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Guitar Hero 2 marketers should hire Ben

Posted on May 4, 2007 by Jeremy Toeman

If you don’t know Ben, or that unbelievably good 8-year-old Guitar Hero 2 player (as I like to call him), watch this video (or view his channel and watch them all):

Now I’ve improved my skills since the last time I tried playing, but just watching him play gives me some kind of stomach pain.  I recall kicking some C64 butt at around that age, but this is some savant-level stuff.  Check out this interview with Ben for more about him and his l33t gaming skills.

There’s a lot of blog gossip coverage today about YouTube paying highly watched users (I recommend: YouTube blog, Shelly Palmer, Om Malik, TechCrunch, Andy Beal), and I agree with Om’s comment:

Whichever way you look at it, this is a good development for content creators who are looking to turn a labor of love into a full time gig.

In fact, this whole concept mirrors what I blogged about yesterday, where the true empowerment of the video marketplace is dictated solely by content creators and advertisers/sponsors. 

SNC14148 guitar hero 2 truckRedOctane, the company who produces Guitar Hero 2, generally does a great job promoting the game. Trucks roll around the country for people to try it out, and the game is consistently sold out in Best Buy and other retailers.  Cowbell Hero is an instant classic, and other fan-based activities abound across the net.

If I were in RedOctane’s marketing group, I’d be in touch with Ben and his family.  We’re only a few weeks away before school’s out for summer, and I’d jump on the opportunity to spend a week videoing the kid, and pay him handsomely for some fun commercials.  I’d top it off with a “can you beat Ben?” contest at the end of the summer (after camp, but before school starts up again).

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Posted in Gaming | 4 Comments
« When will the FCC give up on content regulation?
The Ins and Outs of Engadget »

4 thoughts on “Guitar Hero 2 marketers should hire Ben”

  1. Dave Zatz says:
    May 4, 2007 at 11:26 am

    Wow, that just totally depresses me. Time to ebay my Guitar Hero II stuff.

    Instead of Red Octane, maybe Gene Simmons or Simon Cowell should give his family a call… give him a real guitar, see what he can do.

    Reply
  2. Pingback: Ben, The 8 Year Old Real Guitar Hero - at ExperienceCurve

  3. Ichabod13 says:
    May 5, 2007 at 4:20 pm

    I don’t even own the game…I really just enjoy watching instead of playing these type of games. Be sure to digg the interview linked above if you liked it. I’d like to get it up on the main page ;P

    Reply
  4. Pingback: Zatz Not Funny!»Blog Archive » Guitar Hero III

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About

Jeremy Toeman is a seasoned Product leader with over 20 years experience in the convergence of digital media, mobile entertainment, social entertainment, smart TV and consumer technology. Prior ventures and projects include CNET, Viggle/Dijit/Nextguide, Sling Media, VUDU, Clicker, DivX, Rovi, Mediabolic, Boxee, and many other consumer technology companies. This blog represents his personal opinion and outlook on things.

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