ALL of AGD's innovations and contributions to paintball-add here

[Dave]

I was looking at a paintball Magazine, and they had this thing called the "10 Most Influential Markers" and sure they had the Autococker and the Angel, but nothing of AGD, no Automag or anything! I guess it figures, because since paintball magazines are going to go the w/the popular choice...but still! I was kinda miffed about that, thinking about all the things that AGD has brought to paintball. I wanted to find a list of all the things that AGD kinda introduced into paintball or were the first to innovate something-here is what I know so far:

1. Powerfeed
2. Introduced Nitro to paintball
3. Introduced radical new grip style for easier hand position: Z-Grip
4. Created the fastest cycling valve ever, the RT valve
5. Invented the Warp feed to moved hopper and speed up ball travel
6. Invented (yes?) ACE software for use with high speed markers

I dunno if all these are correct or not, butdoes the credit go to AGD? Seems that a lot of the markers I see out there have nitro systems and powerfeeds...

It seems that AGD is not getting justice for what it designed.
Another thing I noticed in the magazines were they had all the flashy Autocockers and Angels and other guns, and then they would show the most blah Automag ever-completely stock w/ no mods, maybe an aftermarket barrel or something. No wonder people aren't interested in Automags! The way the dealers are presenting them, it just like you see them, then your eyes just kind of wander off to the more flashy markers. If only they were to sell Automag packages like w/warp feeds and your choice of black or gey or chome body. If only they saw some of the tricked mags like on this forum!

If there are any other things I forgot to add, let me know by posting it. Thanks!

-Dave

[AGD]

We didn't do the ACE stuff that was Sandridge.

We did do the first GRAVITY feed semi in 1988
The Turbo Valve now found in all Sheridan guns in 1988
The first clip fed 12 gram system (6Pak) in 1989
First and still only twist lock barrel
First blow forward
First and still only valve system with built in safety blow off
first gun to integrate the regulator in the gun
Heck first gun to use regulated air to shoot the paintball
First to make a gun cycle at 26 bps with full recharge
First to make a regulator that provides more pressure the faster you shoot.
First to measure paintballs in flight
first to measure the air pressure behind the ball
First to spin stabilize paint projectiles in flight
First to make paintballs accurate at 100 meters
First to make a commercial under barrel feed system (Manike gets creds for first proto)
First to tilt the grip frame in the direction it should be.
First to make an electric gun with manual overide
First to put the ACE in the bottom of the breach where it should be.
First commercial product to intellifeed your mechanical gun.

The first and ONLY manufacturer that still has most of his markers working in the field after 10 years.

nuf said.

AGD

[Me]

clap...clap...clap...clap,clap,clap,clap,clap,clap , (gets louder)
Nice work

[Dave]

wow, that is a huge list. Incredible:)

-Dave

[virus]

now for a correction.....

AGD : First and still only twist lock barrel

the viper m1 also uses a twist lock barrel.... and uses a strange lookin nubbin that i would never get near my mag....

a friend of mine has one.... nat a bad marker at all... IMO a little over priced, but a good marker none-the-less
also he will be there to help hunt shatner =D

[MajorDamage]

WOOOOOOOOWEEEE! AGD RULES!
But the Nova also uses twist lock barrels... Sorry :(. First and only company to have the bestest owner/president come online all the time and help us out, and give us free stuff and contests! WOOOOOWEEEE! AGD RULES!

ENDO!

[FooTemps]

FIRST AND ONLY COMPANY THAT ACTUALLY DOES WHAT THE OWNERS ASK!!!

[MajorDamage]

Originally posted by FooTemps
FIRST AND ONLY COMPANY THAT ACTUALLY DOES WHAT THE OWNERS ASK!!!
:confused: :confused: :confused: Wha?:confused: :confused: :confused:

ENDO!

[FooTemps]

Lemme restate that...

The first and only company that actually takes input from owners and actually uses their input.
The first and only company that does what the owners ask. ie: Tom makes z-grips after a petition to get z-grips. Tom gives us freebies when we ask for freebies. Tom takes our ideas and makes them realities...

[MajorDamage]

Doesn't the owner always have the final word?

ENDO!

[FooTemps]

Does kingman make out of production parts when a group of owners want parts? If they do then I guess I'm wrong...

[apache]

All AGD needs now is to hire WDP's marketing department!

[davej946]

Originally posted by apache
All AGD needs now is to hire WDP's marketing department!

No...They don't!

[Bad Dave]

Yeah, they do.

Look at the WDP adds, classy stuff, you guys might not remember but WDP have been on the scene for longer than the angel, anyone remember their add for forest paintballs? A naked woman lying down (showing nothing) with paint dripping across her back and pooling on the floor. Quite sexual I admit but it was years ahead of any other paintball adds.

I think AGD adds are mainly middle of the road type adds but the E-magnificence add was pants.

I believe AGD need to push the flatline and warp more than anything else because it will make the name AGD more familiar to a greater percentage of the market, hit them with the extreme which is the future of the E-mag and sure AGD could be a success. Marketing does not have to lie in any way so tom won't turn into a snake oil salesman. Anyone see the LCD add with just a blue LCD C+C with a blue background? Looked smart and the simpleness and clenliness spoke volumes, sometimes less is more.

WDP has prestige and serious brand image and name recognition, how else is the AIR doing so well. I have reservations on the AIR, it is expensive for what it is and is not as consistent or accurate as people make out. This is why AGD need to get the flatline out there and build upon it.

I have yet to see an add solely for the warp, why not? show the profile pics and push the speed part, it is easy to setup on any marker now, all AGD need is to convert peeps at tourneys and the rest will follow.

At the moment AGD have serious potential but ultimately marketing will mediate how successful they are. It is no longer good enough to make good products and innovate, competition has stepped up a stage, no need to follow WDP, they can still be surpassed.

