the one thing that could save automags.

[warbeak2099]

True, hhrrrmm...

Maybe don't go as big as a press release. Just show it on pbnation. That couldn't hurt. I just think people outside of the mag world need to see these "super frames" for mags.

[SCpoloRicker]

re: too big is a problem

No, it is not. I'd recommend pushing it as much as you can. After you're sure it works of course.

/6% standard agents fee?

[Miscue]

The Automag/EMag/XMag offers little to no real-world technological advantages over other modern markers. The recharge rate is a moot point... as well as its abilities as a mechanical marker.

It is also not competitively priced... partly because the actual cost to make it is relatively high.

The market has changed long ago... since AGD was very popular. What used to work for AGD will not work now. Your 16 year old friends will not be impressed by your AGD marker... they will have negative comments about it (if they even know what your gun is). This makes you feel bad, so you go get a marker deemed cool by your peers. Local paintball shop people also will not have positive things to say about AGD markers... for one, they don't make as much money off of them.

Although I personally find this a non-issue... other markers can get more shots off a tank... and people worry about this. Also, it is not a low-pressure marker... and customers will never understand that this does not mean that it is better...

Even if AGD completely redefined itself... and created some new product that embraced all the latest fads... the market is already hostile and saturated... most of the effort would have to be spent on marketing and stuff... rather than technology.

The target audiences do not understand technology or what not. They understand popularity and fads. Paintball has become a fashion show... AGD would have to fully embrace this. But if they did... they would distance themselves from current loyal followers... somewhat.

Otherwise... they're going to stay a niche company... kinda like Palmers. And... is that a bad thing? There is nothing preventing your or I from buying a kick-arse custom Mag... that shoots as well as the other markers out there. So everybody doesn't shoot one... who cares? You can still get your own stuff! And... your marker will be more unique... and not just one of the many, many Timmys, Angels, Matrixes, and such.

[CoolHand]

Well said 'Cue.

[tolley]

What's to save?

My mags rock, big time! None of them need saving. There seems to be plenty of parts available used and new, on this forum, ebay, pbclassifieds, etc. And I really like having a marker that the young guns have never seen before.

[Lohman446]

Otherwise... they're going to stay a niche company... kinda like Palmers. And... is that a bad thing? There is nothing preventing your or I from buying a kick-arse custom Mag... that shoots as well as the other markers out there. So everybody doesn't shoot one... who cares? You can still get your own stuff! And... your marker will be more unique... and not just one of the many, many Timmys, Angels, Matrixes, and such.

'Cue I think you said this very well, and let me add something.

The goal of any privately owned company is whatever the owners set to be that goal - that is also true of public companies to some degree but shareholders vote about money, seldom anything else.

That being said, if the goal of TK or Dave Zupe or whoever owns AGD and the patents at this time is to support them to whatever lifestyle tehy deem fit, to be profitable, or to just be there for old customers who have helped them get where they are, then they need not worry about being some super selling marker. Too often people see profit as the ultimate goal of a company and find it hard to beleive that many times private business owners are there for something else. Many private business owners, if one takes into consideration the hours they work both physically and mentally, could make far more working for a large corporation without nearly as much risk. They work for themselves for other reasons. Who are we to define what AGD's goals should be? If being a niche company will fufill the goals of the owners - great.

[LONEWOLFOO1]

I AGREE not everybody wants to be a big dog.

[bleachit]

My mags rock, big time! None of them need saving. There seems to be plenty of parts available used and new, on this forum, ebay, pbclassifieds, etc. And I really like having a marker that the young guns have never seen before.

maybe some people would like to have those spare parts and new markers as readily available in 5 years as they are now.