The downfall of paintball?

[ZapTheMad]

Any sport is expensive when you want to be competitive at high levels. Pick one and think about what it costs to play with the best.

It's the same thing with paintball. You can do it cheap but you really aren't being serious about playing at higher levels.

[Mr. Frodo]

Paintball is definitely not a cheap sport, but you have to look at things from a different perspective. What's the demographics here? Is it mostly high school and a lot of people in college? Maybe there's also a handfull who post who are past college and are working. I can see your point about not having the money or time to play, but I think that affects the former group more than the latter. People like me (I'm part of the latter group) used to play a lot in high school, got out of it, and are now coming back. There's also so many people I know who would like to play but can't find enough people to go with them.

I see golf as being sort of a parallel to paintball. Both sports require an equipment expense as well as a field fee. But unilke golf, an average day at the field doesn't cost $135 and a decent marker is much less than a set of Callaways. Furthermore, who actually likes playing 18 or even 9 holes by themself, let alone do it every weekend? The only reason why the people I know play golf is because golfers seem to find each other and setup an outing to see who is better. It also helps when most of them have a set of clubs collecting dust somewhere.

My point is that paintball isn't a typical sport, like soccer or hockey, where you expect to see the same faces every weekend and have regulated leagues. It's one of those sports that's really fun when you're able to get the gang together, then afterwards talk about how so-and-so got bunkered.

I think that paintball is slowly getting to that level. More and more people know about it, and a lot of people I know would love to do it. And after playing for the first time, they want to play again, but it gets old too quickly when you're constantly dealing with people you don't know. Like I said, what's the point of bunkering someone (or even getting a hole-in-one) when no one you know is there to see it?

[RingOfScale]

i gotta say, most people who can afford a 1500 dollar timmy can afford paying 50 a month for paint. the faster the guns, the more paint the use, but the faster guns also cost more, so if you cant afford the paint you probably cant afford the gun. i know this means the player would be stuck with a worse gun, and be at a dissadvantage, and i'm not quite sure what to say to them... not quite sure how to help you ...

paintbal isnt getting more expensive, you said the downfall of paintball, but if anything, it should be getting cheaper to play over time, because higher volume of paint sales = cheaper paint prices ( right? )

and if people play once, and quit because they cant afford it, we arnt really losing anyone, because we never really had them ... you know what mean ? i doubt many of the people who play on a regular basis ( 6 + times a year minimum ) are gonna quit anytime soon because of money issues, because most wouldnt have started and invested in a gun if they couldnt work over at least that much cash to play.

-ringOfScale

[OysterBoy]

Hey, uhm, I totally agree. Local prices:

20 - Entry Fee
10 - All Day Air
140 - Case
10 - 100 Balls

This is not cheap, which is why I very rarely play.

My automag WAS 400 brand new, so dont be telling me that the price has dropped that drastically. Paintball is not dirt cheap, at least not for me.
I think I'm gonna go cry now..

[mag-hatter]

yeah paintball will never GET dirt cheap because it requires high quality stuff to play with. replace high end paint with crappy paint and you're going to have a bad day. the other thing about paintball is those who survive college and high school play are then getting into the years that they're going to get married in, and that means more responsability and time with the family/wife/business, which means less time on the field, save for a few people who are able to juggle their scheudles. but then there is yet ANOTHER factor! getting older, and not being as fast, and getting sore easy, and getting overrun by whipper snappers!!!!!! its a game crafted for the young who have money.

[Dayspring]

I know it's canadian $, but if you're paying $140 for paint, you're getting ripped off.

Hey, uhm, I totally agree. Local prices:

20 - Entry Fee
10 - All Day Air
140 - Case
10 - 100 Balls

This is not cheap, which is why I very rarely play.

My automag WAS 400 brand new, so dont be telling me that the price has dropped that drastically. Paintball is not dirt cheap, at least not for me.
I think I'm gonna go cry now..

[Jackel411]

Wow.. complaining about cheap paint prices hehe...

Lucky you guys dont live out on LOng Island.. were basically over run with cousins paintball stores , every one shoots speed out of the box matrixs 'cause were right next to Gen E ( another cousins company ) There are two stores out on LI that actually are not a Cousins mine and Island Paintballs..

But because of the total covarage on LI CP gets away with charging LUDACRIS prices for paint and entry... why? only decent game in town for now... Lets try 25 for entry , and 100 for a case of paint... lest we for get you cant even try and compete against a 3.5 foot tall 13 year old kid that packs more fire power and more paint cause mommy drives a Mercedes.

And dont get me wrong Im not whining about fire power... I have my own view on the sport.. I young 21. Ive been playing for 11 years.. ( second generation my father played from 85 and still does! ) Time for boldness! THE SPORT WAS RUINED WHEN WE AS AN INDUSTRY A) LET KIDS UNDER 16 PLAY B) MADE EL CHEAPO HIGH ROF PAINT GUNS C) LOTS THE HUMAN SIDE OF THE GAME AND THEN JUST BECAME MONEY GRUBBING WHORES

This season has left me VERY disillusioned I feel it more and more as I play less and less , I dont play because the newer players will rate skill by the gun you use and how much paint you shoot... I went to a local big game and now that I work for Cousins compeditors all my field buddies treat me like the biggest moron that walks the earth. And you know what unless Tom Ghee comes through for me and lets me play with TE next season.. As soon as I open up the field Im at... Im done... 2k4 is the last hurrah for me...

Yes yes its sad.. quote MacArthur " Old heros dont die.... we just fade away "

[Vanced]

Well again this is just a matter of opinion ... Over all playing the same game of paintball you played 5 years ago is A LOT cheeper now than it was then... It is today's High speed or nothing that racks up dollars faster than eliminations...

