I’ve been outta the loop...

Heyya!

I've been outta the loop with paintball...

But, it really looks like WDP has become the high-end Kingman, releasing a new, not really super-improved gun every few weeks. And I thought Bob Long and the Intimidator were getting stale. I preferred when it was actually fun to bring in the New Year because you knew WDP would be releasing it's new model and then a Fly version and maybe another custom upgraded model.

WGP is down...down...and down. Replacing the Orr-Acle with the Karnivore was their first mistake it seems. And then discontinuing the Black Magic. Replacing the STO with the Outkast was a bad move as well.

Smart Parts has done what I knew it would: begin to produce over-priced high-end guns like the Nerve and cheap guns like the Ion which actually works surprisingly well, but, unlike most kids reviewing it, I've actually shot one and will say that if you're deciding between and Ion and Intimidator, Bob Long can probably take on Billy Gardner; in a fight, on the field, and definatly in technology.

AKA is gone/stopped producing markers apparently? I wasn't aware of that...one of the few companies that was starting to get some recognition from pure preformance and not hype and flash is now gone. Too bad, they were starting to get popular.

Tippmann...it's time to let the 98 Custom die...just...let it go, it's been like 10 years, it's time to let it go and stop bringing out new versions of it every few months.

Just my observations fro mbeing gone so long.

Good luck!

What is ICD up to now?

Tippmann got bought out (in case you didnt know---Summit Partners). They are supposedly making a new marker, (Ill believe it when I see it).

Nothing mentiond about AGD, Im surprised. 

paintballman_13 wrote: Cedric wrote: Impulse. wrote: Still using the purple text. That's deffinitly pink. Nope Fushia

Only girls and girly men differentiate between shades of pink.

hwayhzrd wrote: Wow ... that's some good stuff! Yes, things have been a changin', and not always for the better, I fear.

It does seem like things have been changing for the worst.

I think paintball in general, atleast in the past 2 years, has cooled off.

It went through a big boom, now its leveled off.

Plus, what used to be a bunch of really good smaller companies, has turned into a few congloms that will sue other companies, and will run others into the ground.

BE flooded the beginners market that I see less and less people buying. Kingman also suffered this fate it looks like, it flooded with more than its market needed.

Yeah, Invisions got owned by JT and V-Force. I don't think I'll ever wear anything but my Profiler though.

About AKA-I'm buying one of their guns(a Viking, probably off dbnpaintball.com, if the gun is still there) in about two weeks. Great company, too bad the guy running it now is a total idiot, and fired his top two techs, as well as stripping the 3 master techs for their markers of their titles. One of whom designed the gun he is now teching...yeah. Anyway, so they're still alive and kicking, as people are still looking for them, but they deffinately aren't more coming. I have heard that AKA sold the design for the Ego to Eclipse though, after one of the guys on the AKA forums on PbNation looked at Ego internals, and realized that if you decided to make a stacked-tube Viking, it would be an Ego.

WGP is totally going down the drain. I personally like the Karnivore a lot more than the Orr-Acle, and the new '05 Super/ProStocks are really cool. However, the 'cocker is truly becoming a dieing breed-they're getting too old and slow to compete with the lower end electros.    I anticipate the 'cocker will go the way of the 'mag within the next 2-3 years. Speaking of the 'mag, I believe Tom Kaye has moved to Europe, and quite as CEO of AGD, as I know he announced he was doing that, but I'm not sure if he's actually done it yet.

WGP doesn't have any patents-but they've got the cash power to scare the little guys away, as the little guys can't afford thousands of dollars a day in legal fees. Really sucks, but that's how stuff is going down.

Everybody is sueing everyone these days. I'm not sure whether to be happy or sad that Action Markers is gone-I never liked their stuff, but some people did, so the fact that they went the way of AKA sucks. CCM(Chipley Custom Machine) is getting sold right now, so we'll see if anyone gets interested in them. The industry has become a place where the big companies are beginning to hold onto their share of the market, and there really isn't much space for small custom shops.

'Tis sad, what our sport is coming to. Hopefully, people will get past the sue-happy phase, and we can get down to real business.

*EDIT* NEW NAME TAG!W00T!

Edited by Pariel

tom kaye retired

oh an bravecoward yknow that guy? has finaly got doen with his tippmann

what is your position on solid barrels and 2 or three part barrels?