X-Ball this sunday...

[raehl]

The problem with highlighting....

Is that paintballs going across the field of view are only in one or two frames. With a hockey puck, since there's ony one puck, you know how to connect those "dots". With paintballs, which tend to be in streams, highlighting the paintballs just gives you lots of dots.

Personally, I think it would be more interesting to highlight the SPLATS. so when paint breaks on/flies off a bunker/player, that gets highlighted.

- Chris

 

[rancid]

Trees and plants and whatnot are all fine in their place

Originally posted by Baca Loco


With myriad sports channels and a growing base of potential interest television isn't going to be a problem once the hurdle of marketability is overcome. The big issues to sports sponsors are the prestige factor and demographics of the core audience.

Bacs mate, I understand how business works. I also know how it doesn't work.

However, I must remember that you lot have got 500+ channels. As for non-trad sports stuff, we have, what, one over here (summat like that).

And what percentage of the tourney market resisted Hyperball and Airball when they made their appearances? And what percentage of the new generation of tourney players would gladly go back to playing events in the woods?

I don't think there was any backlash against 'arena' paintball, quite the opposite. Not sure of your point.

If fantasy scenario pball was the key to mass appeal then where are the millions playing it?

Ok I see the light. This 7.5 mill or whatever it is are playing paintball as a sport - ie tournies, or arena or supair or whathaveyou. I didn't know this. Seriously, where can I view this info? How was this 7.5 introduced to paintball - by seeing tournies?

The reality is there is a limited audience for that aspect of play. It's popular enough that a handful make a good living from it while others struggle to keep up and the Brit scene remains mostly stagnant--or so it seems. Is that really the model for future success?

Again, please show me the research. Are all US sites non woodland, non camo, non wargame? Of course I want to be more knowledgeable - where does it say there's a limited audience for that aspect of play? (I'm not meaning to sound antagonistic or facetious or ...)

I guess if I could see all this I would be in agreement.

Hey, I promise that if you show me the research I'll never mention this ever again. Deal?

Now, where's my racoon skin hat?

 

[Matski]

I hear the ruskies have been dabbling with nuclear pballs, still in the testing phase

 

[Manning26]

The problem with highlighting....

Originally posted by raehl
Is that paintballs going across the field of view are only in one or two frames. With a hockey puck, since there's ony one puck, you know how to connect those "dots". With paintballs, which tend to be in streams, highlighting the paintballs just gives you lots of dots.

Personally, I think it would be more interesting to highlight the SPLATS. so when paint breaks on/flies off a bunker/player, that gets highlighted.

- Chris

I see what you're saying, but think of WWII fighter plane video, if it wasn't for the tracers, the only way you'd know the enemy plane was being shot would be from the smoke (and debris, of course). Think too, how mesmerizing anti-aircraft tracers are on CNN, talk about the lowest common denominator. Go sit down and watch PUSH, the camera angles are good enough where you can follow what's going on, and with the high speed film you CAN see the paint fly. I think X-Ball's action packed enough, with all the bunkering and all, then if you could also follow the paint, it'll be that much better. Maybe I'm extra-naive this time?

 

[rancid]

No, you're just on drugs.

 

[Baca Loco]

"Who will rid me of this meddlesome cow?"

Originally posted by rancid
1--However, I must remember that you lot have got 500+ channels. As for non-trad sports stuff, we have, what, one over here (summat like that).

And what percentage of the tourney market resisted Hyperball and Airball when they made their appearances? And what percentage of the new generation of tourney players would gladly go back to playing events in the woods?

2--I don't think there was any backlash against 'arena' paintball, quite the opposite. Not sure of your point.

If fantasy scenario pball was the key to mass appeal then where are the millions playing it?

3--Ok I see the light. This 7.5 mill or whatever it is are playing paintball as a sport - ie tournies, or arena or supair or whathaveyou. I didn't know this. Seriously, where can I view this info? How was this 7.5 introduced to paintball - by seeing tournies?

The reality is there is a limited audience for that aspect of play. It's popular enough that a handful make a good living from it while others struggle to keep up and the Brit scene remains mostly stagnant--or so it seems. Is that really the model for future success?

4--Again, please show me the research. Are all US sites non woodland, non camo, non wargame? Of course I want to be more knowledgeable - where does it say there's a limited audience for that aspect of play? (I'm not meaning to sound antagonistic or facetious or ...)

I guess if I could see all this I would be in agreement.

Hey, I promise that if you show me the research I'll never mention this ever again. Deal?

Now, where's my racoon skin hat?

