Mr. C has been outta the loop for awhile but apparently got sucked in recently by all the new Impulse hoopla and sent in this question.
Is the new Impulse Smart Parts' response to the Planet Eclipse Geo?
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About Baca:
Baca Loco is the forum name I first used at P8ntballer.com and kept when I starting writing for PGi magazine, the late, lamented Paintball Games International. At various times I did gun reviews, event reports, the occasional feature, How-To’s & a monthly column entitled, View from the Deadbox. At one time or another I’ve done most everything you can do in paintball other than own a field or run a tourney series. For the last several years I have coached a number of pro teams and generally made a nuisance of myself whenever possible.
About VIEW FROM THE DEADOX:
One purpose of this blog is to encourage a dialogue about competitive paintball and permitting commenter anonymity is intended to encourage the participation of those who actually know what they are talking about. The rest of you are also welcome, even encouraged, to comment as well. (I don't really need any encouragement.)
The other purpose of this blog is to provide a focus for my attention deficit disorder and hold boredom at bay.
About my views:
Brilliant, visionary and almost always correct. Get used to it. Oh, and I'm humble too. Feel free to disagree as long as you are prepared to be wrong.
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Baca Loco is the forum name I first used at P8ntballer.com and kept when I starting writing for PGi magazine, the late, lamented Paintball Games International. At various times I did gun reviews, event reports, the occasional feature, How-To’s & a monthly column entitled, View from the Deadbox. At one time or another I’ve done most everything you can do in paintball other than own a field or run a tourney series. For the last several years I have coached a number of pro teams and generally made a nuisance of myself whenever possible.
About VIEW FROM THE DEADOX:
One purpose of this blog is to encourage a dialogue about competitive paintball and permitting commenter anonymity is intended to encourage the participation of those who actually know what they are talking about. The rest of you are also welcome, even encouraged, to comment as well. (I don't really need any encouragement.)
The other purpose of this blog is to provide a focus for my attention deficit disorder and hold boredom at bay.
About my views:
Brilliant, visionary and almost always correct. Get used to it. Oh, and I'm humble too. Feel free to disagree as long as you are prepared to be wrong.
Baca's email
VFTD Overview
Blog Rules
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How is a paintball made? What am I, Wikipedia?
Who are your sponsors? Who hasn't been one of my sponsors? I won't be trying to promote current sponsors on this blog nor will I take shots at non-sponsors. I don't give gun, goggle or gear advice so it really doesn't matter.
What's your view on cheating? It's wrong and has no place in the game. That's why I don't play scenario or Big Games.
What's your favorite marker? The free one.
Where did that awesome photo come from in the blog header? It is the work of photographer extraordinaire, Brandon Showers or the vixen with a Nikon (or maybe a Canon) Meagan Foster.
What's your favorite team? Grow up.
Who started the Rec vs. Tourney war? Some will say that's just the way it's always been. Others claim it's natural for the sides to be at odds. I say, aren't we all brothers under the goggles? I'm not sure but ask yourself who benefits? Follow the money. Could it be a covert plot of the Military Simulation Industrial Complex? As long as the war rages on there will be a demand for more paint, more markers and Big Paintball will continue to count its profits instead of the cost. Give peace a chance. That's all that I'm saying.
How do I get sponsored? You don't.
Will you send me any free stuff if I tell you what a big fan I am? No.
Is agg dead yet? Yes, it's time to move on to some new uber hip trendiness that everyone can follow to demonstrate their individuality.
Is it true the inside of Ollie Lang's gearbag smells like roses? No, strawberries and cream.
You don't really know any Pro players, do you? Rats, you caught me out.
What makes your opinion so important? It's my blog, d'oh! And has already been noted I'm almost always correct. There's quite a lot to be said for being right.
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14 comments:
I'd say it's more "purposefully mid-end" and the GEO is more like "take your choice between our two high-ends."
If there is only one milling pattern per gun these days, they could have made it look better.
