I hate to say it, but there's not much to be done on the equipment side of things. From what little I know, the only way things are going to get less expensive is by fundamentally altering the game.
social conservatism: the mortal fear that someone, somewhere, might be having fun.
I hate to say it, but there's not much to be done on the equipment side of things. From what little I know, the only way things are going to get less expensive is by fundamentally altering the game.
Ever so many citizens of this republic think they ought to believe that the Universe is a monarchy, and therefore they are always at odds with the republic. -Alan Watts
I work for the company building the Paragon
Yup. I thought maybe he was done with videos, but this was a great comeback.
Some of the parents I had as regulars 'got it' and paintball was the sport their kids took to. We made it really cheap, had a simple field, reffed it good. They saw the value in it and made it a regular thing to come out. We had some even bring us food.
I might disappoint a bunch of folks but, I disagree with the premise that paintball is a sport. It's a hobby and, a somewhat expensive one. If it means that kids can't really get started until they are in their teens, and paying with their own money, that doesn't bother me at all.
I'm not sure that really matters, though. You can easily compare a hobby to a sport and still evaluate the cost. Similar to this would be radio controller car racing. It's not a sport, but you can compete in racing competitions just like a paintball player can play in tournaments or scenarios. For RC racing, there is the cost of the car, cost of the battery, cost of the controller, and fees to race at tracks. It can easily get into the hundreds of dollars up into the thousands - just like paintball.
Many kids also pursue collectible card games and table top games. There is the cost of cards or models, the cost of paint and table scenery, and the cost to enter tournaments. While it may seem like the entry to any of these is cheaper, most players will spend hundreds of dollars up into the thousands to enjoy these hobbies.
The point is that paintball is no different - it has a few high expense items and it has potentially higher recurring costs, but on balance, its cost to enjoy is right in the same line with many other children's activities. And Gordon More's point is that it has unique benefits that many of those other activities do not. More benefit for the same cost. I'm not as invested in the benefits portion (agree with it, but it's not a critical component for me), but I like that he put a lot of effort in thinking about the cost side of the cost:benefit ratio for new players.
gmore70 has a great video on this as well.
love too, but my gun whoring days are over, so i get guns on loan now. willing to split shipping.
guns im looking for for the show:
AM diadem
AKA excal
2k2 timmy
PGI Osiris
PPS blazer
ICD bushmaster and BKO
ICD freestyle
most of these guns i did own at one point, but that was before i had a show.
Last edited by cockerpunk; 01-22-2014 at 12:37 PM.
social conservatism: the mortal fear that someone, somewhere, might be having fun.
UV Halo: When watching his videos, replace the word "sport" with "hobby" and the point comes out exactly the same with the same relevance.
When I was playing kids under 16 were not allowed to play at all and it did not bother me, but that has changed and with that change it is only proper that we as a community provide info on paintball to parents. I support Gmore's overall goal.
I agree that for terms of determining cost, and benefits, "sport" = "hobby". I also believe that parents should have realistic expectations and, an understanding of where the money goes for anything they spend money on their kids for.
But, I wonder if parents (I don't have a kid of my own yet) may see the benefits of sports like football, baseball, soccer, etc, and consider the possibility that their kid may be able to get a scholarship for or, even a career in one of the 'traditional' sports. Maybe that's why they may overlook the higher risk of injuries associated with the traditional sports.