1--Quite right.
2--actually there was resistance from a lot of Old Skoolers over here. Mostly they didn't know how to fight the change but more than a few didn't like it--at least at first.
Actual quote--"tournaments aren't played in parking lots, they're played in the woods."
My point is you seem to be pessimistic purely on the basis that change is bad or things work this way, don't change them.
My other point is over here there is a whole generation of young players who have never played in the woods or if they have didn't care for it and have no interest in doing it again.
3--now you're just having me on [again], aren't you? We've covered this tired ground before. As Raehl mentioned above (and I've said before) the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Assoc. tracks the numbers. So the 7-8 million number is valid. (see Warpig front page for a link to info) What percentage play which sort of pball? Fair question. I don't know but I think you can get at least a fair indication of how pball is trending in this country from a number of sources--explosive growth of tourney teams, methods of advertising and marketing, growth of sales in certain categories (does Smart Parts sell camo anymore?)
I can't prove my point--yet--but every indication I see at fields around Florida and in the pball marketplace are driving pball toward the sport model and away from the rec/woods model. New players in Florida on a conservative 50/50 split are introduced to pball as speedball, it's variants and concept ball primarily. No field I know is only woods anymore but plenty are concept only.
4--I'm inferring certain things from available info. Pball continues to grow at rapid rates in U.S. It is doing so with a heavier than ever before concentration on concept-type pball.
Meanwhile, pball--from all reports and anecdotal evidence from frustrated Brits--in England seems to be relatively stagnant where pball is being played--particulary in the newbie category with the old model; fantasy wargame-type pball.
That suggests to me a baseline of appeal for wargame/rec pball that limits the potential number of players rather than being the most inclusive way to get people playing. Just my ever humble opinion.

 

[TJ Lambini]

Oooh

Woods ball and camo tha enemy of pball's growth rather than the wellspring. Controversial and devious...I like.

Way to turn an argument on its hard cow...

 

[rancid]

I guess you don't get to hear the word 'no' too often?

Originally posted by Baca Loco


2--
My point is you seem to be pessimistic purely on the basis that change is bad or things work this way, don't change them.

No, absolutely not. I ain't said this (not seriously anyway). I stand to make a **** laod if this goes big time, so why would I have that attitude. My worry, is that people get romantic ideas and this sparks everyone off - it doesn't nec mean it is the right way to go.

--now you're just having me on [again], aren't you? We've covered this tired ground before. As Raehl mentioned above (and I've said before) the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Assoc. tracks the numbers. So the 7-8 million number is valid. (see Warpig front page for a link to info)

I don't doubt the figures Bacs, butwe've got to understand what they mean - the key is the frequency, the longevity, the spend. Hence....


What percentage play which sort of pball? Fair question. I don't know but I think you can get at least a fair indication of how pball is trending in this country from a number of sources--explosive growth of tourney teams, methods of advertising and marketing, growth of sales in certain categories (does Smart Parts sell camo anymore?)

No, I don't think you can. Tourney teams are converted ballers, methods of advertising are dictated by ego and perception - not results (in my opinion). Smart parts don't sell camo cos TOURNEY players don't wear Realtree (anymore, sob). Besides, if you've bought a magazine then its job done anyway. The issue is how do we get em to read the mags in the first place.

4-- pball--from all reports and anecdotal evidence from frustrated Brits--in England seems to be relatively stagnant where pball is being played--particulary in the newbie category with the old model; fantasy wargame-type pball.
That suggests to me a baseline of appeal for wargame/rec pball that limits the potential number of players rather than being the most inclusive way to get people playing. Just my ever humble opinion.

I'd say you're confusing the tourney scene over here with the amount of people going thru the sites. As I keep harking on, we are not doing enuf to turn em on to tourney once they've been introduced for the first time.

We wont agree I guess, but I'm not 'down' on this cos I'm a reactionary, I'm down on this (slightly) cos the fever pitch is being heightened by everyone's fear of missing out. That does not = certainty or success.

Only my opinion.

 

[Baca Loco]

'No'? What does that mean?

Originally posted by rancid

1--No, absolutely not. I ain't said this (not seriously anyway). I stand to make a **** laod if this goes big time, so why would I have that attitude. My worry, is that people get romantic ideas and this sparks everyone off - it doesn't nec mean it is the right way to go.

2--I don't doubt the figures Bacs, but we've got to understand what they mean - the key is the frequency, the longevity, the spend. Hence....

3--The issue is how do we get em to read the mags in the first place.

4--pball--from all reports and anecdotal evidence from frustrated Brits--in England seems to be relatively stagnant where pball is being played--particulary in the newbie category with the old model; fantasy wargame-type pball.
That suggests to me a baseline of appeal for wargame/rec pball that limits the potential number of players rather than being the most inclusive way to get people playing. Just my ever humble opinion.
I'd say you're confusing the tourney scene over here with the amount of people going thru the sites. As I keep harking on, we are not doing enuf to turn em on to tourney once they've been introduced for the first time.

5--We wont agree I guess, but I'm not 'down' on this cos I'm a reactionary, I'm down on this (slightly) cos the fever pitch is being heightened by everyone's fear of missing out. That does not = certainty or success.

Only my opinion.

1--which is precisely my attitude towards drawing in potential tourney players via woodsy/rec ball model. As to the "right" way to go--things are still changing so quickly I doubt anyone can be certain what the end result will be.
2--no discord except in interpretation. I think everything is pushing the game towards a sports model where new players are introduced to the 'sport' aspect and don't need to be then re-directed.
3--You've got marketing people for that, don't you?
4--how many of those folks play more than once? Once or twice a year? What interest will they have in a related mag?
5--yeah, but where would be if no one was willing to try something different? Works or fails the game isn't going away.

 

[raehl]

Well..

As I recall, about 1.1 to 1.5 million of the 7.2 million were "frequent" participants, or participated more than 15 times in a year. That's just off the top of my head though, so take that with a grain of salt. Over a million seems kinda high if you ask me. I'm thinking maybe it was 5 times per year or 110k to 150k people per year... That seems more reasonable.


- Chris