Redefining AGD

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  • Miscue
    Super Moderator

    • Oct 2000
    • 7105

    #46
    Originally posted by CoolHand
    Oh no, don't misunderstand me, I'm all for it. You just have to do it like TAG did their DIY kits. They have a concrete warranty (IE once it leaves the concrete of TAG's shop floor, there is no warranty, no support, discuss it amongst yourselves and figure it out).

    That's the only way you can support a product of that nature in today's PB culture. To do otherwise is to invite gray hair.

    People ***** about the ION not having this or that or whatever, but I think that is exactly what people like about it. That's what they liked about the Impulse, that's what they liked about the Autococker, and that's what they like about the Ion.

    Its a cheap blank canvas (which you can still play with out of the box, can't forget that part of it) that you can literally make into whatever you want it to be. Everyone wants to be unique. In a sea of people, everyone wants to be the only one with the things they have. I think this is the founding push behind gun whoring, regardless of what the stated reasoning is. They have a marker, but as soon as it becomes kinda common place, its gotta go, for something you don't see that often. How many people do you see advertising a 1 of X marker?

    With an Ion, the thing is cheap enough to get and piece together how ever you want. To do the same with a Mag, will cost you three times as much.

    What I think AGD needs to do is to take a page from SP's play book, and do a super cheap Mag platform to customize off of. Think about it, there is a lot of potential there.

    Do away with the integrated reg (with a little fore thought, you can make it ready for a gas thru rail too). Ship it with a bare bones vert reg (everyone wants to be able to change them anyway, let them). Ship it with a plastic [b]double trigger[b] frame. Send along a crappy barrel that will at least put balls out the end. Most important of all, make it cheap (to start with).

    Then start in with your aftermarket parts. Make a gas-thru rail (its easy, have Tom give me a call and I'll sketch it out for him ). Make a variety of frames and triggers (oh so many triggers, and at least as many frames as we have now). Sell a couple of feed tube options. Use your imagination. If they can make it for an Ion, you can make it for a Mag.

    Of course, this will require a near 180 swing in the thinking over at AGD, which is likely not what they want, but you never know. Of course, since its not my company, I really don't have any right to ride them about what they are doing right or wrong.

    I'm just tossing out an idea that, given the cash to realize it, I would have already been acting on.
    Bingo!

    You know what would be really funny... is if Ion bodies fit on a Mag... and if you could convert it into a dead ringer. SP would just love that!

    If you look at many other markers... their design is dictated by how it mechanically operates. I think the XValve is immune to this to an extent.

    Can you take the guts out of an Angel... Shocker... etc. like you can a Mag? Take off the thumb screw... pull out the valve... there's your guts right there. With this in mind... I think that the Mag has very high, untapped cosmetic potential. You can make the body look however you'd like, without having to worry about how the marker operates.

    The kiddies can have a "new gun" or flavor of the week without the expense of having to rebuy the whole marker. Most other markers... you want a new look? Gotta buy the whole thing again. That's one of the appeals of the Ion.

    Comment

    • BigEvil
      www.BigEvilOnline.com

      • Feb 2005
      • 9333

      #47
      This is one of the best threads ive read in a long time.

      Bravo Miscue.

      Comment

      • Army
        Moderator of DOOOOOOOOMMM!

        • Oct 2000
        • 5785

        #48
        Did you just say, that Tom is like a girl you missed doing things in bed with?

        Comment

        • Miscue
          Super Moderator

          • Oct 2000
          • 7105

          #49
          Urm... last I checked, he wasn't a 5'4" flexible nymph that can be spun around easily.

          So... the answer is no.

          Comment

          • MadPSIence
            Innovation 101
            • Mar 2005
            • 969

            #50
            OT mines 5'2

            Comment

            • SCpoloRicker
              HA HA I'm custom!!1
              • Jan 2004
              • 4375

              #51
              Originally posted by CoolHand
              Exactly. You can still have a soul and be good at marketing.
              That got a solid LoL from me!
              God....I guess I was probably returning videotapes.

              Comment

              • billmi
                Tech Editor - WARPIG.com
                • May 2001
                • 810

                #52
                So what you are saying, Miscue, is that if AGD starts selling the AGD Home encapsulator for say $300 a piece, and it lets people 6 cases of paintballs out of a box of Knox gelatin and bottle of tempra paint, that they'll have a strong market impact.

                Computer / Paintball geek
                Technical Editor, World And Regional Paintball Information Guide - http://www.WARPIG.com
                Producer, Paintball Television - http://www.PigTV.net
                Paintball, Motocross trail riding, SCUBA, climbing, surfing, R/C aircraft, fun stuff...

                Comment

                • Miscue
                  Super Moderator

                  • Oct 2000
                  • 7105

                  #53
                  Originally posted by billmi
                  So what you are saying, Miscue, is that if AGD starts selling the AGD Home encapsulator for say $300 a piece, and it lets people 6 cases of paintballs out of a box of Knox gelatin and bottle of tempra paint, that they'll have a strong market impact.
                  There's a thought!

                  I'm not saying that any of it will result in a strong market impact... I do not know the market well enough to make any sort of educated prediction - my knowledge outside the Automag world is very limited.

                  My gut says that the market has been saturated for a long time now... and what's been suggested so far will not make a substantial impact if attempted... even if the ideas are sound and novel. A small improvement at best... minute possibility of a runaway product... and if so, production needs to be ready to handle that before the bubble bursts.

