Paintball

[Lomarandil]

Although RECON is now split from SO, I agree that the SpecOps effect will continue to spread.

People will continue spending ridiculous amounts of money for 08 markers

Pump play will actually suffer a decline as the agg-pump movement ends

Lower BPS rates will positively change the sport, but drive paint prices up slightly

Lo

[Brewtt]

I predict I will be shot many times in '08.

[HurtCow]

Originally Posted by Brewtt

I predict I will be shot many times in '08.

Not as much as I will.

[Brewtt]

Originally Posted by HurtCow

Not as much as I will.

Perhaps, I don't know... I play EVERY Sunday. Sometimes Sat and Sun.

You play almost every weekend as far as I can tell... but maybe you get shot out more?

[blackrain]

I predict that major companies will start following the trend of lower end guns.

Drop in Boards will be made to lower the BPS rates in the super hoppers.

Pump will gain more popularity, but paint will go up due to declining sales.

All major sponsord teams will be told to lie to new players how they need a $1000+ marker to be a good player, so that sales can boost.

Major companies won't be to picky with who they sponsor due to declining sales.

Either Smart Parts or Bob Long will come out with a pump that has interchangable feeds.

D-Day and other games of it's size will be the big show for a while.

Tourneys will drop in popularity due to gas prices and high entry fees.

Paintball players will contimue to be stupid and pay high prices cause a tourney player said it was worth it lol.

I'll get shot even more then last yr.

I'll have my retire from paintball sale after April.

Maybe my grenades will be the hottest one's on the field this yr.

Later,
Blackrain

[Murph]

I won't make spring castle
I will make fall castle
I might make a few New England big games other than that
Someone makes a half-hearted effort to make 10-man woodsball tournaments televised, leading to either a revision or the abandonment of the format.
accidents involving co2 velocity rise will increase, leading more fields to ban it and leaving the montneel and ancient tippmann guys S.O.L.

[HurtCow]

Originally Posted by Brewtt

Perhaps, I don't know... I play EVERY Sunday. Sometimes Sat and Sun.

You play almost every weekend as far as I can tell... but maybe you get shot out more?

I'm once a month pretty much-sac pump day. Plus the occasional trip to get shot up by the Tahoe guys.

[SHAG]

Hi,

The last time I her paintball predictions, it was not good for me.

Back in 1999, Internet Paintball Resource or IPR asked me to write a piece on my thoughts about paintball in the next 10 years. I took up the challenge of writing 10 paintball predictions.

Within several days of the posting of the article it was met with a mainly negative reaction. Many saying I had no idea about what I was saying to some people saying I had some very good points. There was one guy who literally scared me cause he basically said he would kill me and make an example of me due to the article. Then he went on and wrote a 22 printed page response to my article stating how none of it would be true. I forwarded the article to the editors. Also I wrote back to him and asked if he ever read the disclaimer about the article. These were the days in which on line crime was not real crime. So I would not be able to do any thing about it. However I did speak with the editors of IPR and they agreed the content might not be the best for some of the readers since it was talking about concepts.

So in my original article, I touched on several concepts that had potential of be coming reality. Concepts like...

• 6000 PSI tanks
• Co2 Limitation due to environmental factors and would be permit only
• Paintball would be permit only
• Paintball equipment would only be able to be stored with a local club
• The explosive growth of E-guns
• Paint would rise in price due to growth.

Can you guess which ones pissed the public off most? i will give you a hint 3 and 4 on the list. In my article at the end. I said I really would not want to see this prediction or that one become reality. When I wrote it at the time, Paintball started getting a bit stronger in the media. Plus Columbine just happened within a month or two of the posting. IIRC, the media made some paintball references about the two kids.

In Northern NJ, there were a number of paintball incidents at local public areas like malls and even a shooter shooting at cars on a local hwy on a bad curve. There was some stirring about at state level in returning to a firearm's status of the equipment. Some state assemblyman wanted it after some kids shot up the local neighborhood in which his mother lived.

Given the knee jerk reactions that politicians would pull something like a permit to purchase a paintball gun. It would have have some strong backing my the liberals in the state cause all they heard was gun in the bill. So it seemed logical to me that paintball stores and owners would rally and comprise with the government. They would handle the player's gear so they could continue to operate. Luckily none of this ever happened.

Speaking of liberal thoughts, CO2 which many players used in late 90s. Given the mood at the time, I could see some crazy person saying Paintball was part of the CO2 greenhouse effect and it should be banned. Once again l could see the recreational use of CO2 being banned. However what would you do about soda fountains?

In 1999, I bought my first 4500 PSI tank. Bought an AA Apocalypse 3000 tank and sent it out to AA for an upgrade. It cost $200 back then for the upgrade. Several of the larger fields and stores where coming on line had 4500. One place charged $2.50 per 1000 PSI for 4500/68 tank. $3/1000 PSI on a larger tank. Talk about ripping people off However, when I was on the phone with AA, one of the techs were talking about experimenting with 5000 PSI and higher tanks and reg designs. I figure that 6000 PSi would be no problem by 2005 or so. We still are at 4500.

E guns are a no brainer. The local indoor when it was open rented Angels to those who could afford it.

Paint was an iffy. I figured there would have been some kind of market issue in which the materials would have caused the cost increase or people seeing paintball as the next money maker. I would never had thought you could buy paint on the street for around 30-35 a case.


