This is just a theory but I believe that one potential reason for Frank’s departure could be in part to the drastic change we’ve had on the hobby the past few years.
Frank has mentioned before that nerf was always seen as an indoor hobby for him and fast paced. On one of the high fps blasters that he reviewed, he asked us to comment how many of us were playing that type of nerf. There was also another video where he talk about the shift to more marksmanship as oppose to the faster run and gun type of which he enjoyed. I don’t think Frank is against these higher fps blasters, he just preferred the simpler times when we were all playing with stock blasters. This in part is also why he loves rival so much due to it’s fast pace nature.
Again this is just my theory but Foamblast also disliked the militarization of the hobby. Our hobby has been constantly evolving and changing rapidly to where there are so many different types of it.
I don’t think this was the only or main reason Frank has decided to leave but it could be a part of it.
I think Frank has been considering ending the channel for a very long time. Even some of the Q&As from a long while back had me wondering how much mileage he had left.
I don’t think the nature of the hobby was a factor. In fact, many new blasters are right up his alley. We’re in a golden age of not only performance but tactically optimized blasters and I think the Frank of 5 years ago would have been absolutely excited. It might have even revitalized him. Plus there are competitive play-styles, like SpeedDart, that emphasize run-and-gun.
I’m sure there are personal reasons he’s never going to divulge, but I also think he’s just lost his passion for the hobby. I can’t imagine doing his job for as long as he’s been doing it.
Coop’s content did seem to become a lot more formulaic as time went on (though the content itself was far from bad), I don’t even think this for lack of trying but more being controlled by the algorithm essentially Pidgeon holing him into just review content in a predictable style. Along with the other personal issues he’s had in recent years while we may not know the true reason(s) based on the reasons we do know it is very understandable him leaving foam content creation. As someone who started watching his content around 10 years ago it is sad to see him go but I wish him all the best on his next projects.
he just preferred the simpler times when we were all playing with stock blasters
Coop came from a background where he was an integral part of an oldschool modding scene where the FPS COULD end up being as high as 250, and used glue or fishing weight Stefan darts which would definitely be felt on impact. He slowly moved away from that into limited internal mods/cosmetics and eventually became a reviewer of stock products.
These stock products began changing, and I think that and the years of passionate energy for what his younger self enjoyed waned (along with the realities of getting older).
He might come back at some point, but it makes sense to control the formation of a time capsule now (at a relatively high point) - remaining a tribute to a period in your life, rather than run on, emotionally desolate, into eventual irrelevance.
This is just a theory but I believe that one potential reason for Frank’s departure could be in part to the drastic change we’ve had on the hobby the past few years. Frank has mentioned before that nerf was always seen as an indoor hobby for him and fast paced. On one of the high fps blasters that he reviewed, he asked us to comment how many of us were playing that type of nerf. There was also another video where he talk about the shift to more marksmanship as oppose to the faster run and gun type of which he enjoyed. I don’t think Frank is against these higher fps blasters, he just preferred the simpler times when we were all playing with stock blasters. This in part is also why he loves rival so much due to it’s fast pace nature. Again this is just my theory but Foamblast also disliked the militarization of the hobby. Our hobby has been constantly evolving and changing rapidly to where there are so many different types of it. I don’t think this was the only or main reason Frank has decided to leave but it could be a part of it.
I think Frank has been considering ending the channel for a very long time. Even some of the Q&As from a long while back had me wondering how much mileage he had left.
I don’t think the nature of the hobby was a factor. In fact, many new blasters are right up his alley. We’re in a golden age of not only performance but tactically optimized blasters and I think the Frank of 5 years ago would have been absolutely excited. It might have even revitalized him. Plus there are competitive play-styles, like SpeedDart, that emphasize run-and-gun.
I’m sure there are personal reasons he’s never going to divulge, but I also think he’s just lost his passion for the hobby. I can’t imagine doing his job for as long as he’s been doing it.
Coop’s content did seem to become a lot more formulaic as time went on (though the content itself was far from bad), I don’t even think this for lack of trying but more being controlled by the algorithm essentially Pidgeon holing him into just review content in a predictable style. Along with the other personal issues he’s had in recent years while we may not know the true reason(s) based on the reasons we do know it is very understandable him leaving foam content creation. As someone who started watching his content around 10 years ago it is sad to see him go but I wish him all the best on his next projects.
Coop came from a background where he was an integral part of an oldschool modding scene where the FPS COULD end up being as high as 250, and used glue or fishing weight Stefan darts which would definitely
be felton impact. He slowly moved away from that into limited internal mods/cosmetics and eventually became a reviewer of stock products.These stock products began changing, and I think that and the years of passionate energy for what his younger self enjoyed waned (along with the realities of getting older).
He might come back at some point, but it makes sense to control the formation of a time capsule now (at a relatively high point) - remaining a tribute to a period in your life, rather than run on, emotionally desolate, into eventual irrelevance.