Social Media Engagement during the 2012 #ShotShow

Using the DataSift platform I recorded all the social media buzz about the 2012 Shot Show via Facebook and Twitter.

During the 4 days of the show over 10,000 mentions were made and after running the data through some analysis tools I found some interesting data which I’ve put together in an infographic below.
( The full size infographic (1920×1080) can be downloaded here)











Interesting points to note;
12% of people talking about the show were woman.

The most retweeted mention of the show was from Steve Austin and was retweeted over 300 times reaching a total audience of 1,716,186 people!

The most talked about brands appeared to be Colt, Magpul and Glock.

There were some very influential people discussing the show with the highest Klout score being 83.

If people are interested I’ll do some more number crunching over the weekend.

New Feature Preview: Site Boundaries

In the runup to the next release of the Airbana Airsoft Map I’ll be uploadng videos or screenshots of new features.

This video shows how you can draw the boundaries of Skirmish sites and add useful information such as the location of the Car Park, Safe Zone and common objectives:

New AirsoftMap Design

Things may have seemed quite quiet recently but that’s because I’ve been busy working on a fresh new design for www.AirsoftMap.net.

Part of the redesign includes a fundamental reworking of the backend so there isn’t really an ETA.

I can however provide a couple of screen shots;

Map Entry Updates

A few Skirmish sites have written in to confirm that they have closed their doors so these sites have been removed from the map.

A couple of other sites have been taken over by new management and subsequently changed their names.

If there are any problems with these changes please email Gareth@Airbana.net

New Airsoft Map Project and the Chance To Win a SureFire G2

The latest Beta project to be made public is the Custom Airsoft Map Creator available at www.AirsoftMap.info.

Have you ever wanted to create an Airsoft Map that just showed say MOD Skirmish Sites, what if you wanted to showcase the Best Urban Skirmish Sites (in your opinion). Well now you can. Simply visit www.AirsoftMap.info and get creating!

Choose your map name (which will also be your URL) such as ‘Best UK Woodland’ (which would create http://BestUKWoodland.AirsoftMap.info) select which sites you’d like to be a part of your map and then click ‘Save’. It’s as easy as that!

Please remember that this website is still in Beta so may have some issues.

Win a SureFire G2 Courtesy of Edgar Brothers Airsoft

The Guys and Girls at Edgar Brothers were kind enough to send through some SureFire G2s for Airbana to give away.

To be in with a chance of winning a brand new SureFire G2 simply ‘Like’ the Airbana Airsoft Map on Facebook:

If you don’t have Facebook then why not Tweet a link to http://www.AirsoftMap.net with the tag #AirbanaG2.

If you don’t have Twitter or Facebook then simply drop me an email: Gareth@Airbana.net

The winners will be selected at random at the end of the month!

Airsoft Map Version 5

www.AirsoftMap.net will soon be running it’s latest version; 5. It’s no accident that this version of the Airbana Airsoft Map is also using the latest in web standards: HTML5.


HTML5 Powered with Connectivity / Realtime, CSS3 / Styling, Device Access, Graphics, 3D & Effects, Performance & Integration, and Semantics
Using the new Google Maps API, HTML5 Canvas to draw the map, HTML5 Web Workers to process data in the background, feature rich interactivity thanks to a mix of Javascript, Canvas and CSS3 and many more bits and bobs such as higher resolution icons, more responsive javascript, reduced CSS etc this should be one of the most intuitive and easy to use releases to date.

Information such as reviews and ratings by other Skirmishers have been integrated as well as more fine grained Region controls. For example http://US.AirsoftMap.net will only show information about the USA and http://UK.Airsoftmap.net will show UK info.

As part of the Version 5 rollout there will also be the release of AirsoftMap.info which will allow you to create your own ‘mini’ versions of the Airsoft Map. If for example you want to list all of the best Urban locations in England then you can, want to create a Map that only shows the sites you run then you can. Each map can be customised with it’s own domain name i.e http://BestOfUrban.AirsoftMap.info and you can add a custom intro / description that’ll be visible to your visitors.

Whats new for 2011

In the next few weeks the Airbana Airsoft Info Hub will be launching both it’s main website, Airsoft Facebook application and Airsoft iPhone App. The Info Hub will simply centralise certain Airbana project’s into one place to allow Airsofters to find Airsoft Reviews, Airsoft Teams, Airsoft Events and Airsoft Locations all in one place.

This doesn’t mean that any of the primary websites such as the Airsoft Map, Airsoft Team Database, the Airsoft Calender or Airsoft Reviews will stop operating simply that they are being brought together.

To compliment this the Airbana API will be updated to include the Team and Reviews databases. The API itself served 1,472,785 requests in 2010 and with a new version of the Android app, more Facebook apps and maybe some more iPhone / iPad apps that number should increase dramatically.

The next generation of the BoomBox Skirmish prop will be available and the Augmented Reality Skirmish tool will be released in Mid to Late 2011 too.

Hong Kong Visit – Week 2

This week was spent researching more about how Skirmish (War Game) Sundays work in HK.

Unlike the UK Skirmish sites here cater primarily to multiple small groups of people who play simultaneous but disparate games.

This can be useful if you want to practise set pieces or particular tactics with your team without detriment to the greater objectives (as the day is governed by yourself). In practise however it can lead to confusion when other players walk into your designated area and either draw fire (exposing your position) or fire on you.

