If Xball died tomorrow....

[KEN@AFGM]

Would it be a bad thing?

Personally if it all folds over in the states i'd be happy to see people like Bob Long, Adam and Billy etc making the trip across the pond again so we could watch them strut there stuff. I know the "visionaries" reckon that X ball is the future and its the only format that will get us on telly etc etc but i can't ever see paintball on telly as a main stream item. Sure we might get a regular spot on Trans world sport or something but other than that i just can't see it massively apprealing to the unwashed.

Anyway from my point of view the death of X ball means to me

1: Closer pro games in millennium and NPPL.
2: More US teams in Europe.
3: The pros playing the same format as me. (7 man rules!)

I like 7 man cus its places emphasis on field walking, communication, self disipline, greater sense of timing (i.e no coaching) plus i'm not a hugh fan of repetitive games back to back. (for me this gets boring)

Anyway i'm always open to a new point of perspective. If you've got an opinion on whether you want it to survive or not lets hear it. No 1 line posts of X Ball is the way forward etc but a nicely laid out argument with reasons for your point of view.

Ta


Ken

 

[fordanaldino]

i hope xball stays.

it rocks better than any other format in my opinion.

sam

 

[MrPink]

To expand on the Spodlette's comments:

To me, X-ball is the more exciting format to play and watch - a good X-ball team will vary the Break plan to keep their opponents on their toes.

Also the scoring system allows for more Tension to be built up and for teams to get creative without fear of losing the match, just a point.

I do agree with the Transworld sport thing tho - PB will never be more than, say Sailing in terms of Spectatability and crowd involvement.

 

[Steve Hancock]

My main doubt about x-ball is having the pro's play one format and everyone else play another. Seems strange to me. Also the fact that it is an owned brand.

Regarding which format is better to play/watch i will have to wait until i have seen/played it. Looking forward to campaign cup EXL.

 

[MrPink]

Steve - I think you have X-ball (the format) confused with NXL (the closed league).

X-ball in the States is played by teams of all levels and even over here (Europe) there are several Am teams kicking it up X-Stylee

As for the Brand thing - hell the whole of paintball is Industry-driven, why does that make a difference?

 

[dr.strangelove]

Xball seems like just a gimmick to get paintball on TV to me, and always has. If it accomplishes that goal, then hey, that's cool, paintball gets to be in the spotlight. Unfortuneately, it will never be the dominant format amongst regular players, because not everyone can afford 50+ cases of paint per match (including practices), or have a 90 billion dollar sponsorship to play. Because of that, one other thing to consider is this: even if Xball does get on TV, won't it be misleading people? I mean, any kid can go watch baseball, or basketball, or football and then go play in their backyard with their friends, and be playing pretty much the same game. But someone who sees Xball on TV, then goes to his local field to play might be sorely dissapointed when he finds out that he'll have to shoot 10 cases a game at $65 a case to play. I think it would be better if we could get traditional paintball on TV, because that is the kind of paintball that is actually played amongst real people without backing from multi million dollar companies.

 

[Broken Arrow]

x ball 2 me is crap

 

[Robbo]

The problem with XBall is and always will be, the amount of money it costs to play.
Contrary to what Dr Strangelove might suggest, the format is a winner.
On many different levels, the format works, for players, spectators and so on. What we have to do now is discover a way whereby promoters can run tournaments cost-effectively with an XBall type format that also accommodates the need for everybody to be able to play and not just the elite few.
What we don't wanna do is kill the format because of more general considerations.

Stateside, XBall is experiencing some birthing pains with various problems surfacing both within the NXL and without but I don't think anybody has had too many doubts over the format itself.

There are people (over here) that have seen the light with regard to what the real problems are in promoting and presenting XBall and are working on it.
This work benefits ALL European players / teams, not just an elite bunch of highly sponsored teams.

At the moment, there is a highly complex and disjointed mix of people and interests who hold the reins of control over the NXL.
Clarity needs to be restored, both in direction and finance for Paintball to move on.
At the moment, Europe is inextricably linked to events Stateside, the nature of that link teeters on a knife edge with both teams and promoters trying with various degrees of sophistication and political wrangling to have one foot in each camp (NPPL and XBall).

It's an unsettling time for everybody concerned; the end of 2004 should have all the answers....maybes

 

[Steve Hancock]

Originally posted by MrPink
Steve - I think you have X-ball (the format) confused with NXL (the closed league).

No, i know the difference.

But i agree that:

Originally posted by Steve Hancock ...the pro's...

- was inaccurate, and:

Originally posted by Robbo ...the elite few....

- might have been more accurate.

However as Robbo said this is being looked at. Regarding a branded format, you said that paintball is industry driven. Is that one of paintballs strengths? That would mean control of the game would be in the hands of those who's aim is to make money out of it. In these days of SP type dealings is that what we want?

 

[fordanaldino]

Originally posted by Broken Arrow
x ball 2 me is crap

what are your reasons to think this?