I saw this posted on Joystiq, and found it pretty funny. I mean, are hardcore Guitar Hero players going to offer fake guitar lessons soon? 
 
In case you're wondering how much Sensei Wong offers for his teachings, this was posted on eventhubs: 
 
 • Justin Wong, Xbox Live, $50 per hour, tournament level characters: Rufus, Abel, Balrog, Makoto.

• Mike Ross, Xbox Live, $45 per hour, tournament level characters: E. Honda, Ken, Blanka 

• Martin "Marn" Phan, Xbox Live, $40 per hour, tournament level characters: Dudley, C. Viper, Abel

• Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez, Xbox Live/PlayStation 3, $40 per hour, tournament level characters: Balrog, Guile, Rose     
 
Personally, the only way I'd pay Wong $50 is if he starts telling me that I'm gonna eat hadoukens and crap Ultra Combos. How much would you guys pay for this service? Whatever your opinion is, at least it's not as bad as paying girls to play Xbox with you. 

....? this is fucking stupid. the price, anyway. 50$ for VIDEO GAME lessons? :\ 

These guys obviously know some stuff since they're so successful, the question is if they can communicate this knowledge so that their "apprentice" understands and puts it to use. It is a very nice service if they can do this, but $50 is maybe a bit too harsh.

" ....? this is fucking stupid. the price, anyway. 50$ for VIDEO GAME lessons? :\  "

lol and I'll bet there'll be plenty who pay up aswell.

This has been going on for years, it's just that Xbox Live makes it easier.

$40 for Gootecks.
  

I will offer my lessons for 30$ an hour, now thats a steal! 
 
Any takers?

Why the fuck would anyone take lessons from Gootecks? Has he even won a major tournament? 

Maybe his lessons cover stick throwing...

It exists because there is a demand for it. 
 
@Abyssfull said:

" lol and I'll bet there'll be plenty who pay up aswell. "

 
It's a stupid service if you have no use for it and only stupid people would use it if they know they couldn't benefit from it. 
 
I don't see anything wrong with this model given that people pay more than that at any given First-to-5 money match challenge knowing full well the likelihood that they'd lose.

I'd pay Diago 50 bucks... 
 
to make him Play MK2.

" $40 for Gootecks.
  

"

I don't see what the big deal is. Time is money.

i would feel pretty bad about myself if i paid for this.

I'm not very good at this game, yet I would never pay someone to teach me.

Gootecks is unaware he has taught me for free. 
 
  

" ....? this is fucking stupid. the price, anyway. 50$ for VIDEO GAME lessons? :\  "

" I'm not very good at this game, yet I would never pay someone to teach me. "

" I don't see what the big deal is. Time is money. "

if i was ever that desperate to get better than ya i would pay but as of now no i wouldnt.

The idea sounds good.  
Not so much the price.

" ....? this is fucking stupid. the price, anyway. 50$ for VIDEO GAME lessons? :\  "

Shit on this all you  want guys, but for people that regularly enter tournaments and never place in the money, they might as well have spent the 50 they would have lost on two weekends of tournies and get a lesson to up their game. It really doesn't seem so silly when you consider that fact that money matches happens (besides tournies) but most of us aren't exactly near any scene to get the benefits out of it.  
 
Would I pay for it? No, only because I know what I have to work on and paying someone to teach me the basics isn't what this is about. 

" @lordofultima said:

" I don't see what the big deal is. Time is money. "

Time is money but I think the big deal is the price. I've taken guitar lessons that arn't even half that amount. Maybe if it was something more reasonable like $10 bucks an hour, but that is still a big maybe. "

I don't know about Super, but I would pay Mike Ross $40 to be my hype-man anytime I wanted.

Can i just give jared 20$ and he teachs me how to play balrog.

Wow, paying money to learn how to play a video game.... I don't care if they are pros either. It's not like they can teach you to be a world champion. >.>

That's the problem with hiring Americans; they charge too much.  You gotta think like most companies and offshore that shit.  I bet Gamerbee would teach me Adon for $5, and he'd probably send over some Taiwanese candies or something, too.