Despite that, it will probably be really expensive for some months before it gets to it's real price range.
Bbbzzzttt! You've missed Mr. C's point I think, PC.
well, crap.
Sort of, I think that SP wants to see if bringing back an incredibly successful gun (in it's day) will rival the success of the luxe. Lots of people are stoked to see the impulse come back and it already has an established fanbase, and there will also be all the lovers of the luxe that like poppits aswell to add to the potential buyers.
To answer the question, I think Smart Parts is bringing the Impulse back to see if they can be successful with it after seeing the success of the Geo.
I think what baca is trying to get at is that PE released the Geo to have a spool valve gun to take customers from Smartparts and Dye, trying to corner the market a bit with both types of high end guns.
I would think it is because of that. Before that all companies pretty much made only there one type of gun to draw a fan base maybe for a style of gun? but now that PE was smart enough to offer both i'm sure all the companies will follow in their footsteps to get back lost customers to the different style guns.
I think people are assuming that the Geo has been a great success and eaten into SP's market share. I think even SP assume this. If you buy into this train of thought then sure, this is an attempt by SP to buy back market share at the expense of the Etek/Ego.
If however the Geo has not actually been successful after its initial hoop-la, then this is another high-end gun looking for a piece of a rapidly shrinking high-end gun market. Paintball company's always think that if their numbers are down, then it must be because someone else is doing all the business. If this is not the case, and business is actually down accross the board, then inserting another gun into a high-end price-point is not going to help.
The Impulse looks great. I'm sure it will work great. But I would have loved to have seen a version at $500 retail, creating a buzz in the (still) lucrative mid-range marketplace.
Smart Parts had a gun at every market level (entry, mid, high end, woodsball) except poppit. My guess, look for Dye to release a poppit as well, or maybe some Smart Parts goggles next year.
It isn't a response to the Geo,
It's a response to all the newer guns.
The Victory, Geo, Luxe, DM9... Smart Parts I think was losing a chunk of the market without a gun in that range. The Luxe was too exclusive and pricy and from what I've heard the Impulse will be around $999 new... so slightly more affordable then Geo/DM9. etc.
No, they didn't, and havn't got a gun at every level.
They have the Vibe (entry/rental), the SP1 (scenario entry), the Ion XE (tournament entry), and they have the LUX (super-hi-end)
The other guns, the Eos, Shocker etc, are not being made anymore, which is why I was expecting someything in the mid-range, especially with the Impulse name/reputation.
I expect SP fans may now get an Impulse instead of a LUX, which doesn't really work for SP. I think Ego fane may have bought a Geo instead of an Ego, which is equally useless to the manufacturer. The only thing worse than this would be to do what planet did, and have 2 hi-end guns at the same price-point. In my opinion manufacturers (all of them) need to recognise the existing demands of the marketplace, not try to shape those demands.
Missy-
You're right about smartparts loosing some profit by selling the impulse instead of the luxe now but I think what PE did was pretty good. They offer both styles of high end guns at the same price so they won't loose any profit but they can possible take some customers from the high end spool valve gun producers.
The issue of having 2 guns at the same price-point is that you are doing twice the work, and stocking twice the inventory, to sell roughly the same amount of guns. If the second gun hits a broader area of the market you can recognise an expansion in sales and build your customer base and brand loyalty, preparing clients for a purchase of your high-end product as they move up the ranks.
Dye is the only smart company of the bunch, holding off releasing a new high end gun in the teeth of a recession (depression). By the time people have money they are actually willing to part with, the Impulse, Luxe, Geo, etc. will be old hat. Just in time for a new whizbang by Dye.
Are they really not making the Shocker anymore?
well, it's the luxe. So in comes the impulse so that SP can have a flagship alongside their other flagship "high quality" luxe. I think a part of the DLX brand name was to make people think "quality" shocker, not SP shocker. They shook off the stigma and provided (provide) excellent tech support.
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