Paintball on TV? - Yeh right !

[pestilence]

Mario - your a funny guy - and seemingly, tells it like it is

Robbo -

Whatever exposure we have had on TV here in the UK, or even Europe, this is not gonna become the main dynamic, never will be I'm afraid.
Our domestic productions have been under-financed, under-resourced and underwhelming.
Whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not, the US is where it's at when it comes to setting the directions we ultimately take.

So what can us Britballers actually do? just sit around and wait for the 'Powers that be'? to get thier act in gear ('os I've been waiting 20 years already!)

If thats the case, its no wonder that we are in decline. It seems that we may have already hit our golden era, and Paintball as a sport seems to be getting further and further from the mainstream. Certainly in the UK IMHO......

The Apathy is everywhere, and seems to be getting worse. We need innovation - and by that i dont mean new markers, or a hopper, but something that can do for paintball what Sup Air did originally......... either that or face the fact its a sunday summer game for people with too much money and a desperate need to get out of the house!

 

[HERMITT]

I really cant be arsed to get into this debate again but it may be worth remembering that to do a three day event as an outside broadcast (recorded) would cost a minimum of £25000 (exc transport and logistics for foreign events.).

I have no issues in saying that xball is the ONLY way that paintball will be televised in the long term but i dont think the format is the biggest problem. Just try and work out just what it would cost to be at every millenium event and ocver it properly.

 

[Robbo]

Robbo -

So what can us Britballers actually do? just sit around and wait for the 'Powers that be'? to get thier act in gear ('os I've been waiting 20 years already!)

Pesty, we can't even get our collective asses out the chair to improve our game so as to give some semblance of competition to our European cousins let alone in areas of our sport like this.

If thats the case, its no wonder that we are in decline. It seems that we may have already hit our golden era, and Paintball as a sport seems to be getting further and further from the mainstream. Certainly in the UK IMHO......

No argument from me on that one mate.....

The Apathy is everywhere, and seems to be getting worse. We need innovation - and by that i don't mean new markers, or a hopper, but something that can do for paintball what Sup Air did originally......... either that or face the fact its a Sunday summer game for people with too much money and a desperate need to get out of the house!

It's not so much innovation - it's motivation, and pride that are needed, these provide the necessary bedrock for change and ultimate improvement but it's been made abundantly clear to me of late that our paintball demographic, for better or for worse, is happy with the way it is.
Some of us are not so happy, but we are in the minority here and for the most part, our protestations go unheeded.

 

[HUSH HUSH]

Every month or so somebody comes on here stating paintball going onto TV.
What will this actually achieve?? And what do you want it to achieve??

Will it make more people want to join us, will it make it bigger and will it make it cheaper for new comers and existing ballers…. I doubt it.

The fact of the matter is woodland paint ball is more exciting to the first time baller. Would we not be more successful asking our current site owners to promote what we already have and grow these sites? I remember x-fire and thought that was amazing and that’s what people (not all current ballers) want to see but we are so far away from this, it’s like watching 10 pin bowling and taking up bowls.

When you’re sitting in a pub with your mates and they ask what you do and you reply “I play paintball” their reply will no longer be “I’ve heard of that” it will be “I’ve seen that”. Big deal.

On occasions when nothing else is on the TV I’ve seen people swim the channel and play bowls….. Doesn’t personally make me want to try these.
I don’t want to be the pessimist but I just can’t see how our game will get a long running spot on TV.

These days the game is so fast you blink and you miss it, same with watching paintball. With football, rugby etc you have breaks/ fouls in which you can replay incidents, if you did this during paintball you would miss most of the game unless you reviewed the scene after the game, by then its forgotten.

How many extra players have we gained from European Millenniums this year?? Who knows if they have joined us after being a spectator?
Just what I personally feel.

 

[pestilence]

It's not so much innovation - it's motivation, and pride that are needed, these provide the necessary bedrock for change and ultimate improvement but it's been made abundantly clear to me of late that our paintball demographic, for better or for worse, is happy with the way it is.
Some of us are not so happy, but we are in the minority here and for the most part, our protestations go unheeded.

Sad isn't it. As the old guard sadly die away, so it seems do those with the impact to change things. By that I dont mean that newbs are any less capable, but as thier numbers dwindle, so does the chance of unearthing the Laurnets, Garderners, Ledz, etc, of the future.

A self depreciating circle........

I dont belive its all doom and gloom tho.... Paintball has been through these slumps before - as soon as it reaches the bottom, some trigger will again bring the numbers back up - but that certianly wont be TV, what ever it is....

 

[Matski]

Pesty, I think it's a bit rich to suggest that the future of paintball depends on the unearthing of more godfathers. If anything, the concentration of power and interest, long-standing feuds etc presents as many barriers for paintball as entrances. As Pete suggested initially - opportunities for growth have undoubtedly been lost and will continue to be (in many instances). The game would probably benefit from some objective allegiances as opposed to the stategic, legal ones that are on the horizon - official or unofficial.

At the end of the day though, development will take its course stateside and we can only hope to experience any derivatives that has to offer. How fast it happens is anyones guess. There's a lot of money being spent on TV at the moment/public exposure to the game, but the horses don't seem to be drinking the water..

 

[Robbo]

The fact of the matter is woodland paint ball is more exciting to the first time baller. .

Hush - please explain what you mean by this statement...

 

[pestilence]

Pesty, I think it's a bit rich to suggest that the future of paintball depends on the unearthing of more godfathers. If anything, the concentration of power and interest, long-standing feuds etc presents as many barriers for paintball as entrances. As Pete suggested initially - opportunities for growth have undoubtedly been lost and will continue to be (in many instances). The game would probably benefit from some objective allegiances as opposed to the stategic, legal ones that are on the horizon - official or unofficial.

True enough. on second reading it does seem a little harsh. Perhaps I'd change the wording to innovators ( and motivators......) rather than godfathers as such.... But the point still stands - less people into the sport, less chance of uncovering poeple of true ability.....

 

[shamu]

The fact of the matter is woodland paint ball is more exciting to the first time baller. .

Hush - please explain what you mean by this statement...

I think what he's saying is that woodsball is easier for the first timer to identify with and get excited about. The concept of playing army in the woods is close enough to any number of action movies that the new player can pick up on the concepts pretty quickly. I mean Rambo, combat rolls, shooting a gun... these are all fun things that the new user can easily grasp and get excited about. On the other hand, sup air doesn't equate to anything the new player has seen before.

Another factor could be the perceived physical requirements. Let face it, the woods are comforting - there's lots of cover and you don't have to run if you don't want to. If you're an overweight father of four, you can still feel like rambo in the woods. Supair looks like it takes more work and requires better physical condition, which can be intimidating to a new player.

one more thing - when you add in the ubercool tournament players, ripping their gats and generally acting like complete asses to each other, is it any wonder most new players want nothing to do with supair?

 

[PortoX]

Can i ask...

What would paintball on television actually do for paintball? Who would benefit from it?

Can someone explain to me what good it would actually do?

Robbo, are you talking television, stateside or europe? If paintball made its way onto american television on a regular slot what do you percieve the effect on european paintball to be?

I think Paintball should forget its TV hopes and dreams for a little while. It needs a format suited properly for televising. It needs camera men who know how to film paintball and it needs a commentator who's not a class A dick. These things take some trial and error. This trial and error shouldn't happen on the television stage.

It also requires unity. But thats another argument altogether and i dont see it happening. No matter what you say robbo, i just cant see it happening. There's years of hatred there.

firmly not a douchebag