children are playing, in this case, the father knows exactly what the kid is playing. He can make an informed decision if he wants his child playing it.

Also, his parents have wisefully saved the kid's earning for college, which sound very responsible to me.

bearattack79 @ Jul 14th 2006 5:45PM

NET NAVI!!!! Oblivion has lots of reading in it. Hundreds of hours of reading. I could do a book report on it.

Daniel @ Jul 14th 2006 5:47PM

well said joshness

Jesse @ Jul 14th 2006 6:11PM

Anyone who finds this "sad" or indicative of some problem in America is just envious of the kid. At 8 years old, I was playing games much more violent than Halo, and I sucked at them. I'm not sure how his situation is worse than mine, and I got a full scholarship to my school.

So congratulations to Victor, who is probably the first 'athlete' to earn a paying contract before graduating elementary school.

Revolution @ Jul 14th 2006 6:11PM

Awesome post, 21 (Joshness). Well said and whatnot.

I saw a lot of messed up things on TV and I haven't killed one person this week.

I see a lot of JT prodogies in this room today. That makes me sad

Kevin @ Jul 14th 2006 6:15PM

Great things to be teaching your kids so young, Kill the other guy. And the part about his horrid dad handing him the controller to silence his crying fit? How about trying to parent? It's a lot harder.

So when video games don't bring in the cash what happens then? Will he sell t-shirts like screech on saved by the bell?
http://www.getdshirts.com/the_story.php

I give him as much credit as "Gamer Girls"... its a gimmic.

Seroth @ Jul 14th 2006 6:31PM

I was like around 5 when I played Mortal Kombat and became a fan of it. 'course, I wasn't good at the game, but I thought the Fatalities and stuff were "cool."

Fast-forward 13 years ahead. I'm not a hardcore killer or anything like that. I hate seeing the site of my own blood. I look away when surgery shows on TV. I find it difficult to watch gorey rated-R movies.

I really do think that most of you bad-mouthing Lil' Poison and his parents are just jealous. :P

dotun.o @ Jul 14th 2006 6:33PM

It's wrong for an 8-year old to sing the lyrics to an explicit song, or know every line and scene in an adult-rated movie, but if he plays a mature- or adult-rated game, the gaming community thinks it's cool. Like I always say, it's the gaming community's own irresponsibility that perpetuates the negative sterotypes about it. I'm not against this kid playing video games alongside other activities every day, the problem here is playing a game that is RATED mature; technically, his father is helping him violate the law.
But the bigger problem is not even with the law as such; human laws are not always right and we'd be sheep to follow all laws not because they are right but because they are simply there. The real problem is ethics. How come parents can be proud to publicly decalre their 8-year-old son is an expert at a violent game but wouldn't dare declare he listens to radical revolutionary propaganda or has watched the latest X-rated porn for the umpteenth time? By extension of gamers' excuse we could say, "It doesn't actually make him a radical or a pervert." It's as though it were okay to be wayward with games as against other media; sadly, most gamers support this notion and as mentioned that is why the genre is despised.
Whatever opinion you may hold, just ask yourself, "A kid plays a mature-rated shooting game, and he gets public nod and sponsorship. Do opinions remain the same when he starts playing 'The Sims: Pimp Those Ladies of The Night!' or 'The Idiot Radical's Guide to Suicide Bombing'?" Hey, they're all just games, aren't they?

HaloBreaker @ Jul 14th 2006 6:51PM

WOW dotun.o put the Bible down and step away from the keyboard.

There's so much stuff wrong in your post I don't even want to bring it up.

And I don't know about where you live but last time I checked my Nevada Revised Statutes; I didn't see any laws about minors playing M+ games. I know there's store policies about SELLING to a minor though. I'm sure he didn't buy it himself.

Hoxie @ Jul 14th 2006 6:59PM

So, to all you naysayers, shall we smother this kid's extrodinary talents because he's breaking the law? Because he's too young? I bet you this kid's smarter than half of you. He's knows the games are not real. He knows that just because "the guy in the green armor" shoots things, doesn't mean he should go to the pawn shop and pick up a pistol. His parents are taking care of him. Hell, I play more video games than this kid, and I'm not fucked up so bad. A straight "A" student, with friends, does voluntary community service at the local justice center. And apparently, I shouldn't be playing halo, either.

Jerry Seinfeld @ Jul 14th 2006 7:08PM

Ha, here's to the people who still think Nintendo is kiddy. One of the best Halo players is eight years old.