So for 2008, I really do not know what is going to happen. I can see a very distinct possibility of a market collapse since Paintball is an expendable income hobby. With the housing market, gas prices, and overall economic outlook, I do not see the spending that was happening before.

The explosive growth of paintball in the past 5 years has left a maket over filled with used equipment. Even a few years ago, if it was electronic it got top dollar. Now I can see a DM series gun getting what an A5 gets.

I still the sport getting looked at as "trendy". Given the way it is presented on TV shows. Paintball will not be taken seriously as it should be like skateboarding for instance. Paintball will never be a socially accepted sport no matter how colorful the equipment is or how "agg" or "extreme" the players act.

The current woodsball scene with the milsim types running around are the mixed blessing. They get people interested in woodsball but they make it into a military exercise. I can see the "war game" image with the camo and the gun. The camo is only there to help you hide. I like putting on a pair of camos and playing in the woods. It's fun. Just like playing pump.

As for the industry. It will stay the same. The only thing is the dollars at stake. I am waiting for SP to just turn around and patent paintball cause you know they are dying to. I personally think this has to do with the market being sold to. The 10-18 YO age group who only play for about 1 1/2 years and move on. When I first started playing it was my age group 18-25YO and about 3 1/2 year cycle.

To the industry perspective, it is a disposable sport. Hence the need to maximize every dollar that can be had plus they took the ideas from the auto industry in which last year's model is bad mentality. Kingman started that mentality. As my dealer called it the gun of the month since it seemed for a while there was a new vamped gun every month even though it was the same thing just a different sight rail. Tippmann had to make the 98 because of the Spyder influence. The Pro Lite was too damn dependable than any Kingman. However Tippmann and Kingman showed the demand for equipment in the $100-250 price range. SP was one of the first high end players to come down to that price point with the Ion.

Smart Parts probably really sees what is happening in the economy right now. They see the player trend. They are a good marketing company from the start. How many people would agree they could sell the magic box for what it really was? Poor concept? yes. Did it work? Who knows? Did they sell a few? you betcha they did! With patent lawyer experience, they were able to secure financial stability. You can rant and rave how the patents are questionable or illegal or what ever. They are being smart in stabilizing anything they have. Itself is quite revolutionary for this industry. What if Glenn Palmer sat down and patented the concept for the closed bolt semi auto. What if Bud had done the same? Would we be in the same place today?

Same thing with Tom Kaye with the BFSA designs. Yes the Automag design is a tank and pretty much bulletproof but like what Kaye now gets involved with a dinosaur. By the time he got back into the game, it had somewhat long passed him by. TK was one of the most fascinating people I had ever talked to in paintball. My first real gun was a mag. The field I went to, the regulars shot mags. My dealer was a huge mag gun up until a few years ago when the indoor opened up. he is now use to the Dm the mag doesn't come off the wall anymore.

Well I think it will be more of the same. Big game play will still grow. I think the tourney scene will try to reinvent itself. Paintball is at a crossroads again. Who knows which way it will go.

shaggy

[blackrain]

I'm almost positive it will switch it's focus back to the rec player. Let's get serious, how much cash does the tourney shows really produce? They aren't really that much of an effective part in paintball. Big games is were it's at now. It doesn't matter how well you play either. For a few hours your a hammer,or a dagger. You can actually live in Fantasy land for a while lol.
I'm sure there are plenty of attitudes in milsim and big game play. but some people just get a little to far into character, or take it too serious. But that's what paintball is all about sometimes. People need acceptance or have to escape their pathetic lives for a few hours.
Me personally I play just because I like it and that's it.

My last prediction:
Paintball will take a turn for the better and the companies will finally see where their money really comes from.
Alot of fields will be BYOP and Walmarts sales will increase due to the fresh demand from this.
Players will start splitting cases again ie 4 per case
Later,
Blackrain

[Raion]

Originally Posted by sparky

Hmmm... random predications...

The fall of Dynsaty as a team. Not going to win the NPPL title overall again... Impact/Ironmen/XSV will take the title.

Tippmann releasing another ugly marker and pulling the plug on the 98C.

More Smart Parts bashing threads everywhere. The new SP low end markers will be sold at Walmart or other big brand name store.

A Dangerous Power marker becomes one of the top selling mid range markers.

Pump play reach a new level. More series, tournies and players. Our current local pump league in Alberta will grow, but also lose a few of the orginal 7 teams.

US ecomnoy will contiune to drop, forcing a few big time collectors to liquadate their collection on MCB.

Personally, my collection will hit 40+ markers, most of them being brass and 007's. Will try to play more bushball and go to a scenerio and WCPW in BC for the hell of it all. Will finally leave the parnets basement.

Why would Dynasty break off? They won NPPL this yr -_-

Ironmen will win PSP again because I am pretty sure they will pick up Lasoya since Trauma is now gone.

They will be releasing a PL Dm8 (Oliver Lang is what I hear) and yes it will cost more than a standard DM .. thats how ALL PL work

Tippmann is releasing another marker and the 98 is getting another "redo"

Ions are already sold at walmart (walmart.com)

DP fusions aren't that popular. Proto's and Etek's are the probably the most popular mid end.

guys will continue to hate on PBN, Speedball, Agg and anything involved in the younger PB community ...mostly because they just don't understand

Will still cherish will still love their older markers and swear by them ... and they will accuse younger players of cheating when the younger players shoot the older guys out.

SP will try to sue someone .. that's going to happen