[sajohnston]

It is disheartening to hear this stuff, our magazine stocks are unpredictable and run a little behind here. On a good day in Seoul APG is the only thing I could hope to get, let alone here in BFE farm village.

How about this:

- 1st to make a semi that could play a full 24hr game, just add paint and air.

- The only high end manufacturer that has been at the forefront for the past decade and provides parts/upgrades for all of their products.

Gee let me guess, if you did some rudimentary research the ranking on their "scale" directly corresponds to $$$ spent on advertising in their pages.

[FaSSt]

Like more than a few companies of all sizes where the engineering mindset predominates, AGD seems to have neglected areas such as marketing. (This is not meant to detract anything from Mr. Kaye’s and AGD Europe’s achievements – Motorola, for instance, has the same problem.)

Don’t know what I mean? Look at the list of achievements above. Impressive, but they are all ENGNEERING achievements. The irony is that AGD has, or had, quantifiable achievements in other areas, such as market penetration, adoption, perception, etc., but they are not listed. This may be a sign that their importance is secondary to management.

The upside is that the owner derives personal satisfaction in providing both a great product and exemplary product and customer support. In this aspect, the interests of the company and its customers are aligned.

HOWEVER, in the long term, the company needs to reposition itself thoroughly. Marketing is obviously a problem area. I suspect that distribution may be an area of concern as well for many of its products.

On a personal note, it annoys me to see such potential go unrealized. AGD has a LOT of unrealized potential, both in terms of market share and profitability. Obviously, I am not privy to its financial statements, but I strongly suspect this to be the case.

My last point is that the improvement hoped for above does NOT have to come at the expense of any of AGD’s present positive attributes. Quality, service, or even respectability (in marketing) are all traits that can be capitalized on. Companies like WDP use sex as ONE tool – not a necessary one. It is time that AGD’s marketing was at least in the same league as its engineering.

Unfortunately, Mr. Kaye seems to have too many sycophants praising his every thought, so I can only hope for positive change.

[AGD]

Fasst,

Your points are well taken. We certainly are an engineering driven company and we are lame at marketing. We are going to try harder at marketing next year once all our new products have rolled out. This forum is the the one thing that has opened my eyes to a lot of things in the PB world and I want to use it as much as possible to assist us in our approach.

AGD

[Failure]

Wasn't the automag the first semiauto marker?

[manike]

Originally posted by Failure
Wasn't the automag the first semiauto marker?

Nope, That was made by Glen Palmer and called Camille.

manike

[thei3ug]

umm... whatever happened to the forest paintball gal? She was cute.

[gimp]

Originally posted by MajorDamage
Doesn't the owner always have the final word?

ENDO!


I think he means the owners of the guns.

[davej946]

Sorry for my 1st post. It was less than descriptive. I agree that AGD should step up their marketing efforts. It is my personal preference not to like WDP's marketing style. Sure sex sells, but it's like it was said in the 'Quality Alway's Shoots Straight' thread, 'DYE/WDP - Buy our stuff to pay our web designers' That I don't really agree with.

I'm sure AGD is doing fine as a company. I am fortunate enough to know about their wonderful products and service. I am the type that cares more about the quality and innovation of a companies product/service than the way in which I found out about it.

Just my .02. :D

[Dragoon]

FaSSt.
Your right on the money with your observations.
The importance of a marketing stagy is often overlooked.

AGD.
You once again proved your listening. I'm looking forward to not having to explain the advantages for your products next year.

As an example, last night one of the workers at my local field was telling a story of how a shocker owner was thinking about buying a warp. The worker was going on about how this bankety-blank guy didn't seem to realize the shocker can only shoot 11.2 bps. Why don't people realize the huge advantage of moving the hopper. It doesn't take my moppets long to figure it out!

The selfish part of me wants to keep this company a secret. I like having the advantage.

Douglas.

[MajorDamage]

Originally posted by gimp



I think he means the owners of the guns.
OH! Is that what you mean? Because I thought you meant like the owner of the company!

ENDO!

[Muzikman]

Originally posted by manike


Nope, That was made by Glen Palmer and called Camille.

manike


Muzikman bows his head...too bad no one knows where that gun is any more.

Also, wouldn't that be the first gravity Fed Semi?:)

[hitech]

...too bad no one knows where that gun is any more.

As far as I know, Glenn still has it. :cool:

[bofh]

Originally posted by hitech


As far as I know, Glenn still has it. :cool:

It was stolen out of his truck at a tourney, about three or four months ago. If I recall correctly.

The single most recongizible gun in paintball. 2 Grand reward for it, I think.

[MikeCouves]

(Everyone in the room starts clapping)

(Everyone Starts clapping harder)

(Some guy stands up and starts hooting really loudly)

(Everyone pops out of their chair/couch and starys yelling)

STANDING OVATION...AGD RULES!!!!!!!!!



Anyways...didn't I see an AGD ad in one of my later magazines??

[Bad Dave]

Lets say I am a new player getting into the sport, like a guiy I met on sunday, he went to a shop that stocks both angels and e-mags. He asked what is the best gun, they said a dark angel, he bought the dark angel.

This happens time and again with people opening the mags and saying wow, WDP, performance and looks. How else is the custom cocker market so large, looks and differentiation.

AGD really need some adds for the extreme with faded annos and stuff, like revealing a little at a time every month then hit them with the whole gun at the time of release...

Who does marketing for WDP, I doubt it is the same people who design the guns and products, let the engineers make them great and the marketers make them popular.

Still huge potential out there...

[[NA]WARLORD]

what about the Micro CA quick change stock and its preecessor, the 6 pack stock. they ruled back in the day of 12 gram pumps.