H3inousguy @ Jul 14th 2006 7:12PM

Just let the kid start a career in something he may actually like... If he becomes a proffesional video game player at least he'll have the option when he gets older to be active more throughout his day. Think about it, he won't have to work nine to five in some office. Now he can spend those hours being outside, frollicing through meadows, and yes not killing people. If he does kill someone its his own fault, not video games. Video games cannot pull the trigger of a REAL gun and kill someone. It's up to the person to decide whether they will hurt someone. And if a person is able to be influenced by a game they deserve to be in a phsyciatric ward, where they can be treated. I know alot of people play video games, I know no murders, or morally inept people. The point! People kill people, and no inanimate object will.

dotun.o @ Jul 14th 2006 7:30PM

@31. First of all, suggesting the Bible because I show a moral view is stereotypical, biased, and narrow-minded. So I must be reading the Bible to show common sense?
Secondly, if the law covers only buying, then what's the point? "You can't buy it, but an adult can buy it for you." Apply that same idea to cigarettes: "You can't buy it as an underage, but an adult can buy it for you."
Consider why a game is rated mature - does it say "Contents not suitable to be sold to minors; let an adult buy it for you"? No. the contents are not suitable for access (i.e. using, playing, etc.) by minors. One must only wonder why the law only covers selling but it's okay if a kid still has access to it. Those pulling the strings will tell you it's up to the parent to determine what the kids play; the truth is most (not all) don't care what your kids play, they are discreetly making money from selling those materials and they lose a major demographic if kids are cut out, but cannot openly declare kids can access it, so employ a technicality. It happens outside gaming too; you think lawmakers will implement a law that constricts their own backdoor cashflow?
You say much is wrong with my post yet don't even at least mention one; I am curious as to what parts. Surely you're not saying it is okay for a kid to play a mature-rated game, are you?
In your reference to Nevada Statutes, you seem to favor what the law says because the law says it - the same law that can change overnight - over ethics. What happens if the law allows you to "do it if it feels good"? Is it then right? Have laws not been challenged before? Indeed, are gamers not challenging laws even now? How come laws that regulate gaming are attacked, but those that are lax are suddenley defended by the same people because "it is the law"? I'm a gamer, but the hypocrisy sickens me.

kay @ Jul 14th 2006 7:57PM

dotun.o, chill out. the law stopping the sale of mature games to kids is there so they cant get it by themselves without parental supervision. if a parent says its okay, then it is. its like going to see a movie. remember "under 17 not admitted without parent"? does the presence of the parent change what is shown? no. but there is supervision. do you want the government forcing you to raise your child the way they want? wait til they say "church and state are separated" so you cant teach your kid about God (whichever one u beleive in).

Bottom line: if the kid is having fun and the parents are in support with good teaching, its all good. there a much worse things than a kid playing halo and making lots of money doing it.

chill out.

Shagi @ Jul 14th 2006 8:04PM

Im pissed about this but probably for a different reason than most. Why is Video games the only 'Professional Sponsorship' where a child can be sponsered? Baseball players dont have to put up with this, Racer car drivers dont have to, why are video games the only one?

Before you start saying that the kid is good and thats all that matters to get sponsered lets take a look at it. He plays with a joystick, strike one, He plays ONE game well, where is his repetouir of game experience the kid wouldn't know what to do with anything besides an FPS, strike 2, Little kids are really annoying, Strike 3.

I dont give a shit about the violence he's being exposed to, or his future, let me tell you Star Search children's competition is annoying and video games aint no different. Keep the kids outta our competitions and in the homes where they should have to wait till they are 18 to be sponsered (or at least 16).

No I don't care for children.

omgwut @ Jul 14th 2006 8:19PM

Forgive me if I can't help but come off a little jealous...

I'm probably going to end up having to pay the bulk of my college tuition expenses out of my own shallow pocket, and this little kid has funders throwing money at him for playing a fucking videogame well enough to wow them?

Fuck that. What a screwed up world.

dotun.o @ Jul 14th 2006 8:27PM

@35, It's the parents responsibility what their kids have access to and I couldn't care less were it not that such kids could be influencing mine at school or play with the off-limits content they have, this of course making me responsible to teach my kids to say no to peer pressure (I don't have kids but you get my point).
Furthermore, if you grasped my posts you would see that I'm not supporting government autocracy. Infact, my posts have supported as well as opposed established laws (which can be right or wrong). What then do I want? Common sense, good old common sense. The common sense that the industry should have to say, "Sorry, Mr. De Leon II, your son is playing a game he should not, we will neither publicize nor sponsor it." It shows an industry ready to uphold its own statutes and policies and gives a ton of credence.

RageOverdose @ Jul 14th 2006 8:51PM

I was playing MK at 5, and I don't or ever did even think about ripping a guy's head off. Hell, I've always been anti-violent. Just because you're 8 doesn't mean you're automatically influenced negatively, its just its more possible. Apparently, he has enough maturity to be able to teach a person, and teaching people is not easy, especially whiney gamers.

@Shagi:

Dude, no. First thing, no 8 year old likely has the physical capability to be in the same league as professional sports players. And if a kid did, and he was discovered, you bet he would be sponsered, as the kid would likely bring in a lot of publicity. They lack other things as well. Games don't require what sports do. You can be good at a game at any age, as long as you can comprehend controls and practice. Oh, and how do you know he's only good at one game? You know for a fact? Since he has the ability to become one of the better Halo gamers, that ability is probably able to translate into other genres.

Look, he's not shooting people, he's making money, and he's able to teach. With such accomplishments at 8, his skills will probably hone further as he ages. Just because he's making a lot of money at age 8, doesn't mean people should let jealousy blind reason.

