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The VR thread

davidm

Strata Poster
Thats pretty odd that someone has posted the full video - and its also a pretty rubbish video. Not that you'll have any attention on the video as you'll be trying not to break your head by riding that thing 'blind'.
 

sandgrown

Mega Poster
I reckon I very almost have actually! I was impressed with the dispatch times for Batman Arkham Asylum at Parque Warner - I'd say they somehow managed to push out a train every 3 minutes? I mean, there's a small chance they might have managed 2 when I was there?

Granted this was mostly because they were only dedicating 3 rows to VR (although of course that's 12 guests). They also had a quite a few staff running it, and a room stuffed with headsets for cleaning. Waited about 40 minutes, with the normal queue being around 20, which was a hell of a lot better than I expected! The VR was really quite good too - there's a nice moment at the predrop when the joker pulls you down, although I don't think BTR clones are the best fit! Refreshingly different, and I'd want to do it a few times again.

I'll confess I initially despised the concept and still do for fully dedicated rides, but I think it could work permanently in a ground-up station where riders are given headsets before they actually board? Obviously they'd need to be flipped up somehow so people could still find their way to the train, but fitting them's the biggest time consumer.

I have been on this too (I live in Madrid these days), and they managed to get the trains out very quickly. I queued for just 10 minutes in the VR queue on a cold day a couple of months ago. The VR was great. The people i went with much preferred it to the non-VR experience. They described it as only an okay coaster previously, but the aforementioned moment where the joker sends you over the edge of a building after gassing you was great. The near misses with a host virtual buildings felt pretty scary, which of course isn't a thrill riders get without the VR. The gripe I had was that the second time i went on, I had to hold onto the glasses the whole way, as they felt like they were going to fly off. A fellow rider complained of a getting banged on the nose with an ill-fitting set too.

I see VR has a bad name on here, and I've no reason to doubt the word of so many aficionados. However, If you end up Madrid way, I can heartily recommend it in this particular instance..
 

Pokemaniac

Mountain monkey
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Looks like BonBon-Land will also see the VR treatment of a family coaster this year. In a very similar fashion to TusenFryd above (the parks are owned by the same chain), it's the 2009 Zierer coaster Viktor Vandorm that gets the burden of VR. I haven't been able to find a press release, but the news scroll past on the park's home page every now and then: https://www.bonbonland.dk/
 

Thrill Riders

Roller Poster
VR has to be one of the worst things to spread into the theme park industry... if you want riders to be more immersed in an attraction, get for better theming!
 

Ireeb

Mega Poster
MackMedia, VR Coaster and Holodeck VR are testing a system for free roaming VR in themepark attractions, namely Eurosat Coastiality at Europa-Park, where it will first be installed.
With this system you put on the VR headset long before you enter the train, I assume it will be used for a preshow as well.
+1 for the original Eurosat music.
(a document on this project in English)
 

Scottingtonville

Upstop Media
Staff member
Social Media Team
Big bump!

Have y'all seen this diving theater VR concept from VR Coaster yet? It looks pretty neat - a much better application for VR than an actual ride if I say so myself.

I would agree about this being a better application than a ride simply due to capacity. You could, in theory, have a number of guests getting staged, briefed, and fitted with equipment, while another group is experiencing the attraction. Capacity on this setup would be much better than on a traditional ride/roller coaster.
 
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