                  I'm confident that even small improvements cannot be made without some kind of change. But change involves risk... and it's easy to make suggestions when it's not your money.

                  Comment

                  • Will Wood
                    Evil Monkey
                    • May 2002
                    • 3475

                    #54
                    Could AGD/PC start making paint for mass production?

                    Comment

                    • punkncat
                      One foot less
                      • Feb 2003
                      • 5841

                      #55
                      Originally posted by Miscue
                      Bingo!

                      You know what would be really funny... is if Ion bodies fit on a Mag... and if you could convert it into a dead ringer. SP would just love that!

                      If you look at many other markers... their design is dictated by how it mechanically operates. I think the XValve is immune to this to an extent.

                      Can you take the guts out of an Angel... Shocker... etc. like you can a Mag? Take off the thumb screw... pull out the valve... there's your guts right there. With this in mind... I think that the Mag has very high, untapped cosmetic potential. You can make the body look however you'd like, without having to worry about how the marker operates.

                      The kiddies can have a "new gun" or flavor of the week without the expense of having to rebuy the whole marker.
                      Most other markers... you want a new look? Gotta buy the whole thing again. That's one of the appeals of the Ion.
                      I think Kingmann already has that market cornered.

                      Comment

                      • Severe
                        Leader of Lililputions
                        • Feb 2002
                        • 315

                        #56
                        I can't speak for any other field/region or otherwise, but having been a long time classic mag shooter in my small corner of the paintball universe I've notice a LOT of local interest in the mags lately. Now mind you, I'm a woodsball/scenario player so my exposure is limited to those areas.

                        Anyway, to my point. I really think the classic is a good platform, and if you think about it, parallels the Ion in several ways: can run on CO2/HPA, caps out around 16bps (I think the Ion is 17), and they're both entry level.

                        Is it possible to use some sort of resin body, trigger frame to bring the classic in to the same level of customization? If possible, replace the single trigger frame with a Intelliframe style frame made of the same material. If that stuff as tough as they claim, could it be used as a body? Heck, and budget Tac style body would be very hot with the Tippmann, woodsball/scenario communities.

                        As for the valve, we already know that manufactuing the valves out of aluminum is much cheaper than steel. Make an aluminum classic valve! It's just a change in metals so far as I know.

                        No, it will not be electric, but it will be highly customizable, extremely durable, run on any air source. And it should be able to be sold for under $250.
                        Lvl X TKO Automag PF/HL, Intelliframe, a Simmons 30mm Red Dot and a J&J 12" Ceramic barrel.
                        Crossfire 68/4500
                        -------------------------------------
                        Die Hard Woods Player

                        Comment

                        • billmi
                          Tech Editor - WARPIG.com
                          • May 2001
                          • 810

                          #57
                          Originally posted by Will Wood
                          Could AGD/PC start making paint for mass production?
                          The paint market is expensive to get into (IPMC spent over 6 million to get their plant up and running with 5 of 10 planned machines) and very saturated.

                          Computer / Paintball geek
                          Technical Editor, World And Regional Paintball Information Guide - http://www.WARPIG.com
                          Producer, Paintball Television - http://www.PigTV.net
                          Paintball, Motocross trail riding, SCUBA, climbing, surfing, R/C aircraft, fun stuff...

                          Comment

                          • luke
                            lukescustoms.com

                            • Jan 2001
                            • 8211

                            #58
                            We are still trying to link up with a big money partner that can make things happen. This is not an easy or fast process especially given what's going on in paintball. AGD thanks you for your support and I wanted to let you know personally that while we are still just simmering in the pot I am still trying to make things happen.


                            This is interesting and all but it makes me wonder what you mean by "we" and "AGD"? Last I read you indicated that you would like to sell AGD to PMI or someone else. As far as I'm concerned you are AGD, the products are yours because you were the brain child behind them. If the company sells and you're not behind the R&D, is it truly an AGD product? Simply put, no. I'm not one to root for team colors and jerseys, I cheer for the people who wear them.

                            I'm really curious what you meant by that comment, it could be taken different ways. It either means you (AGD) are still in the game (given the opportunity), OR the business will be sold at the right price and the name "AGD" will still be around???

                            Comment

                            • trevorjk
                              <S>WooLooLoo</S>
                              • Dec 2002
                              • 4324

                              #59
                              Q.

                              Whats the best thing AGD ever made?

                              A.

                              A Regulator!

                              from the flatline to the valve its self.... this cant be denied that AGD knows how to make regulating devices... so why not make a top of the line regulator with extreme flow rates... wait they did! so why not take the regulator/valve design and turn it into a damn Inline Regulator for under $75 and make it damn good looking at that (regulators are fugly)

                              boom AGD back in business

                              or am i just being to broad with my assumption on the regulator aspect?
                              t33kyboy "So if a cat is dropped from 11 inches, it will most likely die."

                              Comment

                              • GT
                                Automag?
                                • Dec 2001
                                • 5786

                                #60
                                You guys still don't get it. AGD can make the best gun on the planet that everyone and thier brother wants, the problem is distrobution.

                                AGD needs to make a product that is: A. supported by dealers (not easy considering AGDs rep) and B. Make enough product that can be purchased NO SHORTAGES!!!

                                Please, contunie with your posts. I am sure that AGD can make a killer gun, tank, reg etc. the problem is they can't sell product! I loved my e/x mags, but considering the volume sold compared to the volume of other automags, the E and X mags were collosial failures.
                                FOR SALE
                                on/off, sear, PROConnect
                                AGD back bottle asa, laser logo

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