Some of the problems with the pricing structure are not limited to: 
 
1) Fees don't seem to take into consideration the lack of established value for the money. Yes, they are tournament winners. How many tournament placers have been trained by them to ensure consumer confidence? 
2) They would benefit by offering a free 15-minute introductory session. The first 10 minutes could be entirely gameplay while the last 5 minutes would be a very general sample assessment of how to improve AND what they would teach. 
3) They are professional gamers who have perfected their individual techniques for mastering fighting games. They aren't professional instructors who will benefit the many skill levels and personalities of which they're intending. 
 
The idea is in the right place. The pricing and delivery structure is not.  
 
Of course, I've thought up a dozen other things. I just didn't list it because it's not my service and why should I contribute so much for free?

Only an idiot of the highest order would pay good cash for video game lessons.

Anyone who pays for this deserves to have their arse kicked. 
 
In real life.

" @AjayRaz said:

" ....? this is fucking stupid. the price, anyway. 50$ for VIDEO GAME lessons? :\  "

Yes if it was a video game like I don't know Bejewled yes but this game like maybe an MMO like WoW is something you actually get better at with experience. Like :GASP!: anything else you do in life. These guys make a living playing "video games". No one ever makes fun of the kid throwing pitches for hours, or someone practicing 100 jump shots.. And what's the percentages of someone actually becoming pro? Something like 1-3% of all people who actually try. This is just as legitimate as any other "sport". Shit if they can have chess at the olympics and I think this qualifies as well.
 
 @Atomasist said:

" I'm not very good at this game, yet I would never pay someone to teach me. "

  All depends on how serious you want to be with it. Some people take guitar lessons with no reason to ever become a big star, yet play for lessons because it's something cool they can do amongst their circle of friends.. I'm sure those who pay really want to get better because they have aspirations of not being a stream monster. "

How awkward is it gonna be when the hour is up? 
 
"yeah ok its over" 
"wait but-" "Player has disconnected" 
" :'( "

I can learn twice as much from people on this site for free.

I think some people would pay that much to play with some of these players.
 
It's something sort of a money match... You're gonna lose, but at least you get to play with the best.
 
Of course even if you win... You lose.

Like Jeff said in a podcast," I never want to be that good at SF. I play by feel baby."

I hear when Gootecks went to Japan he charged them 40$

Spend some time training with me, and I will teach you to be a mediocre Sakura player.
 
The best darn mediocre Sakura player. Yes.
 
I can't promise that you'll learn anything - I mean, I'm not a real good teacher. You also might not be much of a learner.
 
But the offer is there.

" I hear when Gootecks went to Japan he charged them 40$ "

If I can have a drink with Mike Ross after, maybe... :)

nevar would i pay for such atrocities to the fighting community.... good day sir.

For 20 bucks I can teach you the art of Jab.

Nothing new tbh. I'm not particularly familiar with SF scene but Halo pro's have been charging a fee for lessons for a very long time, pro Halo player Tom 'TSquared' Taylor created his own gaming lessons site, charging around $50 for lessons, $50 for friend requests, etc, you could even pay about $500 and go stay at his house for a few nights to practice with him in person (and yes, hundreds of people did actually pay that amount), this has earnt almost a million dollars over the past few years and I'm not surprised to see other pro gamer's start to offer paid lessons. There is nothing that could tempt me to pay that sort of money, and I speak as someone who has a great love for competitive gaming, but there is definitely a 'market' for this sort of stuff and will earn these guys a lot of money.

is it really that hard to believe? When something is "competitive" sports or gaming the general way of thinking is how can i get the "competitive" edge?
Athletes resort to tons of over the counter supplements as well as HGH in most cases ruining their bodies for a "competitve"edge...
The vast majority of them also have personal trainers to work on the weaker points of their game year round as well, as stay in shape.
Oddly games are the same atleast when you wanna be tourney level...people will do anything for the "competitive" edge, just think of reading and watching free videos as your over the counter supplements,while paying justin wong to teach you how to play Rufus as well as he does is your HGH, true the prices are lunacy but just think athletes not only pay too much for HGH but they pay the ulimate price....their weiner shrinks...smdh...

well the joker said it better if you can do something better than many never do it for free