Birdo Is a Tranny @ Jul 14th 2006 9:08PM

Rofl, what a gimmick. Being able to play a video game at a young age gets you publicity in this world.

Silver R. Wolfe @ Jul 14th 2006 9:14PM

I didn't know that there were 'professional' gamers... That sounds really dumb. >.>

"Oh what do you do?"

"I'm a professional gamer!"

dotun.o @ Jul 14th 2006 9:14PM

You know, I just realized the debate was completely redundant. Good old Joystiq already hit the nail on the head: "Nevermind that Victor is technically too young to play Halo by about a decade..." Note, not too young to buy but play; quite clearly, a law is being violated. But hey, it's only ethical, right? There's no established punishment.
Let's just cut the hypocrisy and accept he's playing what he shouldn't. It's not about turning him into a killer; media will influence some to do so, it won't others. Education is based on the principle of influence by exposure: teach them the principles of the subject and they may remember and apply it. MAY. In just the same way, some will learn and excel, others won't. Getting an education doesn't guarantee you'll remember and apply what you were taught; a violent game isn't guaranteed to turn you into a killer. The problem here is that it's ridiculous for an eight-year-old to drive a car, but it's ok if he plays a violent, mature-rated game. Or is the government controlling our homes when they tell us 8-year-olds shouldn't drive? Is there not an innate sense in us (at least, most of us) that tells us it's wrong, with or without a law that addresses it?

H3inousguy @ Jul 14th 2006 10:11PM

Ok, it is legal for kids, under the age of eighteen to play M rated games... They can not legally buy them. Comparing the use of video games to cigarettes (as someone recently did) is wrong. Cigarettes are a drug that have negative effects to your bodies health. It is a drug. Video games are not drugs. And it is the same as taking a child to an R rated movie, yes they have to be a certain age to see the movie by themselves, but if they have parent or legal guardian with them then it is ok, and the child can see the movie, regardless of age. The child cannot go see an NC-17 movie legally, with or withou supervision. So thats my point. It is perfectly legal for this minor to part take in the enjoyment of Halo.

dotun.o @ Jul 14th 2006 11:02PM

@43, your comments further project the problem - legality (which, by the way, can change any day) versus ethics (note this goes beyond just games; I'm not singling games out as such). "They can't buy it, but they can play it." They need an adult to spend a few minutes buying it, after that, the actual content is theirs for hours and hours; the actual content that is the mature content. There's the lack of sense of which I speak. What the law says, not what is right. Perhaps we should start questioning why 10-year-olds cannot drive. Some are surprisingly tall and overcome the physical limitation. Until research proves otherwise, let's let our kids drive once they're physically capable of reaching the pedals while looking out the windshield. Mental and psychological preparedness are intangible, discount it.
There's a reason kids need responsible parents, and it's more than simply because the law says so. Again, I reiterate: "Is it suddenly okay because the law finds it such? Then why the hubbub over bills calling for stricter measures concerning minors' access to mature games? Should it not simply be accepted as a new part of the law? Or do we oppose it because it wasn't part of the original law?' There's that hypocrisy again.

H3inousguy @ Jul 14th 2006 11:48PM

@44 I was not saying it was ethical, or right. Alot of points people
are trying ot make is that the kid can not play Halo because they are
not 18. It is legal for minors to play Halo. Personally I believe if an eight year old can be mature enough
to play Halo, I might let him/her play it, whilst I explained to him/her
that what it was fiction. I surely would supervise it. But
I don't believe your comparison between a ten year old drving, and playing Halo is
correct. Driving is very different than playing a video game. People
even question whether 16 year old should be legally aloud to drive.
Driving can put peoples lives at risk.

dotun.o @ Jul 15th 2006 12:13AM

"45. @44 I was not saying it was ethical, or right."

That zeroes it down to my point, "It may not be right, it's just legal." And that is what I challenege. And as you said, certain ages are even questioned today. Truth is, there is no all-inclusive, defining age, maybe a period or range, but no definite age. There are 16-year-olds more mature than 18-year olds and so on. A 16-18 age comparison, though, is not nearly the same as an 8-18 one.
Of course, we cannot delve deeper into the subject of mature, violent games without questioning the very existence of these games themselves. An insight into the human mind when people enjoy fictional violence which would be a tragedy in real life, or the generally observed tendency to be intrigued by accidents, mishaps and disasters as long as we're not affected. It does paint an grim picture of society if a violent game is enjoyed and defended as merely fiction, but a friendlier one might not only be less popular but be despised as being childish. But that's an even bigger debate for another day...

Geist @ Jul 15th 2006 12:19AM

He's playing video games. Let him play video games. You sound like you know him better than his parents, and you sound like you believe you know what's better for him, more than his parents do. The kid has a healthy, active, normal lifestyle, so stop trying to say that something is wrong with him because he enjoys a particular game. And don't even compare it to driving. That's the most ridiculous analogy I've seen in a long time. Why is it wrong for a kid to play a mature game if he can handle it? Hell, it's not even realistic. Bah. I've typed enough.