Going Down?

[Ainsley]

Exactly - it’s probably everyone’s little dream on here to one day own a field of some sort. In reality, it's no walk in the park.....the prices I was quoting is in my rather low key area (smoggy stoke). For something large enough around here, it would be more like £60-80k. That's a lot of paintballs you gotta sell to get you're money back

Even then its not going to be near a bus stop. Fields are out in the sticks for a reason I’m afraid.

 

[Devrij]

Exactly - it’s probably everyone’s little dream on here to one day own a field of some sort. In reality, it's no walk in the park.....the prices I was quoting is in my rather low key area (smoggy stoke). For something large enough around here, it would be more like £60-80k. That's a lot of paintballs you gotta sell to get you're money back

Even then its not going to be near a bus stop. Fields are out in the sticks for a reason I’m afraid.

Balls, I want a local indoor site The place I used to go to in LA was tiny, the field was maybe the size of a basketball court, but partitioned with bamboo-effect walls (sand floor to absorb paint) to make a very open, but at the same time crowed (lots of walls, but with big windows) playing field that was a lot of fun and got the punters in. It was on an industrial estate though, so not exactly central. No idea what their rent was like though, and it was in a different country so not really applicable over here

 

[Skeet]

As an Urban Site, with the way things are going at the moment, businesses shutting down and so on...I would think that there will be plenty of sites available, possibly at a reasonable rate, because some money is better than no money and it's not like there are people queueing up to start businesses in industry right now is it? And they won't be selling it to put houses on.

 

[Ainsley]

You'd think that, but the chartered surveyors are trying to hold on to their income by keeping the rental prices high - just take a look in your local papers, house rental prices haven't been dropping much either. There's that indoor place in Manchester - wonder what he's forking out each year? I've just had a quick look on Harris Lamb, for about a 900m2 unit, its about £50k around here still.

 

[Raffles]

I tell ya what always amazed me Raff, the idiots who used to bleat about PGi .....

'oh why can't you put more of us (Brits) in it, we can't see ourselves playing in the Glossop five man, you're not patriotic at PGi, all you care about are the Yanks', blah, blah, blah ....

Look what happened to PBUK et al. A 'domestic' mag that was great to see your name in - but a short lived one non-the-less.

Anyway, I've just seen the future of paintball. I've not long been back from the NQ newbie day - and everyone loved it - specially the 3 kids I took over.

I've said it before (no - not about the name change) but you have to get the kids interested - who, in turn, get the parents/guardians interested - who, in turn, get granny/auntie etc. etc.

Paintball events for paintballers is a waste of time - paintball events for the audience is where it's at - but how do you get them interested? It has already been tried with Dodgeball - and how often is that now on TV?

Right -I'm off to London Village now - tatty bye all - see you next Tuesday .

 

[Mr. Suicide]

I haven't read all of this thread and I'm sorry if this is a repeat.

But I totally agree with applying changes to make the sport more appealing to new players. For example making smaller tournaments!

I played a tournament in November with some new players. This was a lower division just so they could understand the concept of sup'air. I thought it was brilliant as it was up to the standards I could expect. But they thought it was a bit too much hard work?

These were talented new players, but I feel that we should definitely incorporate some "easier" less "hardcore" formats. As said, I'd be totally up for a 3man tournament every now and again, or even playing with no pack! Gives you a chance to brush up on communication, and it becames more intimate (dare I say it) between players.

When I started playing the NSPL/SWPL in 2004 I remember at lunch times there would be a 1 on 1 on 1 on 1! Where two teams of two would play each other, and you either made the choice to shoot your team mate out first, or shoot the other two players first and then take on your team mate! It was all a bit of fun.

And I know everyone feels this is whats missing. Obviously involving cheaper kit, instead of pushing new customers to buy the amazing zappy gun that costs a thousand british bucks. Get our new players to run cheaper kit, I mean, is a proto SLG that bad a marker for a new person really?

I know it's hard to say to stores sell them cheaper markers, but I guess it's sort've got to be done to help incourage new players to start playing. Without them having to spend a lot.

I do totally agree with cheaper tournament prices! Maybe a specific tournament where only a specific marker can be used? I know that may sound crazy, but like the NSPL Koth now allows players to use proto gear, why can't there be a proto only tournament?

I know I don't have a really wide perspective on things. But I do care about this sport, and would hate for our leagues to fail =/

Luke.

 

[Rabies]

The process should evolve like this.

1. Intro to paintball through work/stag event etc.
2. repeated visits to that field to play and have fun.
3. Curiosity leads the player to try other sites.
4. Research on the internet reveals stores and fields, plus information on products that are better than the ones they use at the field.
etc. etc. etc.

Missy's plan, at fine as it is, is doomed to fail somewhere around step 2. The majority of sites I've seen in the UK are run by fly-by-night types who can't see beyond the end of their wallet. The modus operandi seems to be:

0. Put some tape around a bit of woodland, spend a couple of grand on kit at a firesale.
1. Get fresh punters in and fleece them for as much as you possibly can. Sell them the hardest bullets you can find at bargain-basement prices, so they have to waste 3 times as much to eliminate anyone. There's good money to be had in five quid bacon rolls, too.
2. Wave goodbye to the poor bruised sods at the end of the day, never to see them again.
3. Rinse, repeat.

No wonder the kids who actually want to play again skip a load of steps! Any plan that attempt to actually bring players up from the grass roots cannot do so in isolation from those same roots, i.e. the punter sites. There are a small number of notably enlightened operators who have more respect for their customers, but too many don't care in the slightest for repeat business -- to them the customer is a walking cash machine and no more. And in my opinion, without repeat business the whole model collapses.