XBall

[Robbo]

When we were all out in Amsterdam to play XBall, the EXL team owners and representatives had a meeting to discuss the future of the EXL.
Both Laurent and I had reservations regarding whether or not the EXL could survive if anything should happen to the PSP and ultimately the NXL.
I had gotten to hear many things from people in the US that certainly bought into question the potential survival of the PSP (and therefore the NXL).

The problem as I see it is this, XBall or a similarly formatted game is the future of our sport, nobody in their right mind could doubt this.
XBall, at the moment, is inextricably linked to the NXL via contract and circumstance.
The perfect combination for paintball would be, XBall plugged into Pure Promotions...end of !!!!!
Unfortunately, life ain't like that, and perfect scenarios are rare events, paintball is not immune from such negative circumstances.
What has to be established is the short to mid term future of European teams playing XBall.
Playing XBall costs the promoters a lot of money, it also costs the teams a lot of money, considerably more than 7-man, no matter what you might hear.
This situation can only be continued if there is sufficient incentive.
For my part, the sometimes tenuous connection to the NXL TV deal was enough, with the EXL being able to negotiate a separate and also potentially lucrative deal with Dick Clark on the back of the NXL.
We as Euros now have to extend the expectancy of any such investment returns to significantly beyond previous thinking.
Basically, there is no way we are gonna see any financial returns in the short term, no frikkin way.
This leaves us with the prospect of having to fund this EXL XBall enterprise on our own.
Some teams have been trying to bat in both games, (NPPL and XBall) and this has caused them huge financial and logistical problems, others can only bat in one game (EXL) because of finances and resources.
For some teams, they have to stay with XBall, for others, things ain't that simple.

We have to find some way of allowing a situation where all the top Euro teams can play XBall independent of what happens Stateside and this goes hand in hand with finding a way the promoters can afford to host these tournaments....

There are so many positive things happening at the moment in Paintball but there lies lurking in the background so many things that can fcuk things up.
I just wish common sense could negotiate this next few months passage for all paintball's sakes because if it did, everybody would benefit.
Allow greed, self interest, egos and personality clashes to take control of the helm and we are at the mercy of wholly negative influences.

 

[agge]

Interresting meeting to say the least!

Many interresting things were discussed at that meeting in Amsterdam. I´m glad we all got the chance to hear from Mike Ratko and hear his views on the EXL matters.

I´m also glad that the NXL have taken important steps towards making shure it keeps it´s high profile players in the league by letting them all play NPPL and also changing the NXL format into a tournament style where they will actually win money at each event. In my mind this is an important move, cus for us paintballers in the EXL it would not have been good if all the highprofile players left the NXL and it being filled by nobodies. Now this move could very well lead to some big name teams jumping into the NXL since they can now play anything and everything they like while still being an NXL team. Imagine Dynasty playing the NXL,,, very cool... More about this can be heared on the E-money radio show that was aired yesterday.

/agge

 

[rancid]

Originally posted by Robbo

The problem as I see it is this, XBall or a similarly formatted game is the future of our sport, nobody in their right mind could doubt this.

Beckerk! If there's no money on the horizon, if it's an exclusive club, if it costs too much and there's no return.... then why oh why oh why do you have to keep playing it? To keep up with the US teams? What, both of em?

Pure Promotions? Spot on. And they have the best chance to get tv wedge involved.... tv wedge that doesn't discern between formats. You could put everyone on motorcycles and tell em its fast-moving paintball. Get em interested first before we waste time and money on a format that is doomed. Doomed I say.

 

[Baca Loco]

Security, we have a situation in MLT

Alright, who left the basement door unlocked again?

 

[Robbo]

Originally posted by rancid
Beckerk! If there's no money on the horizon, if it's an exclusive club, if it costs too much and there's no return.... then why oh why oh why do you have to keep playing it? To keep up with the US teams? What, both of em?

Pure Promotions? Spot on. And they have the best chance to get tv wedge involved.... tv wedge that doesn't discern between formats. You could put everyone on motorcycles and tell em its fast-moving paintball. Get em interested first before we waste time and money on a format that is doomed. Doomed I say.