My average day of Air Ball costs me about $60 .. .$40/case, $10 Field Fee, $10 All Day Air... But my average day of rec ball only costs half of that ?

But hey you and me don't have to pay that... Any of us can go to Walmart get enough gear to play all day in the woods like we use too for what I use to pay for a case... and then play for next to nothing with our friends many times after that in what ever patch of field you can find.... Bigger problem is the average guy buys a gun for under $200 that shoots much faster than he can afford to play with ... and the speed ball style of play contiunes to rack up that much more ... verse the often less than hopper used in an average woods game...

It is all about expectations and what you feel you need to play and win... and much worse what you feel you need to play and have fun...

None of us need $$$$ worth of gear to play paintball ... But a lot of us do choose to play $$$$ to play paintball ... I spent last spring and fall laid off from work and money was tight... but even I managed to get out and play paintball now and then... but it was putting my higher end guns away... grabing the SL-68 and hitting a local rec field and playing all day for $10-20 and less than that at some of the renagade fields around that are play for fun, $3 field fee... 25 cents an once C02... BYOP... And it is funny how many waved field fees, and free air you can get offering to ref a few games ? That is how I use to be able to play when I was young, not working, and in school...

If you love the sport and want to play paintball you can afford it even on a meagar income... but if you want to pretend you're a team member of Dynasty... then that might be a different story... Check your priorties...

Just another worthless 2 cents worth of rant...

[Lord Headley]

Yea, I agree. Although I love all the new "toys" out, they still kill my wallet. I used to play every other weekend until that finally burned me out. Now I get maybe once a month in, or every couple months Skirmish holds a scenario game and I go up there.

It sucks, but there isn't much one can do really. Just learn to be a little more conservative and keep the kiddies in line.

- Brian

[WARPED1]

I liked it better when there were two tournament grade guns. The mag and the cocker. We need to go back to that. No modes, no debounce(debounce never should've been made user adjustable), no electros.
Back to basics. And play in the woods. Not with blow up doll bunkers! Theres pretty much no skill left in paintball. Thats why after 8 years in NPPL, I've quit to play scenario ball.

[ilikePB]

I liked it better when there were two tournament grade guns. The mag and the cocker. We need to go back to that. No modes, no debounce(debounce never should've been made user adjustable), no electros.
Back to basics. And play in the woods. Not with blow up doll bunkers! Theres pretty much no skill left in paintball. Thats why after 8 years in NPPL, I've quit to play scenario ball.

I don't agree, I think it takes more skill. Airball and Xball take a lot of skill or everyone would be a pro. You have to be fast, a very good snap shooter, be able to tuck in tight, read the field, etc. etc. For me paintball is more fun than it has ever been. It is a lot easier for me to rack up the eliminations in woods over airball(that could be just because more noobs play woods around here).

EDIT: This is biased because I like airball and xball better than woods. :)

[WARPED1]

There is some skill involved, but 90% of it is how fast you can pull the trigger. I've been playing this game 14 years. 11 of those in tourneys, 8 of those in NPPL. I an sad the direction tourney ball has gone.:'(

[OhMyAMoose]

I don't think paintball is going anywhere but up. All these million dollar companies are not pumping thousands and thousands of dollars into a sport that wont make them money. Yes, it is true that more and more people are going electro because it is so easy/cheap to do. And lets face it, they are fun to shoot. People always want better guns. It has always been that way. Back in the day when I had my spyder I wanted to buy all the newest barrels, bolts, trigger frames and whatnot. Everyone wanted to upgrade and they still do.
And for the people who say paintball is dirt cheap.... come one guys. That isn't true. Yes, it may cost less than it did 15 years ago but you can't compare the two.
The guns are going to continue to get better but I really dont see how much better they can get. Guns can only shoot so much paint before people cant afford to use them. I believe once the price of paint goes down there will be a huge surge in electro markers that shoot crazy fast. I believe that in about ehh 7-10 years paint prices will be down to about $25-$30 per case and there will only be electros on the field. And if everone has one then the playing field will be level again.
I just dont know.... I live in the midwest so it takes a little longer for the new toys to get out here.
Also, one reason why people stop playing is because lack of time/money. When I was younger and I didnt have a job or anything I played a lot. Once I got a job and started working I had money but no time. And now that I am in college I have no time or money. This is why there are so many younger kids who play. They the time and money from the parents. And it isnt a bad thing that the parents pay for their paintball. It is a hobby/sport just like anything else. I know my parents payed for all my hockey gear and I dont hear people say "His parents buy all his gear. It isnt fair, blah blah blah."
I believe that once people hit college age their paintball fun seems to stop/slow down.

[ilikePB]

I think it's mostly opinion either way. Some people thinks it's getting better and some think it's getting worse. All I know is I think it's a blast and I'll be playing for a long time.

[desslock]

a solution to high cost

If you can, try to work something out with your local field owner. At my local field I ref and help out with field clean up 2 sundays a month and get free paint&air the other 2 sundays. I realize some field owners may not be as flexiable as my local field but the worst they can say is no. Im amazed at some of the prices quoted on forums, $20-$30 field fees, $25-$35 for air and even some folks claim to pay $100 or more for a 2000rd case of paint?? WTF!!!! If you are paying these types of fees and not getting to play 12 plus fields with shuttle service that takes you from field to field you are getting ripped. I think the problem is greedy field owners that have realized that paintball is growing very rapidly and they are trying to milk as much money from this cash cow before old bessie runs dry. I went to national paintball supply one monday w/Larry(local field/store owner) he was buying cases of Draxxus white box at around $35 a case he charges $45 at the store/field. So the next time a field owner tells you he has to charge $100 a case he is full of s**t.