Paintball NewSplat: New Forms of Shooter-Tag and Issues of Home Play

"What good is a standard safety briefing if players won't see it?"

"What do you mean?" I replied.

"If the players can get CO2 or propane fills without having to prove they've seen a safety briefing, the new industry safety education program will be useless."

This was the issue that everyone in the room knew I had to address. It was the issue that had disturbed me since I learned about a new CO2 bottle exchange program. I had been further disheartened when Tippmann introduced their innovative new C3 propane-powered marker...and these people all knew it. They had waited for my appearance in the room, and they all wanted answers.

Everyone started asking questions at the same time. "Why are some people trying to block the new proposed ASTM standard player safety briefing?" "Should kids be allowed to buy air fills if they have never been given a safety briefing?" The lines were popping up on my screen faster than I could read them. It had been a long day, and I was ready for bed. I had barely made it home from the office when I realized it was time for my weekly Thursday evening chatroom on www.paintball.org. So, I grabbed my evening pills, poured myself a tall ice water, and sat down at my computer. I learn a lot from field operators and other professional industry folks, when we engage in open Internet chats. There is always a place for private talks, but facing an open and sometimes anonymous group of industry business types can be enlightening. This evening was no exception.

Finally, after the chat, I surfed and searched for info about the new air fill programs. It now appears that paintball fill stations, which had long been considered to be choke points that would allow safety control, are no longer the ticket for a safety education program. Refills for paintball marker propellant gas cylinders can now be purchased at retail locations far removed from the actual fill stations. Empty 20-ounce CO2 bottles can be swapped for filled bottles at many locations (for a fee), and the safety pamphlets that might be dispensed at these locations may never be read. Even worse, that information may not always be correct. With the entry of some new major outside interests into paintball, there appears to be some misunderstandings about paintball safety requirements. In their rush to market, some companies may be creating problems for our industry. I applaud the efforts of well-intentioned companies that distribute any kind of proper safety instructions to the public, but I cringe when I see how some companies have recently been misinforming the public about paintball safety procedures.

Paintball needs an industry organization to disseminate information, and to challenge companies or outside interests that threaten to promote negative influences or unsafe practices. At a series of recent paintball industry meetings, many key companies gathered to consider joining an existing manufacturers association, or to perhaps start a new organization. One of the main concerns discussed was the opportunity to obtain better data about our industry than is presently available. Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) is a veteran group comprised of many companies, including some extreme sports product manufacturers. They gather what is probably the best currently available information about various sporting goods product markets, including participant activity. This data provides much of what is reported about paintball, including our group size...a number that appears to be dancing around 10 million participants. SGMA might be a good group for paintball to join, and such was discussed.

While some voices supported such a move, others took note that SGMA itself might have suffered a downturn, having lost many of its member companies. Their reduction in membership was attributed in part to large companies, such as K-2, taking over smaller companies, which might normally have been individual members. SGMA recently announced that their annual Super Show will be discontinued in favor of smaller focused shows. One person at the meeting commented that, if the present trend continues, SGMA may not be around by the turn of the decade. However, SGMA is still very strong, and was in existence long before the first game of paintball. They have longevity, a proven track record, and momentum. And they have also demonstrated the ability to gather confidential data from companies who do not wish to share their information, and hold it close. Still, while paintball might benefit from an alliance with SGMA, it remains to be seen if any outside organization could be responsive to our specific needs in the face of inappropriate legislation or public image problems.

There are also other existing trade organizations that paintball might affiliate with, but most are shooting- or hunting-related, and I personally oppose alignment with the gun industry. While I am always impressed when I see the instant and effective call to arms whenever NRA responds to an anti-gun threat, we seem to suffer whenever people blend paintball into the world of real guns.

So, what of the option to form our own industry organization? Actually, it has been attempted unsuccessfully several times over the years. At this point, a new organization would take time to form, and would undoubtedly evoke bickering amongst its founding members. Practical results would probably be slow to form, and may not provide the silver bullet some companies are looking for. Too little too late?

However, a carefully structured paintball industry organization could bring more than market data and analyses to the table. With proper total representation of all major industry groups, a paintball industry organization might provide a true representative voice for our industry. One that would be recognized and accepted by outside media as a fair and unbiased representation of who and what we are. Perhaps the best solution might be to join SGMA for the benefits they offer, and proceed at the same time with a separate paintball industry organization, designed to present a professional image of paintball, and to respond to outside threats.

Years ago I started to post general information about paintball on the Web site www.paintball.org. Just some basic facts and news. But then I started to post information about some industry debates and problems, along with general information about ASTM standards that were being considered. One day I was watching MSNBC coverage of drive-by shootings in Alaska when I noticed our little Web site logo flash up on screen, as the correspondent finished the news piece with the statement: "If you want more information about paintball, look on the Web site www.paintball.org."

I was shocked to see my little Web site featured on a series of news broadcasts, and I worked hard to post meaningful information during the flurry of hits we enjoyed for a few weeks. I called and asked why they chose that particular site to represent paintball, and was told: "The other sites appeared to be commercial or to represent specific interest groups within paintball. We were looking for a non-profit voice that might give a fair and uniform look at your industry."

A few years ago, the Paintball Products Manufacturers Association (PPMA) was formed by some of the largest manufacturers in paintball. It was probably the best-conceived and best-funded paintball organization ever formed, and it was touted as the "Voice of Paintball." But it wasn't. Another organization that preceded it-and exceeded it-was the IPPA, a now dormant paintball player organization that provided a true voice for paintball. Without major funding, it could never have had the muscle of the PPMA, but the IPPA was a true catalyst and always seemed able to recruit support from the manufacturers whenever there was a fight to fight. A handful of major leaders, including APG's editor Jessica Sparks, were watchdogs for our industry. They identified outside threats in state and federal legislatures, and on many other fronts. Many of those leaders are gone, and I don't see others stepping up to fill the voids in stewardship.

CO2 refill bottle-swap programs, as well as propane bottles for paintball, must be worked into a paintball safety program, and the markerball industry faces an even greater problem. Various designs of foamball "markers" may be built around propellant energy sources that do not require any refills at all. Spring-powered or pump-up markers can easily be designed for low-velocity shooter-tag games, some of which will not actually "mark" the game participants. There are also several innovative new games besides markerball that will soon be announced, and the new equipment that will be used will share some of the problems that markerball is now facing.

Projectile issues such as "how slow" and "how heavy" must be addressed, as manufacturers will want to turn these "not-a-toys" loose in backyards and basements. And, if this new breed of players and game organizers has never played paintball, they may have to rely on the manuals and DVDs that come with whatever products they buy. However, they may not notice the package warnings, or take the time to read the owner's manual, let alone view a DVD. I worry about sleepy parents on Christmas morning, as youngsters tear open their gift-wrapped packages and race for the door. No assembly required, and perhaps no real game organization to keep the youngsters safe. I hope those new industries plan responsibly for the new game formats, equipment, and safety procedures that may reflect on paintball.