Is airsoft becoming less popular?

[Munky]

Dude, airsoft has always been a fashion contest but with people hating on low end guns before someone can say they like them it makes no one want to play. All these guys on the P*/CRYE/GBB or die wagons ruin the experience for people that cant afford to drop over $1000 for a gun and vest. Now I know what your gonna say "Who gives a shit what those people think" well I personally get tired of being called a fag cause I still rock JG/E1 (and hell some WalMart specials) with my knock off condor gear. But I wouldn't say that its less popular, it's just that most of the national community are seen as elitists. And the even shittier part is that if your affiliated in any way with those kinds, people write you out. I've met quite a few people over the last couple months that have heard about AP (as an example) but the general consensus is 'shazaam those guys, I don't have the money to play with them' (actual words from someone the other day, made me laugh and almost phony pony slap them) and as I look around at team forums, it really is getting harder and harder to just be able to play.

You want to spur interest? Do low end friendly events, no gear/camo days, springer leagues but something to remind people that this sport isn't about who has an uber 1337 ULTRAARES snipxor but about who has the skill, determination, and patience to see something through.

Just my 2cents.

[Matt]

That's a tough one. Most established communities are full of players who have been around for a while, they're tired of the glorified skirmish type games where any dude in blue jeans and a hoodie can show up. Hence the popularity with mil-sim restrictions on events these days. That's the new trend.

If somebody is too afraid to get involved in an Airsoft community or attend larger events because they would get butt-hurt about somebody talking trash about their AEG -- they may as well just give up on life in general because there's assholes who say that shit in every hobby and in every community. I don't really think that's the reason why it's not popular, if the events were good enough people would show up regardless. And if there were restrictions on required gear, they would go get the required gear to look the part because the event would be worth it. Mind you, any of the stuff that is required for a mil-sim event has a perfectly good "cheap version" that looks almost the same.

But I do agree with your point in that I think the war ruined Airsoft in Oregon. Everyone is now more obsessed with looking like a soldier rather than playing the game. But the way we fight in Afghanistan and Iraq is not the way we would fight on Oregon terrain. It's also not the way we fight in Airsoft. Airsoft is mostly guerilla warfare fought on the ground by infantry. This is NOT the case with our modern wars, but we're dressing like the modern soldiers and using the same equipment. I enjoyed it a lot more when we all looked like 1980s Navy Seals, because we fought like we were in the jungle, not like we were posted up inside a building in front of an open desert with a DMR. It becomes less and less about squad tactics and more about the individual and how good his personal equipment is. It's a shame.

[Tankwitch]

Munky does have a point though. If an unrelenting pressure is placed on looking the part more than playing well, we lose something. On the other hand if you don't have mil-sim we lose something as well. What is needed is a proper mix of various games from the jeans and springer skirmish all the way to 8 day mil-sim events.

We have to admit that airsoft is a sport that can eat up unlimited money if you so wanted. Because there is always another level to go up when it comes to gear, training, or events.

[Jerm_G]

There has always been a push by organizers to "play well". Why, because when the organizers are not organizing, they are playing. I personally have put on classes, BSP use to put on bitchin classes, and several others here has put on classes to advance player skill levels. Problem is, very few people want to lean. They just want to sling plastic death at their friends and that is about it. I have never experienced a more painful push than trying to get even 10 people to come to a real class. Quality events are actually not that difficult to plan and organize. Training classes are friggin difficult to do correctly. But AP could announce CQC whatever and pack the mofo in a week.

Mil-sim is what is huge right now. Experienced players tend to want to play with experienced players and challenge their skill sets. There is just not that many solid events and the great ones are not very frequent. It's just that few promoters put on tier 1 events. Those that do have to space things out far enough to be able to keep interest and have enough of a draw.

As for event's for new players, they are out there. Look at Rick's games. He doesn't require you to come in two grand worth of gear. There are skirmishes every weekend in the Northwest and Oregon. Again, few have gear requirements and many are free. But yes, if you are new and don't have the gear or skill set you are going to find it difficult to make it on a well organized team. It's that way in every single hobby or sport.

[Fred]

I can't tell you why there is less interest in airsoft in general. But I can tell you that a lot of big OPs used to be really good. However, some people have decided to bring the bar down quite a bit and big OPs have become lack luster and casual at best. Event promoters have been spending more time, effort and possibly money to promote their events than spending the effort, money, time in the event itself. In other words, having a really nice packaging, but shitty product inside. Then again, what do I know, I do not host events. I just used to try and airsoft and take photos of airsoft.

Also, I am broke as shazaam.

[Braddock]

I have felt pretty Meh about airsoft lately. Its just not the same.

The d-bag ratio has gone way up.

We used to be a tight community of friends that got together and skirmmed. now its OP this, OP that. I refuse to pay for a glorified skirmish that isn't worth shit.

my 2 cents...

[Alien_Hunter]

I have felt pretty Meh about airsoft lately. Its just not the same.

The d-bag ratio has gone way up.