True, it does cost too much to run, it does cost too much to play, it is also an exclusive club and it's also true to assume there will be no short term returns, so why keep playing it?
I tell you why, because what lies at the heart of this is the notion that a product is much easier sold to the public, if it looks good and make no mistake about it, XBall looks good.
Just to let you now how good, In Amsterdam, 90% of the potential spectators at this event watched XBall as against watching 7 man, nobody forced them to, they just gravitated there, this says a lot I think.
When the automobile was invented, less than half a percent of the US populace could afford one, this shouldn't have and did not prevent the car from being developed and subsequently manufactured.
Henry Ford then opened it up to the masses with his Model T.
Once XBall has broken in, I think a way will be found where everybody can play it, obviously done with a few tweaks here and there to offset expense.

Let's sell the idea of Paintball first, with Xball (or a simliarly styled format) as its vehicle...after this is done, we can wait for Paintball's Henry Ford to come along and open it up to the masses.
I wholly agree with the Pure Promotions point, though I tihnk it could get there even quicker with Xball plugged in.

 

[Chris - Nexus Eclipse]

thats just playing one half of x ball and not a whole game......ITS LESS IN FACT!!! cos of the 3 minute turn around and not 2.

You hardly play any paintball that way. say a point takes 2-3 minutes. With the 3 min turnaround you only get about 6 or so games....

rubbish in my opinion

 

[manike]

Originally posted by Chris - Nexus Eclipse
thats just playing one half of x ball and not a whole game......ITS LESS IN FACT!!! cos of the 3 minute turn around and not 2.

You hardly play any paintball that way. say a point takes 2-3 minutes. With the 3 min turnaround you only get about 6 or so games....

rubbish in my opinion

Agreed, I don't think it's a good idea either.

It sucked when they cut the game times down by just 5 minutes per half.

Also the occasional 2 minute scramble is good. 3 minutes would leave you with more dead time and more waiting for the spectators, which may not be a good thing.

Also people in the USA are already finding ways to let the masses play x-ball at a more affordable pace. Local fields are having 'open x-ball practice' where the format is played but you don't really keep track of the score so much. But you can jump in and keep playing non stop. It's like a back yard X-ball.

Obviously it's not the same as a match, but the essence of quick play and running different plays etc. is there.

 

[Lucky.One]

Richmond, if truly interested in the growth of paintball, should let go of control or license pure promotions or anyone else for that matter for 1.00 canadian. And they shouldn't have to use that stupid logo. If he didn't own the paintball plant maybe I would feel bad for him but he will make money if paintball gets bigger...

A simple format adjustment would cut down on the paint used.
The biggest consuming factor is the higher rates of fire. If you really want to cry about paintballs (they wont get cheaper by much in the near future) address it another way.

I like Xball as the paintball of the future... The format is better and the name is exactly what paintball should be known as. not paintball but I play XBALL. Kids can play local five man and make the transition to Xball. The only reason the other formats hang on is because:
1. More big-slow-fat-guys can play those formats
2. Richmond is trying to control it
3. He has a stupid as$ logo.

At the end of this year, they should sack up and switch... One US Xball league with 10 stops. -Two out side US borders (Aruba/ Canada) Top six scores count. 4 are 'world' events with a similar league with 6 stops in EU 3 of which are World events. World series tittle top 5 scores count. With the last event, in November in FL, counting for everything.
Feeder series, Feeder series need to be developed. They could be five man as opposed to xball. But the catch is the feeder teams reff the big series along side a core of pros.

Its a shame, in two years paintball could be extremely structured, if only competing gun manufacturers didn't run the circuits.

Ah there I go day dreaming again.

 

[Gyroscope]

Not to mention, "as in any other team sport with commercial success" is wishful thinking. Xball is a team sport, but it is not commercially successful (yet). Many agree that the potential is there (me included) but popular success is not commercial success.

 

[Robbo]

Nick, I don't think most people have ever doubted this point and the 'event' based format that Pure Promotions / NPPL seems to adopt, is the way forward.
It certainly requires less commitment from the spectator in the initial stages of viewing which is an important factor when trying to sell to the American TV public.
A league based structure implies the spectator / viewer has to commit themselves to the whole prgramme whereas an event based production means the viewer can take video bites as and when....
It's a more sophisticated, subtler form of selling the game, all that needs to be sorted is the format

And Nick, don't disregard anything and everything ‘intheno’ writes, he's not normally off the mark, especially in matters like this, his info lines are nearly as good as mine