[TCambs]

I've been hearing from a lot of people around the internet that competitive paintball is dying and from the fact paintball was taken off ESPN a while ago. What are your guys opinions on what the future might bring to paintball as a recreational activity and as a competitive sport?

/Discuss

This post has been edited by TCambs: 11 February 2013 - 06:02 PM

[kingJurzy]

it is not dying

/endthread

[Panda's Revenge]

The sport is far from dying.

[TCambs]

Well I'm not trying to say paintball is actually dying. I don't think it is that's why I said other people. That was really just a way to get people to start talking. The thread is really suppose to be speculation on the future of paintball in 2013 and beyond.

[Panda's Revenge]

Well

We got a supposed Stack Tube Spool from J4 Paintball. I hope to see that many more will follow the release.
Spire came out. It's freaking awesome from what I heard, I wouldn't be surprised to see upgrades in the future though.
New 2014 Dye and Eclipse markers. Nothing new there.

[Exile308]

Guys I played paintball 5-10 times in the mid 90s got out because had kids and didn't have the money. But seeing on TV and what not nothing but Airball type games kept me from coming back. Now I am not attacking Airball but what I saw on TV was only those type of games which is not what I was going to want to play so I stayed away. Last month I got talked into going with my office. Wasn't hard how could I pass up shooting my coworkers right. But when I got to the field I found out paintball was exactly what it was when I played before. Sure Airball and what not are played but plenty of Woodsball and senerio fields are around as well. This rehooked me because it was more still than just the tourny style games. So now I am playing and I am pretty darn sure my daughter is hooked with me. So from my point of view not being on TV is good.

[TCambs]

Well I can understand how air ball does only give the competitive side of paintball, but TV is probably one of the best ways for paintball to grow and now that streaming (such as TwitchTV) is becoming a huge thing, eventually people will be able to stream live from a field, Air-ball and Woods ball included. I believe part of the reason paintball on tv doesn't attract people is one because of very little advertising and two the speed and multiplicity of things going on at the same time. I think if broadcasters could develop a way to create a understandable, enjoyable experience for the viewer it would grow tremendously. A Cool idea I think broadcasters could take advantage of with paintball is the cameras players already put on player helmets and markers. Multiple perspectives and first person view points. Something almost no other sport could really have that wouldn't hinder the players.

This post has been edited by TCambs: 11 February 2013 - 09:36 PM

[Exile308]

TCambs, on 11 February 2013 - 09:35 PM, said:

Well I can understand how air ball does only give the competitive side of paintball, but TV is probably one of the best ways for paintball to grow and now that streaming (such as TwitchTV) is becoming a huge thing, eventually people will be able to stream live from a field, Air-ball and Woods ball included. I believe part of the reason paintball on tv doesn't attract people is one because of very little advertising and two the speed and multiplicity of things going on at the same time. I think if broadcasters could develop a way to create a understandable, enjoyable experience for the viewer it would grow tremendously. A Cool idea I think broadcasters could take advantage of with paintball is the cameras players already put on player helmets and markers. Multiple perspectives and first person view points. Something almost no other sport could really have that wouldn't hinder the players.

Here is how paintball use to grow back in the day 1) people herd of it and wanted to try it. 2) people had a friend who played talk them into trying it out. I honestly thing if you are wanting broadcasters to advance the sport it isn't going to happen. That said once people try it and decide they like it some of the Youtube sites will really get you hooked good. But if I had told my daughter her watch this on TV she never would have given it a chance. What I did is I took her out to the field two games in on her own she decided she loved it. That is how you grow something like paintball from within.

That said I want a video camera for the games. I watched this weekend my daughter fight 3 on one pined down to make it to the time limit. I would have loved to have that taped. Heck I would have loved to have taped her going one on one with her rental gun against a guy with a Bob Long gun and almost winning. It is a fun game to watch. But I think you have to already like it to enjoy watching it. That is just me.

I also think I am lucky the field we get to play at has so many different types of fields it is great.

[Cookybiscuit]

Its funny that people care about competitive paintball.

[CPS]

Cookybiscuit, on 11 February 2013 - 11:53 PM, said:

Its funny that people care about competitive paintball.

This

[Panda's Revenge]

lel competition.
I could care less, although I haven't tried it yet so I want to before I die.

[Orange Chicken]

But...but... I like competitive paintball.

It grows the sport. Maybe that's how it grew back then, but its no longer an effective method of getting players into the sport. Television, advertising, and competition, and perspectives gets people interested a lot faster than just hearing about it from a guy at work.

[Pakistani]

Cookybiscuit, on 11 February 2013 - 11:53 PM, said:

Its funny that people care about competitive paintball.

why is it different than caring about any other competitive sport?

[Cookybiscuit]

Pakistani, on 12 February 2013 - 12:23 AM, said:

Cookybiscuit, on 11 February 2013 - 11:53 PM, said:

Its funny that people care about competitive paintball.

why is it different than caring about any other competitive sport?

It's not.

[gtcpaintball]

If everybody posted something about paintball to your friends and stuff you might get a few more people coming. I know, my friend might be coming back from about a 7 year break.

[unfated33]

The future of paintball? After an unexpected shortage of alkaline batteries in the mid twenty-teens, players desperately run back to their Spyders, Tippmanns, Mags, and Cockers to stay competitive. Electro-markers are soon a distant memory, and mechanical markers once again rule the day.

What? If these kids can talk about wild dreams like paintball on ESPN again, I get to share mine too.

[Twinkletoes]

The future? Probably recreational, like it has always has been.

[TCambs]

When people think of paintball they thing teenagers running around shooting eachother in the woods ( which is partially accurate). Advertising is the only thing that can change it. advertising includes peer to peer as well as TV. Take a look at league of legends. Video games use to be way less popular as a competitive sport and due to advertising and broadcasting with slowly increasing pay the sport has exploded. That could happen to Paintball. I think it will eventually.

[NBTIppy]

I think if paintball were to get big like the NFL, MLB or NBA we would see more negative news than we already do.

I'm all for growing the sport, but I don't think television is the way to go.

[TCambs]

Maybe not espn but something along the lines of TwitchTV