The culmination of this weeks research was a day at Tai Tong WarGame Service Center.

A day’s Skirmishing in Hong Kong starts off in Kwong Wa Street where you wait for Buses to take you to your respective Skirmish sites. My understanding is that the little groups book in with a particular site and once enough people are booked in the site will lay on transport (at a cost). People start turning up around 8am and buses are scheduled to leave at 9am however this rarely happens.

Interestingly none of the Retailers are open at this time! There are hundreds of Skirmishers standing around possibly needing BB’s, Gas or that last minute extra mag etc but not a single shop opened and apparantly never do.

Once loaded onto a bus you set off on a journey that can last anything from 30 minutes to over an hour. Our journey took over an hour which was just long enough to get used to the air conditioning but for the day to start warming up!

We arrived at TTWSC just before 11am and with over 500,000 square feet available TTWSC have a large covered safe zone as well several skirmish zones such as the ‘Car Park’, ‘Forest’, ‘CQB’ and a steep Hill:

After signing the disclaimer sheets the group I was with loaded up and headed out into the field starting our day in the ‘Car Park’. A point to note is that there were no Chrono tests with everything being done on trust. This most likely works when you are only playing with a small team that you in theory are familar with but is still unnerving especially when you see BB’s smashing brickwork like it’s plaster!

Skirmishing in HK appears to revolve around the elimination game play dynamic with occasional objectives such as CTF appearing throughout the day.

As with every other time I’ve skirmished this week the Mosquitos ate me alive despite wearing repellant that might normally scare normal bugs away just by it’s smell.

We broke at around midday for lunch which involved the biggest pot of rice I’ve seen in my life (I’m kicking myself for not taking photo’s) as well as a type of chicken stew/soup with Winter Melon (which is jarringly sweet when you naively think it is potato) and a pork dish finished off with bok choi and diced hot dogs. A 750ml bottle of water was also included. Additionally since the site had running electricity they also had ice cold Gatorade and other local isoteonic beverages on sale too which was a bonus.

Just before we headed back out everyone got together for a photo;

Unfortunately just after the first afternoon game my brand new WE G39C stripped the rubbers off the piston / gas valve and jammed solid (someone owes me a big “I told you so” but I digress). This, coupled with the fact that the shops weren’t open that morning (I was intending to purchase a pistol in the morning ‘just in case’) meant I was out of the running but luckily there was only an hour left anyway.

Thanks go out to Cody, Fightingchook and all the other guys (and girls) in the the group that made it a good days skrmishing.

Hong Kong Visit – Week 1

After a week in Hong Kong I’ve spent most of my time in Kwong Wa Street chatting with store owners and local shoppers as well as spending a little too much time at bars with Expat Airsofters.

So far I’ve only managed to find rough details about Skirmish locations but once I’ve confirmed them I’ll add those too.

I’ve talked with and got the location details for the following Airsoft Retailers here in Hong Kong:
Tokyo Model Company
Shop 15 G/F Kwong Fai Mansion
13 Kwong Wa Street, Kowloon

Gunner Airsoft
2/F No 2 Yin Chong Street
Kowloon

COP9
Main Store: G/F 29 Yin Chong Street, Kowloon
Branch: Shop 8, G/F Yan On Bldg, No1 Kwong Wa Street, Kowloon

Guns ‘n’ Guys
Shop 30, G/F Yan On Building
1 Kwong Wa Street, Kowloon

Shooter Combat Gear
Shop 6, G/F Kwong Fai Mansion
13 Kwong Wa Street, Kowloon

Gun Heaven
Shop 21 G/F Yan On Building,
1 Kwong Wa Street, Kowloon

Classic Army
Shop 3, Yan On Building
1 Kwong Wa Street, Kowloon

US Surplus Store
Shop 4, Yan On Building
1 Kwong Wa Street Hong Kong

Armed Forces Training
Shop 23 Yan On Building
1 Kwong Wa Street, Kowloon

GI Military Shop
Shop 26A G/F Yan On Building
1 Kwong Wa Street, Kowloon

Operation Pro Shop
Shop 24 G/F Yan On Building
1 Kwong Wa Street, Kowloon

ebairsoft
11 G/F Paradise Square
Kwong Wa Street, Kowloon

Modern Model Company
Shop 5, Yan On Building
1 Kwong Wa Street, Kowloon

QRF
Shop 10B Kwong Fai Mansion
3-13 Kwong Wa Street, Kowloon

S3
10, Tsui Yuen Mansion
Kwong Wa Street, Kowloon

Hong Kong Skirmish & Retailer Scouting Visit

As part of my continued effort to ensure that the Airbana Airsoft Map has the most up to date information about Airsoft Retailer and Skirmish locations I’ll be spending nearly the whole of November in Hong Kong to track down as many of the CQB and Rural Skirmish sites as I can as well as ensure that all the Retail stores on Kwong Wa Street are listed on the Airsoft Map.

Hopefully I’ll get chance to take some photo’s of the Skirmish sites I find and will add some entries to www.AirsoftReviews.info for any I actually play at.

I’ll be updating the Airbana Twitter account with details of how it goes.

If you know of any Skirmish sites or Retailers that don’t have websites, aren’t on the map or aren’t easy to find please let me know by emailing Gareth@Airbana.net or adding them yourself to the Airsoft Map