SP and the Paintball Market

[punkncat]

How do you advertise that?

Now with lower ROF!!

:rofl:

Yup, now THAT is funny right thar.


I am not even going to start in on the anti SP bashing, blah blah stuff. They did what they found neccesary. Right or wrong, it has made them profitable and looked after their intrest.

The question brought up about the Ion and the SLG. Between the two I would still stick with the Ion. I like the build of the SLG, as far as looks and "appearance" of quality. But must admit after having worked with quite a few Ions, they are a very capable marker especially for the price point.
Anyway, not trying to swap subjects. I am sure a marker comparison was not the op's point. Carry on.

[MAGslinger]

Something that is not mentioned is the fact that paintball is now entered into the age of mass production. Let's face it, not everyone is willing to pay extra for carefully machined parts, or a carefully machined paintball marker. More people are willing to compromise quality for price. We're at a point where players want a grease gun instead of a Thompson. In the past, during the early days of the sport, players had less income to spend on a marker. Because of that, the industry was focused on quality, durability and producing a product that was almost maintenance free. Times have changed. As younger players got into the game, so has the demand for what players want in a product.

[WARPED1]

All sais in the OP was all well and good. But this all happened like 3 years ago. I don't think anything SP did is still in effect(I could be wrong, I been out of the loop awhile).
SP makes a high quality product that actually meets the demands of todays tournament players.
AGD makes a high quality product as well, but the people who use AGD stuff are in the minority. It's too bad, because teams rocking E/X mags would be cool.

[Watcher]

It's too bad, because teams rocking E/X mags would be cool.

What ever happened to the AGD Lions?

The problem I have with SP, besides the fact that they are crooks, it that the products they make ARE cheap.
I have an ION, I wanted it at a cheap electro and I got it for like $100 after a gun trade and it included a body kit and a profiler lens...
And it does as it is advertised, it is an economical gun that can keep up with tourney style markers.

But it is downright cheap! It had major issues from day one when the reg was cross-threaded in the VA!! It is a pain to maintain, the screws want to strip very easily, the trigger is cheap plastic and has a lot of side-to-side wobble, the reg is sub-par, the feedneck is garbage, the asa sucks, and the board isn't exactly the best either.
One thing I will give them is that it is light, and the barrel is decent.

To get an ION to meet the same expectations of, say, a proto hundreds of dollars in upgrades is needed to get it off the ground.
I've spent more getting an AutomagRT that I did with my ION, and though the RT is 95% stock I think it outperforms the ION with some upgrades. It can near match the speed, it is about the same size, and it feels very similar in balance and position, and the operation is similar, but it isn't electronic, it is heavier, and it is a gas-hog...
The RT even has some advantages over the ION, as in the bolt out the back which SP finally did in the XE version.

I'm not saying anything though, it is a good marker to get a kid if they are just getting into speedball, but for a solid investment I'd best avoid one.

The problem I think is that speedball is taking over paintball at this point. Woodsball and pumps was where it was born and now woodsballers are seen as "military buffs" who want to simulate combat and pump players are just old-skool.
Well no wonder the industry is driving after plastic, weight, and speed; paintball has forgotten it's roots. So unless more people stop being "agg" and actually play paintball for what it is then I think the classic style of built-with-care-to-last is gone.
Too many people have tourney attitude in rec-play. I go to the field and see 90% of people in full jerseys with matching goggles, loader, and barrel kit and rip it in ramping 100% of the time and it kills me. If it isn't a tourney, why do you have to have the 15bps rate on at all times?
I mean, who still makes pumps today besides CCI, Palmers, and Autococker?

I would buy a pneu-gun if they made them come like that...

[MAGnetism]

It's too bad, because teams rocking E/X mags would be cool.

What about a whole team rocking Pnuemags? seems like they'd be able to keep up fine.

[punkncat]

What about a whole team rocking Pnuemags? seems like they'd be able to keep up fine.

Sure keep up just fine. But 118ci tanks are hard to come by nowdays.

[MAGnetism]

Why 118?

[punkncat]

Why 118?

Cause mags are so efficent.

[MAGnetism]

Cause mags are so efficent.

crap, Mines a 70

[drewkroeker]

I guess I look at this more from the end product: I can get my hands on just about any marker I want if I am willing to pony up the cash for it (I have been tempted to spring for an x-mag but couldn't justify it, too many other guns already!) Once I have my dream setup in hand and have the required orings and parts to service it and keep it shooting good for years, it doesn't really matter to me what the market does. My demand has been fulfilled, and God willing, I will not need to purchase another gun (ha ha, I'm as bad a gunwhore as anyone and will probably eat those words in the near future). I don't know the specifics of what SP did, but whatever they did, it wouldn't stop me from buying any marker or product that I found to be high quality.

I realize this point of view is somewhat selfish and as a "retired customer" who only wants to buy paint from now on, this will not help in shaping the paintball market.

[GRimm]

I prefer not to buy SP products not only because of what they did, but also because the make a bunch of crappy products that I wouldnt trust it as far as I could trhow it. I prefer to buy products that I know are made well and will last me a long time and take a beating.

[questionful]

I guess I look at this more from the end product: I can get my hands on just about any marker I want if I am willing to pony up the cash for it (I have been tempted to spring for an x-mag but couldn't justify it, too many other guns already!) Once I have my dream setup in hand and have the required orings and parts to service it and keep it shooting good for years, it doesn't really matter to me what the market does. My demand has been fulfilled, and God willing, I will not need to purchase another gun (ha ha, I'm as bad a gunwhore as anyone and will probably eat those words in the near future). I don't know the specifics of what SP did, but whatever they did, it wouldn't stop me from buying any marker or product that I found to be high quality.

I realize this point of view is somewhat selfish and as a "retired customer" who only wants to buy paint from now on, this will not help in shaping the paintball market.

You're an irresponsible jerk.

[Hilltop Customs]

You're an irresponsible jerk.

ouch?

I'm sorry, but if someone makes what I want, for a price I want it at, I will buy it too. I bought an ion as a throw away/loaner gun for this reason.(second hand....well IDK how many hands that slut had been in, but I got her cheap)

[WARPED1]

What about a whole team rocking Pnuemags? seems like they'd be able to keep up fine.

Yeah, but you know the tourney mindset. "If I don't need 40 9volts to play, I don't need it."

[snoopay700]

ouch?

I'm sorry, but if someone makes what I want, for a price I want it at, I will buy it too. I bought an ion as a throw away/loaner gun for this reason.(second hand....well IDK how many hands that slut had been in, but I got her cheap)

I think he meant more with his whole mentality of how he doesn't care what happens to the market after he has what he wants, and he's right, he is irresponsible, because if the market goes down then we're all screwed as far as paintball.