Hybrid Paintball Steps Down For Reorganization

I’m honestly somewhat shocked to be reporting this, and at the same time it doesn’t really surprise me with the current state of the United States economy being slowly flushed down the proverbial toilet.

Hybrid Paintball has published a very emotional press release, with a companion video titled “endMovie”, to their website. The tone of the release is laced with anger, hate, sorrow, remorse, and sadness at the current state of the paintball industry. The release is being interpreted by many other “sketchy” paintball news sites that Hybrid is calling it quits and disbanding.

However, it seems that Hybrid is merely stepping down its levels of production and output for the current time period while it can acquire its footing. At no point in the release does Hybrid state “we’re through”. Hybrid does state that:

Once more.. We are still here, not like how we do, but we are still here. Production I still have and whatever I got that you want. I have, till the industry warrants it. And if it warrants it I’ll make more.

For those who are new to the sport, this won’t affect you at all. In fact, reading over the press release won’t bring about any emotion whatsoever. However, veterans know that Hybrid has been involved in a serious struggle with both wholesalers and foreign manufacturers regarding their products. The strain of legal battles has apparently been enough to seriously impact Hybrid Paintball as a company. Veterans know exactly what Hybrid is talking about when they speak of cancer and industry monopolies.

Here follows is both the “endMovie” and their official press release:

THE AGE OF CHANGE

To everyone in the paint-ball community,

With the current situation of an economic melt down. We are going to be in the situation of change.. Not just our company but the community of paint-ball as we know it. Most importantly, our country.

We see the dying of paint-ball dealerships almost every day. We have seen and been involved in the constant bickering of paint-ball manufacturers to not alleviate an ridiculous infrastructure of an ever changing paint-ball community.. What we see is conglomerates and umbrella companies slowly try to corner it and kill, or be killed.

Competition is progress. But when there is none, You have become a monopoly. A beast that becomes fat and become a cancer to its own body. Now we fight internally.. From disgracing the new player to never having a good time, to the recballer who gives a damn about nothing but playing and if a field is not around or he thinks that his local field only caters to other so called “important non-paying types”, he becomes renegade … lawless.  To the dealer, who cannot figure out why no one comes in their store. To the dealer that decides to devalue industry product because they are now in survival mode to make ends meet. To the manufacturer who now must do the same to help with dealer margins, but bleeds its own margins and soon must be hasty in their decision making… We must stop and start reflecting!

Players will not feel this because you have the options to stay home and play online but know its always best to go play our sport like you should. Players have the luxury to love and hate brands to prove a point not knowing that this industry right this very moment, ONLY NEEDS GROWTH, the growth of competition, the growth to be better ambassadors to the new, the old, and the ones who have fallen to a disenfranchised love of the sport.  The west is feeling the crunch, east will follow soon enough. Soon their will be nothing you decide what you want, that is the day the industry as a whole may be destroyed.

We have stepped sideways because first off, we can, and secondly, the consumer, the dealer are simply not buying how they use too.  To the consumer that can afford to pay in other industries good money, but is educated to go cheap in paint-ball. If you cant afford it, you just cant afford it. HOWEVER, what must be done is to let new people embrace our sport so we can grow. To also provide a service to the community that we are legit.  When we do, fields are easily accessible.

Now working on other industry where competition is fierce, they still maintain order, respect, right to fight, but keep the margins in check  so its industry will not implode. Buyers still buy. No matter what.  You can see it by their own conventions…

At this time I say we need a united front, a governing body, with two common goals; to thrive in our great industry, and to  keep the industry from failing.  We so love this sport? Then each player has a responsibility to improve it.

History is repeating-itself and the more you see it then you begin to believe that the harvest did not justify to reseed because of a long winter. And we need to hold on to the fabric that made us great. to conserve, to demand, to supply must all come into play.

We are a luxury sport,  but when dad loses a job, or your parents lose their homes, who plays? who wins? most importantly, who survives? furthermore, who controls?

Once more.. We are still here, not like how we do, but we are still here. Production I still have and whatever I got that you want. I have, till the industry warrants it. And if it warrants it I’ll make more. And when I can get up to lick my wounds, heal, and get up off my feet and feel like I need to do something, I’m coming after you.. To the loyalists: I got a lot more in the war-chest that these fools haven’t thought of yet! Just wait and see.. To my killers.. I will make things right.

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Chris Corcino, John Marques- Hybrid tech LLc (the only Hybrid), Contract Killer clothing Co.(The Last of Our Kind)