What the next step?

[Faddy]

Been a reader for a while, but I mostly lurk here, rarely post. But I was thinking about something lately, and I'm wondering if anyone had been thinking about something like this also. Im sorry if someone has already brought this up, but with search gone, I can't look for it.

First of all, a few facts with regards to paintball technology. If I'm wrong here at all, please let me know.

1. With most (all now?) tournament series adopting a 15ish bps, there's no reason for a gun to shoot faster than that. (Not including Greenspanners, or people who want to shoot faster just for fun out of game)
2. Efficiency is reaching a peak. There are already guns out there that can shoot near a case of paint on a 68/45.
3. Loaders of today can easily keep up with 15bps without gaps
4. The lightest guns on the market weigh less than 2lbs. When you add a full hopper and tank, a couple ounces only accounts for a few % of the total weight.
5. Anti-chop eyes have all but eliminated ball chops.
6. Accuracy is basically at it's limit. This is due to well made barrels and consistant gun that rarely vary more than 5fps per shot.

With those facts (ok, they might not be 100% factual, but they should be close) what is the next big breakthrough in paintball? In my opinion, the guns have hardly changes in the last couple years. The last big breakthroughs were force-fed hoppers and ACE's. Making a gun shoot faster isn't going to help much. In most tournaments and fields you'll have to limit that anyway. People carry more than enough air to support just about any number of pods they carry, so air efficiency really isn't going to help that much. Not only that, but is there much that can even be done to increase efficiency enough to make a difference? Again, loaders can easily match 15bps...so no real breakthroughs on that end. Weight seems to be reaching alimit as well. Obviously there needs to be some weight. A few ounces you won't even notice once you put the tank on and fill your loader. Guns with ACE's don't chop...no new breakthroughs there. Guns are already very consistant.

So, what is next? Is there anything next? Or are we now in a stagnating industry? Something to discuss and think about.

[player4]

Jetpacks.

[cdacda13]

Making markers not use any air source

[paint magnet]

Cheaper. Thats the future.

Exactly what I was going to say. Hopefully we'll see cheaper paint as well (although it's already dirt cheap compared to what it used to be).

Paintball is probably going to become a bit more mainstream as well, with companies outside of paintball manufacturers starting to take notice (for example, the Greg Hastings game for Xbox)...IMO sponsorships by these companies aren't far away. We'll probably see a bit more paintball coverage on TV as well.

[paullus99]

Grenades in tournaments!!! That's what I want to see....a front player rushing the fifty, then tossing a couple of smoke grenades to cover the advance of the rest of his team....now that's exciting....

[Target Practice]

Death.

[paullus99]

I thought that was the next step in reality TV?????

[Lohman446]

Death.

Followed by a media sensation

Civil lawsuit

More media

A district attorney and grand jury that closely interpert criminal negligence standards in relation to violation of all known safety standards (ASTM)

Criminal trial

More media

Conviction

Jail

Government regulations or oversight.. if paintball exists at all

[mandatory]

less fashion and more fun....

[hockeynoodles020]

less fashion and more fun....

i think just the opposite...more fashion and less fun. 6 months ago only a few people that paintball in my city had paintball apperal, now just about everyone has a jersey at least. Now with people shooting 15+bps, i get shot out a lot more. Simply because i cant afford to shoot that much paint.

[JKR]

So, what is next? Is there anything next? Or are we now in a stagnating industry? Something to discuss and think about.

Hopefully with regards to technology, we are going to stagnate. Maybe then, Moms and Dads out there won't have to max out the plastic to keep Tiny Tommy with the Timmy outfitted with the latest doodads.

What do I hope for? A bigger move to the retro-game: pumps, camo, CO2 - man, now wouldn't that be fun!

[VFX_Fenix]

Paintball guns that don't need an air-source, that's a reality shortly here with NPS's release of it's 100% battery powered gun. I definately see this being a viable route for new developement in the industry considering all the "inherent dangers" of using compressed air cylinders as some would point to the tragidies that happend within the last year.

X-Box already sponsors the NCPA (College tournament series) and I can see Microsoft moving to follow this up in other series.

I see the gear becoming more user friendly, safer (this includes improving what's considered "entery level"), more reliable, and stylish.

Cheaper is always a good thing and will bring paintball more or less down to what could be considered to be appropriate cost for the type of goods recieved because as it stands, as I see it anyway, a lot of stuff in paintball is too expensive.

I can agree that there will continue to be fatalities in the future associated with the sport though these fatalities will most likely not be within the confines of a game but within the staging area or on the side-lines.

Anyway, it'll all sort itself out.