EXL - Dead or just playing Dead?

[KEN@AFGM]

To be fair...

Knoobs has a point.

I found the poker tour show on Challenge a few weeks ago and now i'll quite happily watch it for a few hours. Its all about catching you up in the moment and seeing through the others guys eyes as if you were there. In the poker thing the commentators do a great job of building the tension. Paintball commentating done well could quite easily do the same.

"If only he'd make the killa move now..... he has and this games now totally open etc etc etc.

People like suspense and drama. I watched the Traumahead LA open DVD last week and to me i enjoyed it. However to a non paintball player it was a bit like waiting for paint to dry.
Slow time real play of say Oli Lang or Rocky Cagnoni hurdling a barricade and shooting fools mid leap would definetly interest the outside masses.

As pointed out if Poker, a game of cards can make it on to fairly main stream then properly packaged there's no reason we can't. However don't kid yourself that paintball could be broadcast live without spending a fortune in good camera sets ups with mutiple filming points and a massive technical editing crew cus i just don't think anyone would sink that much cash into our sport.

 

[Robbo]

With no disrespect intended, I am amazed what the US public find attractive viewing sometimes but this is not really the point because, I am not saying a documentary won't have some benefiical effect, I'm just saying I think the best way forward is to present it in its competitive form.
Poker has been played by most people at one time or another, paintball does not hold that same position and so the hook isn't gonna be there but perhaps I may be ignoring the novelty value here, I dunno, we'll see.

 

[Buddha 3]

Pete has a good point.
Poker is a game that most people (well, men anyway...) know, and the poker they played on the Discovery show (saw it too) is the exact same game that you and I play when we pick up a deck of cards.

Even if a lot of people that have played paintball as rental customers end up watching a documentary, they will see a game they don't know, something that is totally different from what they experienced. There might be some novelty value there, but I doubt it will be much.

We can't get Yanks to watch soccer and we can't get the Eurotrash to watch American football. Those are some games that have millions upon millions of dollars worth of backup and advertising budgets. How the hell do you think we'll be able to convince the world to watch paintball? I don't see it happening, but I will be more than happy to be proven wrong.

 

[manike]

Originally posted by Robbo
it's a sad indictment on the viewing public where you can watch people you don't know, preparing for a sport you don't care about, in an arena that means nothing.

Unfortunately Pete that's what people love to watch here... I agree it's not what I would like to see initially, but if it gets us noticed and onto the bigscreen and more comes of it then...

Americans love trashy TV. There's a god aweful show here called 'Outback Jack' it's pretty much an excuse for a good looking Australian bloke to snog/sleep with as many American women as possible before picking one at the end to 'keep'

My Girlfriend made me watch it (honest!) but even I, at the end, wanted to see if he would pick the bitch or not...

So still no-one wants to talk about PB2X on Spike TV?

Will it do for paintball what 'RAD' (you'll like that Intheno O) did for skating? or will it be even better...

 

[knobbs]

Hmm..guess I never thought about the 'poker played by everyone slant.' While it's a good point, most peole know Draw or Stud. Most people I know who saw poker on TV couldn't understand what was going on because they were playing hold 'em. I know alot of people who never played before who started playing after seeing it on TV, and the number of little old ladies that started showing up to poker nights had jumped like crazy...as well as nice young college girls (THANK YOU GOD! ).

But I do get the point--there is a familiarity there that we may not have with paintball...whether people play poker or not the game is not completely foreign. My question is: do we have that in paintball as well? Everyone that finds out that I play paintball knows at least what it is, even if they haven't played it before, and a fair amount of them have played it once or twice, maybe at a bachelor party or birthday party.

One thing that is different between the two, though, is that poker is more likely to bring those little old ladies and nice you college girls (once again, THANK YOU GOD!) out to play while paintball will more than likely scare them off.

 

[manike]

Oh and as for the World Series of Poker...





I absolutely LOVE IT! Saw it by accident and almost turned over. Started watching it and am now absolutely hooked.

I've even started learning how to play.

If only we could get something like that for paintball...

 

[duffistuta]

We do - we have the PGI poker nights. It's great. Except when I blow £20 in 10 minutes.

Oh. I see.

I misunderstood.

 

[Robbo]

Originally posted by knobbs
Hmm..guess I never thought about the 'poker played by everyone slant.' While it's a good point, most peole know Draw or Stud. Most people I know who saw poker on TV couldn't understand what was going on because they were playing hold 'em. I know alot of people who never played before who started playing after seeing it on TV, and the number of little old ladies that started showing up to poker nights had jumped like crazy...as well as nice young college girls (THANK YOU GOD)!.

I accept your thanks

 

[KEN@AFGM]

Pete



Your illusions of Godhood are getting out of control. Although if you are responsible for 17 year old plus girls in mini skirts and slag wellies then from the bottom of my heart THANKYOU!!!

 

[Grendel-Khan]

Let me start by saying that "RAD" didn't do anything for skating, it was about BMX. the point is valid though, if something is on the screen being portrayed as the newest coolest thing, kids will want to do it. keep in mind that paintball is the number three extreme sport (at least in the states) there are a huge number of fans willing to tune in. I think Manike is right about the PB2x show. a regular show at a regular time showcasing the "celebs" of paintball will involve more people in the sport than a one off about Smart Parts. Fans will follow familiarity, once they understand the sport and have a connection and respect for the players.
P.S. Hey Robbo, my friends been real sick lately, could you help her out? I could also use a raise if you have the time.