We used to be a tight community of friends that got together and skirmmed. now its OP this, OP that. I refuse to pay for a glorified skirmish that isn't worth shit.

my 2 cents...

Somehow Milsimmers hijacked our monthly game and it was sooooo goddamned boring. We were forced to tie each other up with zip ties and yell in russian . I barely got off a full clip in a whole day because the admins needed to get their milsim jollies off more than they wanted to let anyone actually play airsoft. I've decided I hate no one more than milsim players.

[Esoda]

Somehow Milsimmers hijacked our monthly game and it was sooooo goddamned boring. We were forced to tie each other up with zip ties and yell in russian . I barely got off a full clip in a whole day because the admins needed to get their milsim jollies off more than they wanted to let anyone actually play airsoft. I've decided I hate no one more than milsim players.

Seemed to me there was very little milsim and quite a bit of shooting at that game. I went through a good 1500 or so rounds at that game and I'm pretty conservative with my shots.

As far as you talking about "wanna-be"s in Sonoma County who only go out to dress up, I haven't seen anyone like that. All the geardos I know around here (myself included) like to airsoft pretty hard. 3-day ops and the like, getting out to as many fields as I can at least once or twice a month. I don't think we/they're the problem in Sonoma County lol.

[Alien_Hunter]

Somehow Milsimmers hijacked our monthly game and it was sooooo goddamned boring. We were forced to tie each other up with zip ties and yell in russian . I barely got off a full clip in a whole day because the admins needed to get their milsim jollies off more than they wanted to let anyone actually play airsoft. I've decided I hate no one more than milsim players.

Seemed to me there was very little milsim and quite a bit of shooting at that game. I went through a good 1500 or so rounds at that game and I'm pretty conservative with my shots.

As far as you talking about "wanna-be"s in Sonoma County who only go out to dress up, I haven't seen anyone like that. All the geardos I know around here (myself included) like to airsoft pretty hard. 3-day ops and the like, getting out to as many fields as I can at least once or twice a month. I don't think we/they're the problem in Sonoma County lol.

I know of only one recurring event hosted in Healdsburg where I live. And I was referring to the FB forums, "U can't wear special forces patch U not special forces". The good news though is I can host at my friend's house anytime. PS is this Marshall?

Edit: I'm not referring to King Arms. I probably wouldn't be on Facebook if there wasn't a King Arms page.

[Welshy McSheeplove]

Sounds like someone's got the case of the butthurt.

Can't really speak for Oregon, but Washington is doing fine. Sure, the huge 200-400 person clusterfucks are gone, but I think that's a good thing. In Eastern Washington, airsoft is growing and thriving under SA and EWA. Hell, it's even growing in Pullman under Palouse Airsoft, and that's a tiny a$$ community. Smaller games are starting to cater to smaller communities, and people are having no problem at all entering the hobby.

Many local fields were shut down in the Puget Sound, but people are still making it out to big (50+) games every weekend, because they're making an effort to find the games and connect with other players.

On the MilSim side, MilSim West is creating better and better events at fantastic AOs that for the most part satisfy what the more "hardcore" MilSim players want, while at the same time not being exclusive to those players.

Airsoft is big enough for everyone. There are some players who want to see a more immersive type of MilSim. Learn to deal with it, I can count on one hand the number of event hosts who actually cater to those players. The vast majority are the general poorly organized shoot 'em up. You're in California, I know for a fact you have no shortage of casual skirms if you look around for them. Don't expect shit to be handed to you. It honestly sounds to me like you're using the "MilSim geardos" as an excuse for airsoft being "less popular" or whatever.

I know the vast majority of vocal MilSim players pushing for more immersive events, and I can say that it is a very, very small number. We do not have that big an impact, and the impact we have is regional at best (some influences on MSW's scenarios, for example). Blaming a community that consists of realistically maybe 100 people for diminishing interest in a hobby that spans tens of thousands of people and an entire country is, quite frankly, bullshit.

As far as little kids wanting the play dress up, I'd say that video games, recent movies (Zero Dark Thirty, Lone Survivor), and some retailers like AirsoftGI are more to blame than a relative handful of people who are more or less reenactors.


Oh yeah, I am meanie, elitist, yada yada yada


EDIT:
Also Matt,
"Airsoft is mostly guerilla warfare fought on the ground by infantry."

That's basically what a good part of OEF has been. It's not all drone strikes and F15s dropping JDAMs. I've got friends who have been in running gun fights with fighters that have been damn close to what some airsofting in Oregon has been like, save the trees were different and the engagement ranges were longer.

Airsoft has become more about squad tactics and less about the individual? That is honest to God bullshit, sorry mate. Go to any game, be it skirmish or an event at SniperzDen, and you'll see barely any squad tactics.

[Matt]

Airsoft has become more about squad tactics and less about the individual? That is honest to God bullshit, sorry mate. Go to any game, be it skirmish or an event at SniperzDen, and you'll see barely any squad tactics.

So, uh, you agree with me then? I said...

