A Wind of Change
- Thread starter Robbo
- Start date
Yeah I think the average player will, either woods or sup air. Depends on how serious you take paintball and how much time you devout to it though I suppose. Majority opinion seems to be that the woods side will get more attention so they will feel the benefit of more resources thrown their way, for example.
And Lumps right about one thing, we WILL be last to know!
And Lumps right about one thing, we WILL be last to know!
For the 'average' player?
I don't think it's gonna make that much difference, in fact, if we look at paintball as a whole, then the average player would be a rec player and the rec fraternity will benefit from any redirection of investments (if in fact there is any), as to how much is anybody's guess but the average player in this sense won't lose out.
The biggest losers in this ain't gonna be the average tourney baller either but maybe the average pro player will lose out quite a bit because his paintball bill is gonna increase (I can hear the chuckles already).
At times like this, anybody can speculate, some who do will be better informed than others, some people's opinions are worth more than others but what we can't deny is, things are gonna change and money will slide out of tourney ball.
The smart people will push any saved moneys eastwards to international development and toward rec, because of the relevant demographic.
Dye, Smart Parts, Planet and Kingman will all come under pressure to sell to some investment house, and patents will become a working currency within that environment.
These changes ain't gonna happen overnight so there's no need to lose any sleep just yet. What I will say however is this, once every so often a visionary comes along, people like John Gregory (Ex owner of JT), Richmond Italia, Ged Green and Sergei Leontiev, well maybe there's a new one on the block.
The signs look good, and if I am right, this particular person can save the existing tourney infrastructure and then will almost undoubtedly develop it along more professional (and accountable) lines.
This however will be incidental, and will be part of a MUCH bigger package that will revolutionise paintball as we know it.
The difference with this guy is, he has a vision, oh boy has he got a track record (outside of the industry), oh boy has he got some money (financially dwarfs the people we have had previously in our sport) and he has a working time-line.....and he's already begun the journey...big time !
His vision begins in the US and will undoubtedly envelop Europe as part of an expansion program somewhere down the line....
I am gonna nickname this guy 'The Pharaoh' and you may appreciate why because he looks upon his development as pyramid like, and he is gonna build it from the bottom to the very top....the difference with this guy (as with all visionaries) is he sees paintball from a different, more expansive perspective, and when you do this, you can then think outside of any box that has previously constrained development ... and this is exactly what he is capable of doing.
Paintball for him, is all about sites, tourneys, memberships, brands, retail, wholesale, media, outside sponsors... the list goes on......I hope you are getting a flavour of what this guy's about.
And so, we have four things to think about, a contracted and somewhat depressed Stateside market coupled with an expanded market in the rest of the world (and increasing).
The corporatisation of our industry by investment houses leading to a more professional management of our industry.
And maybe another visionary who could well upset all the applecarts if his vision begins to take shape.
I hope this latter option comes through because ironically it may allow the four companies mentioned previously (Dye, Smart Parts, Planet and Kingman) to remain independent if the correct and appropriate alignments are secured in the next couple of years, but that's another story.
Am I optimistic or pessimistic?
I am both actually; I like visionaries, they make a difference to us all if successful, I genuinely would hate to see tourney ball diminish but we need a flood to come through our tourney scene and wash the sh!t away like Hercules did with the Augean stables and maybe, just maybe this new guy is all about stamping his integrity, his vision and his commitment onto as many as he can.
I will be speaking to him on Monday, so let's hope if anything happens, or is planning to happen, you WON'T be the last to hear.
As an aside, I wonder what his plans are for Europe .... if he asks for my advice or seeks my counsel in anything, I think ulrich's name will be well off any list for prospective pick ups ....after all, you don't get where this man is by offending your customers, do you???
Let's see what happens guys....
As for my next thread?
Well click on this and make your comments.......
http://www.p8ntballer-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=85147
I don't think it's gonna make that much difference, in fact, if we look at paintball as a whole, then the average player would be a rec player and the rec fraternity will benefit from any redirection of investments (if in fact there is any), as to how much is anybody's guess but the average player in this sense won't lose out.
The biggest losers in this ain't gonna be the average tourney baller either but maybe the average pro player will lose out quite a bit because his paintball bill is gonna increase (I can hear the chuckles already).
At times like this, anybody can speculate, some who do will be better informed than others, some people's opinions are worth more than others but what we can't deny is, things are gonna change and money will slide out of tourney ball.
The smart people will push any saved moneys eastwards to international development and toward rec, because of the relevant demographic.
Dye, Smart Parts, Planet and Kingman will all come under pressure to sell to some investment house, and patents will become a working currency within that environment.
These changes ain't gonna happen overnight so there's no need to lose any sleep just yet. What I will say however is this, once every so often a visionary comes along, people like John Gregory (Ex owner of JT), Richmond Italia, Ged Green and Sergei Leontiev, well maybe there's a new one on the block.
The signs look good, and if I am right, this particular person can save the existing tourney infrastructure and then will almost undoubtedly develop it along more professional (and accountable) lines.
This however will be incidental, and will be part of a MUCH bigger package that will revolutionise paintball as we know it.
The difference with this guy is, he has a vision, oh boy has he got a track record (outside of the industry), oh boy has he got some money (financially dwarfs the people we have had previously in our sport) and he has a working time-line.....and he's already begun the journey...big time !
His vision begins in the US and will undoubtedly envelop Europe as part of an expansion program somewhere down the line....
I am gonna nickname this guy 'The Pharaoh' and you may appreciate why because he looks upon his development as pyramid like, and he is gonna build it from the bottom to the very top....the difference with this guy (as with all visionaries) is he sees paintball from a different, more expansive perspective, and when you do this, you can then think outside of any box that has previously constrained development ... and this is exactly what he is capable of doing.
Paintball for him, is all about sites, tourneys, memberships, brands, retail, wholesale, media, outside sponsors... the list goes on......I hope you are getting a flavour of what this guy's about.
And so, we have four things to think about, a contracted and somewhat depressed Stateside market coupled with an expanded market in the rest of the world (and increasing).
The corporatisation of our industry by investment houses leading to a more professional management of our industry.
And maybe another visionary who could well upset all the applecarts if his vision begins to take shape.
I hope this latter option comes through because ironically it may allow the four companies mentioned previously (Dye, Smart Parts, Planet and Kingman) to remain independent if the correct and appropriate alignments are secured in the next couple of years, but that's another story.
Am I optimistic or pessimistic?
I am both actually; I like visionaries, they make a difference to us all if successful, I genuinely would hate to see tourney ball diminish but we need a flood to come through our tourney scene and wash the sh!t away like Hercules did with the Augean stables and maybe, just maybe this new guy is all about stamping his integrity, his vision and his commitment onto as many as he can.
I will be speaking to him on Monday, so let's hope if anything happens, or is planning to happen, you WON'T be the last to hear.
As an aside, I wonder what his plans are for Europe .... if he asks for my advice or seeks my counsel in anything, I think ulrich's name will be well off any list for prospective pick ups ....after all, you don't get where this man is by offending your customers, do you???
Let's see what happens guys....
As for my next thread?
Well click on this and make your comments.......
http://www.p8ntballer-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=85147