Only the Ion is this freakin...

[ICP]

Diablo made the T1's as well. Pretty durable markers.

Personally I think there was excitment over the Ion because it is a spool valve design for so cheap.

Dragun made the T1. great markers, but poor company.


I'll agree with most people here, the SP name is what makes them popular right now. But with more markers (even blowbacks) with breakbeam eyes in the sub 200 price range, like the new vexxor, the ion "flavor" won't last forever, before it's just another option, like all guns.

[magman#1]

the ion is not made of plastic guys. just thought you might want to know that

[Steelrat]

I heard that if you touch an Ion to lead, it will turn it into gold. The Ion will also cure leprosy.

[Duzzy]

Actually no.

The Ion only cures Cancer and Aids. No leoprasy. As for turning things into gold, well, I don't know. But it did make me a better player and gave me super powers so I could fly around the feild matrix style.

Edit: Misread a post, so I will now use this as a response to the "Midas Ion" claim.

[Lohman446]

the ion is not made of plastic guys. just thought you might want to know that

Tell me you don't seriously beleive this, and if you do who fed you that bull. The ions outer shell is made of a composite (plastic) but everything else, sans the trigger, is metal.

[Duzzy]

Tell me you don't seriously beleive this, and if you do who fed you that bull. The ions outer shell is made of a composite (plastic) but everything else, sans the trigger, is metal.

He said the Ion's shell is not plastic. I misread it to the first time.

[AGD]

I agree with Lohman, the fact that a company with a big rep for high end guns came out with a low end look alike to its top product made it happen. Cocker did the same thing but it didn't offer all the features. Now everyone else is an also-ran.

AGD

[Lohman446]

He said the Ion's shell is not plastic. I misread it to the first time.

Oops...

[Jakedubbleya]

I agree with Lohman, the fact that a company with a big rep for high end guns came out with a low end look alike to its top product made it happen. Cocker did the same thing but it didn't offer all the features. Now everyone else is an also-ran.

AGD

Although that may be the reason most people are buying one, i never really compared it to a shocker myself.

For me it truly is just an engineering and marketing feat that I have deemed worthy enough to spend my money on. No offense Tom, but its like buying a more efficient beam-break eye automag, for well, half the price (at least lol).

Yall better come up w/ somethin quickidy splitz.

[tanksmx]

Hey Tom, Wanted to show you this but didnt know how to get ahold of you.

art project thought u might find interesting :)

[SlartyBartFast]

For me it truly is just an engineering and marketing feat that I have deemed worthy enough to spend my money on.

No, it was an engineering fluke and marketing genius.

The reason that the ION is so sheap is because it was a Shocker prototype (or at least that's what I've come to understand it was). Therefor, the development costs for it were ZERO. Nothing, Nada, Zilch.

All the development costs are part of the Shocker's sticker price.

Not necessarily that simple, but essentially. When something is developed, sticker price is determined by calculating and budgeting all costs to market and their asociated financing costs (manufacturing, distribution, development, advertising, etc.) and dividing by a forcast number of sales/period and a number of periods.

Once the sales forcast is reached for the number of periods forcast, the manufacturer can do one of two things, eliminate non-recurring costs from the cost of the product, or enjoy the gravy of extra profits. If the forecasts are reached faster, all the better.

If forcasts are not reached, the company is in a bind if they're publically traded. Because profits are usually declaired on the forcast numbers. So, the unrealised income to cover R&D has to be removed from the financial record as a one-time write-down. Private companies do similar accounting if I remember correctly an can be in a similar bind tax wise.

In the case of the ION, you can hypothecise that Shocker sales were meeting expectations so the ION could be released with no R&D expenses at all. Or, perhaps the Shoccker WASN'T meeting projections and the ION became a good way to recoup SOME of the R&D costs.

It can work both ways. In the car industry, the super cars, race development, and show cars are all financed by the sales of the main product line. Or, the other way round when pontiac declaired a loss on the Aztec which was then reborn in Oldsmobile form.

Either way a great call by marketing and financial. Love'em or hate'em SP looks to be making good business.

[Lohman446]

^^ he's right in the logic, and the story on an early Shocker design is what I have heard from several sources. This was the Shocker (albeit in fancier form) that was almost released before they turned back and tweaked it to get what they actually did release, as such there is minimal expense in the design of the ion.

[Automaggot68]

I heard that if you touch an Ion to lead, it will turn it into gold. The Ion will also cure leprosy.

it can also make a english muffin pizza without burning the cheese.
:)

[alooney11]

No matter what the ion was a great idea i saw one for the first time at castle conquest last weekend, and although they are plastic (which is kind of a turn off) they allow players to havea great marker at a great price.

[VAballer]

No matter what the ion was a great idea i saw one for the first time at castle conquest last weekend, and although they are plastic (which is kind of a turn off) they allow players to havea great marker at a great price.

Just the shell and trigger are plastic. Other then that it's a great marker for the price. I haven't had a single issue with mine. Great gun.