Would you Save the Industry if it Cost you a MILLION BUCKS?

[Matt_mg]

paintball is great but if you are going to bleed to death over it, it's not worth it...

[magmania]

I would because there is a good chance you will recover all of that money anyways.

[1stdeadeye]

maybe uit's just me, but....

Maybe this is just the New Jerseyian in me speaking, but when we start talking about dollar amounts like $1mm, it's time to get creative. These guys are from Pennsylvania, right next door. This problem could be made to go away for a whole lot less!

Kind of like the Italian 50 cent divorce!







As for the rest of you:


Remember, Tom has a business to run, not a charity!

[SIGSays]

so what kind of deal is this? is this like a deal your making with god? and you pay him 1 mil and he makes it all better or is this a you start some new franchises and stuff that will cost you a mil....??

if it's the business damn right.. cuz you would get your money back

but if it was a deal with the devil or something no...

[QUINCYMASSGUY]

game

Tom, the 80% thing is what puzzles me as well as what is exactly involved in saving the industry. If we are talking about a settlement in a certain case that is remaining unmentioned and would be the financial amount required in total from a collection of all manufacturers to reach that goal to pay a settlement, I would say yes as long as it is then a closed deal with them and things are back to how they were before it. It would financially hurt but to stay in the market it would be neccesary. Going entirely to mechanical means only those producing E-markers will get the tournament business. I don't care what people say, if only one company is producing E-markers, everyone who plays seriously and in tourneys will buy them even if they hate that company. Sad but true, most tourney players do whatever it takes to win anyways (wiping and playing on), even if it damages their character and goes against their beliefs. However, if it is you personally paying 1 million, then no. Accept it and do what you can with what's left of the market or accept it's time to pack up. Sad to think that could happen. And the fact it is not a definite saving of the market if the $1 million is given up would definitely indicate it would not be the wise move.

Hope this helps, and best of luck if this is something really related to a real-life situation. It'll be a sad day if the industry falls behind at such a key time in the growth of paintball over something as lame as this.

[aaron_mag]

I'll put another 2 cents in (there all you have to do is collect 2 cents from every post at AO and you have your million).

Everyone is talking about how the industry is motivated by money and making it sound bad. That is a good thing. This industry is incredibly competitive and that has been nothing but good for the players. Would AGD really have worked their butts off for Level 10 and ULE if the rest of the industry hadn't forced it on them. Great products come from good competition. All of the patents that were passed up by Tom and everyone else created this competitive market place. The industry has been good to us paintballers. You don't like the way things have gone with speedball and the like. You can still play woods with cheaper paint than ever. Personally I think you would be hard pressed to find an industry that has been as innovative with as much cut throat competition as the paintball industry. So quit whining that the industry is screwing us the poor players.

Now as far as that million goes my answer is still NO! If you have that kind of funds in reserves you are going to need them to stay competitive in the paintball market. This industry is not going to get any less competitive in the near future unless Smart Parts screws it all up.

[Jerhew]

my $1.00 contribution could be in the mail monday.

[50 cal]

Sorry, but no I wouldn't. Way too many self important people in the industry that would cry foul about what you did.

[Nobody077]

If I were part of the "Industry" I would first look at how much I would lose if the industry was lost. If the loss valued near the 1 million mark then the choice would be simple, Spend the Mill trying to save the industry.
If my losses would be 500,000 or less than the choice would be much harder, this would make me look more twords the future, How long would this "Fix" help? Would the "industry" be faceing the same problem in 1.2.3 years ? If it would only be a short fix then I would probaly cut my losses, and say NO. But if the fix would last long enough for me to recover the Million and posably some profit then Shure it would be a good investment

[wobbles82]

I would do it, but a bit differently. Maybe somebody already posted this..but I didnt read everyones post, too many, too many good opinions, too many weird opinions, and too many opinions I just downright dont get. Heh. Anyway, this sport has given me so much, its not even funny. I have invested thousands of dollars into something I love, and a million to save something I love is junk change. Heck I could even save the sport, and then say hey...guys. I just saved this sport, mind dropping 50 cents into this coin jar? More than say 8 million or so people dropping 50 cents into a coin jar. Saving the sport+ making profit (which will be put towards the sport)= something that could work. Even if...say 2 million people shorted me and said no I dont know you I could care less...heck even if say 5 million did so I would still get the money back. Point is I am more than willing to take a chance of spending the money and hoping on the good faith of many paintballers I know. That is....if I had a million bucks. *licks finger* Point 1 for the Wobbles, Point 0 for Gates.

[TheTramp]

I think the main questions (and others have already asked them here) are: What does "saving the industry" mean and why does one "person" have to pay for it?

We're not talking about saving lives here. Sure I like to play paintball but I wouldn't give up my job over it. Like a lot of people on AO but not the rest of the paintball industry I don't work part-time at the local sub-galley for pocket money. If $1 mill. ruined my company why on earth would I do it?

Any moral obligation talked about here is purely made-up. Who is Tom (or whoever is giving the mill) obligated to? The consumer? The fickle kid who's going to abandon a company as soon as the next new flashy supra gun comes out? The few (and yes we aren't as big as we'd like to think) people who make up AGD's loyal market base?

I don't have an answer. These are just some things to think about.

[Q01]

i say save the industry because well poeple have jobs and if just one industry fails with our current economy then thais is not pleasant

[rkjunior303]

i would defintely have to weigh two instances.. What would happen *IF* I paid the money compared to what would happen if I *DIDN'T* pay the money. Whichever makes more sense, in the greater picture, then I would go do that.

[ben_JD]

Did the person who needs to answer this question begin their business as some philanthropic endeavor? If so, then drop the million and feel good.

If, however, they started their business to make money (which is philanthropic in its own sense, said the capitalist), then they should only drop the million if there is a substantial chance that the money will be made back with a good Return on Investment ratio.

The simple answer is no. Because the "industry" will not care whether this person saved them or not and there is no likelihood of getting a decent ROI.

[Mutilus]

This question is way too general, I would have to look at it from an economic stance. What percentage of the million dollars is the total revenue of said indvidual, would said million dollars be able to be recouped through the saving of an industry, or is it better to invest the million in another industry and propel the entity to a different stature? No matter the investment it is always a gamble when you do invest so look at it from a gambling standpoint, unless it is a sure thing do not put all of your ships on the table, 80% chance is not a sure thing therefore maybe investing the million is not worth it. If the million is not everthing that one has, then why not gamble on an industry saving 80% and possibly enjoy the return on that investment. Of course this is just my opinion and I could be wrong.