It becomes less and less about squad tactics and more about the individual and how good his personal equipment is. It's a shame.

[Welshy McSheeplove]

Yep, I misread it.

Rereading it, I still disagree. It's not about how good personal equipment is, that's a cop out. If it's more about how good personal equipment, why do I see significantly more cohesion from geardo teams than casual teams?

The notion that geardos can't understand teamwork and never play but only take pictures is rubbish. Yeah, there are exceptions, but for the most part those geardos care more about team tactics.

[Hamster]

I've only been in the AP community for a little less than three years, probably going onto four. Around the time after airsoft got big.

Back in November, I was riding in a car with Bigfoot (that guy is big.) and he told us a simple story of the years past, back when AP was young and fresh, and we didn't have too many people in for the kills.


Then came into around 2009-2010-ish area, the peak of Call of Duty4 or some thing. 2008? Maybe 2010-11, MW2.

Somewhere within that time frame, possibly earlier.
(copy paste w/edit lol)

The younger generation (My generation) are mostly the ones who really like to shoot shit. We're into Call of Duty, Halo, Battlefield, etc. We LOVE getting kills and being at the top. So, when we're introduced into airsoft, we're already IN that mindset.

Back in the day, (oldfag days, Mcnair is in like six years give or take two years of bbwarz) were the games of the CQC series. Basically, all you can think of almost from a cool CS mission or something: Scripted OPFOR, player actors, and notable objectives that would take more time to take than to flip a simple pipe of freedom colors, everybody had a strict uniform, hicaps were restricted, and all that jazz.

But eventually, when AP got a lot larger, newer people would bring in their friends. They didn't really come into the game for the immersion, they just came because of the Call of Duty mindset with their JG M4-S System from MW2. Chris never really read the forums and only registered, and then his friend Evan came along and wasn't even registered on the forums. They just came in with their hicaps, batteries, eyeprotection and some old raggity clothes they had lying around. They were unaware of the OPORDs, and weren't informed of what was actually happening.

tl;dr they came to shoot things because they want to shoot things.

So this eventually grew into the big 100-200 player games that are to host, in which you've got the PVC props being flipped and the Rocket launcher that could take out the OP ATV in a wooden box. No uniform, little to no strict player actors/scripted OPFOR, etc. Because the big player base is in loose uniforms and only a little objective gameplay.

i feel this post became two different topics relating to one big thing.

I say Airsoft hasn't become less popular, but it's beginning to split into the avid every-night FPS community/ MILSIM and impressionist community.

[Alien_Hunter]

I say Airsoft hasn't become less popular, but it's beginning to split into the avid every-night FPS community/ MILSIM and impressionist community.

Is it that milsim and joe six pack don't get a long? Like milsim players expect joe blow to along with everything? Obviously I'd never show up to some big name "OP" without reading anything about it. I just want to play airsoft. And I'm not going to take grief from SEAL team A.S.S.H.O.L.E. because they have better stuff. I'm not knocking anyone, I'm just saying I don't want to be playing a casual saturday game and have to fulfill someone else's fantasies about Mother Russia when half the players are wearing jeans. I feel like this is where the divide is.

[Darius137]

Airsoft is more popular now than ever. It is slowly growing. More gun options are coming out. The affordability is a lot better too.

You can get Chinese cloned weapons, gear and uniforms and have a 100% good enough full SEAL kit for under $300. When airsoft first started, you had to buy Tokyo Marui, from an internet site that shipped from overseas, and you had a pretty significant chance of customs keeping the "replica".

There are new players coming into it every day. Just go to a brick and mortar store and loiter for a day or two. You'll see how many people are now into airsoft.


The perception of less airsoft is that airsofters come in layers. And the older layers of players rarely want to associate with the newer players. And eventually they leave the hobby as they get kids or bad knees or just bored of doing it. Then the newer generation has to re-learn everything about hosting. So the groups aren't really talking or working together.

You still have big games, and the skirmishes now that are free are still seeing 40-80 people showing up, which is amazing. In the beginning, 3-5 was the norm for games. We had a few big ones with 20 people that were "epic" but nowadays you have 60 people show up to a skirmish and that's awesome.

And you have huge games such as Riddick games. Those have a wide following, and can draw hundreds. They rely on paintball fields, to give a little more structure than playing in the woods, and also require the stable field for liability reasons when you get those numbers.

And you have other groups hosting MILSIM games, which have never been successful in the past because there weren't enough people into MILSIM. MILSIM isn't stealing all the good players. It's stealing all the players willing to invest in the correct research to have the proper gear and use the proper verbage and skill sets to play MILSIM events, as Jerm_G has said.

So there are more options now than ever before. But with the rise of other options, forums like this have become fiefdoms and pushed people out, so most people use meetup groups or facebook to organize events now. What you're seeing as a lack of interest is just a lack of a centralized location now for planning as forums are slowly dying off. With the disappearance of a centralized location, you see a disconnect between age groups and player groups, polarizing groups as Variable said.