2005 Autococker(tm)

[slasherdan]

Pardon me for interrupting this anger-fest, but why does everyone simply automatically assume these are replacements for the Autococker line, and not additions to it?

When the WorrBlades came out, did they stop selling Black Magics?

The way I see it, these are a new line, designed and aimed entirely and only at competing with the cheap Wal-Mart/K-Mart markers. And in that case, upgradability is irrelevant, since the vast majority of them don't upgrade, typically not even barrels, let alone milling and anodizing.

But you and I will still be able to get WorrBlades, STOs, Black Magics and whatever else, from "real" paintball retailers, for however long K2/WGP feels they can make a buck off of them.

Doc.

You make a lot of sense Doc .... but you seem to be missing a point here that might actually come into play .... I don't think BudOrr is in control anymore ..... It's K2's call now.

They most likely want to make something that is cheap and lower their prices and sell to more people....

[PissedGodzilla]

Pardon me for interrupting this anger-fest, but why does everyone simply automatically assume these are replacements for the Autococker line, and not additions to it?

When the WorrBlades came out, did they stop selling Black Magics?

The way I see it, these are a new line, designed and aimed entirely and only at competing with the cheap Wal-Mart/K-Mart markers. And in that case, upgradability is irrelevant, since the vast majority of them don't upgrade, typically not even barrels, let alone milling and anodizing.

But you and I will still be able to get WorrBlades, STOs, Black Magics and whatever else, from "real" paintball retailers, for however long K2/WGP feels they can make a buck off of them.

Doc.

Doc you're point is well taken, but wouldn't they put out press releases of their entire line for the next year at the same time??

Believe me I hope you are right, but I was under the impression that when they call these the 2005 series cockers, they mean that these are all of them....

[robdamanii]

Orr is still in control of operations for WGP/K2.

These are nothing more than a way to cut into the entry level market, and a good way of doing it, I might add. N00bs love cockers.

[Doc Nickel]

You make a lot of sense Doc .... but you seem to be missing a point here that might actually come into play .... I don't think BudOrr is in control anymore ..... It's K2's call now.

They most likely want to make something that is cheap and lower their prices and sell to more people....

-Yes, it's true that K2 is holding the reins now, but that's only been true for a month or two now. Development of this gun very likely took many months, and probably even longer than that to actually physically develop, machine, anodize and assemble.

Again, do you honestly think that WGP/K2 is going to drop their entire line in favor of these sub-$250 guns? As others have said, there's no easy way to attach an E-Blade solenoid to them, so that would mean if these were now the entire line of 'Cockers, they'd be dropping the near-new top-of-the-line Karnivore, among others.

Sorry, that ain't gonna happen.

These three are cheap, entry-level beginner's guns, designed to appeal to the Wal-Mart and K-Mart crowd, and priced to compete with the Spyder clones in the same market.

They're an ADDITION to the WGP line, not a replacement for it.

Doc you're point is well taken, but wouldn't they put out press releases of their entire line for the next year at the same time??

-Probably because the rest of the line really isn't being changed. In any case, when WGP brings out a new marker, they typically didn't show off the entire line, they showed only the new gun. When the Karnivore was released, they didn't also show off the Black Magic, the Worrblade and the STO, they didn't show off the e-Ranger and the Sniper, and so on. They release the one new gun and that's it.

We're seeing three at a time here because this is a new line of markers, essentially announcing the entry into a new market area.

Doc.

[PBX Ronin 23]