• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

The Sinking Ship: (Un)Love Letters to Merlin

Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
I firmly believe that there are a lot of operators out there who could run Alton Towers and make it a World Class theme park.

Funnily enough Merlin is one of them. However, as I have said many times, they answer to shareholders and have to give them a return. Lets make no bones about it, Merlin don't lose money and their theme park division do not lose money.

Maybe if they didn't invest so much money in Intellectual Properties they didn't need, or rides they didn't need to build and technologies which ultimately fail, then the theme park division would actually make more profit than what it currently does.

If they actually just installed good fun rides, rather than a Worlds first or some technology which doesn't work yet. Now that's a concept !!!

Six Flags back in 2010 went through a period where they removed most of the Intellectual Properties they deemed they didn't need (ie Terminator Salvation at Magic Mountain) to save money. They then ultimately installed rides and coasters which made financial sense. Fast forward to Merlin and they throw vast amounts of money at Derren Browns ghost train when really did they need to?

Compare the year on year investments between, for example, Magic Mountain and Thorpe, since 2012. I know which chain I would rather have running Thorpe. At least we would get a guaranteed new attraction each year.

Without leading anyone into this, when do people think the rot started in with the Merlin Theme Parks? When did the cost cutting measures really kick in? It wasn't 2013 onwards by any chance was it? :)
 
We get a guaranteed new attraction at Thorpe every year too...

Just so happens that they're generally utter balls...
 
100% agree I’d rather a non-IP ride, but having said that...
Saw was Thorpe’s most successful period in history....
Wheras Swarm (apparently) flopped... badly...

I personally think the issue is with the park’s branding and public image.

Merlin shouldn’t have to rely on bought-in brands like Saw and Derren...
Their own brands should be good enough for people to WANT to be a part of.

Back in the day, wasn’t it all about branding and marketing?
Nemesis for instance had all sorts of branded things in the shops, and even a cross-park brand with Nemesis Inferno.
“Nemesis” was seen by the public as “that type of rollercoaster where your feet dangle and you get really close to the rocks”...
Most people know what “nemesis” is/was, or at least have a rough idea.

I’d argue Smiler has a strong brand identity going as well, even pre-accident people generally had at least heard of the Smiler and it was a great success.

And hell, look at the dungeons...
Everyone knows the dungeons! They’ve built the brand themselves, and it works.

I don’t understand why they seem to feel they sometimes have to buy a brand in at great expense...
Yeah, swarm didn’t work because it was poorly marketed, and Sub Terra was flawed as a concept... but do it properly and these issues wouldn’t arise!

You can’t just nip out and buy in an instant win, as DBGT and I’m a Celeb has shown...
 
Last edited:
Inferno said:
Saw was Thorpe’s most successful period in history....
Wheras Swarm (apparently) flopped... badly...
Click to expand...
Because Swarm was a stale, grey ride that excited nobody but a few enthusiasts because it "had theming". Personally I think it was a disappointing coaster unhelped by the dull theme.

Saw was thinly spread too, but it had that awesome focal point with the hook into the blades, together with the well known name. Simple and effective, which hooked the public.

It was also a great summer and the park was better value for money with its target audience then. Had a lot of creative marketing, much better than the Swarm's pretentious 'story' and cringey attempts at viral media. So I have never believed the idea that Saw vs The Swarm is proof that non IP rides "don't work".

The Smiler, surely one of the most successful big Merlin coasters (pre crash), was not an IP - it had a great identity, great energy, was a charismatic and compelling theme, with creative marketing. The world's first element was heavily downplayed rather than used as the selling point. Surely this was proof of how to make a hit coaster concept with the public, without using external IP.

Merlin are only so obsessed with IPs now, because it is the most 'risk free' strategy to suit their investors. Shareholders want to guarantee an instant return on an existing 'safe' concept, regardless of its long term appeal or how good the attraction will be in the end.

IPs are a business deal and nothing more. 'Give me your already-successful IP, Ill build you a ride to expand your brand's portfolio, while you give me the name to stick on the entrance.'

I care because I think originality is very important in an increasingly globalised commercial culture, bla bla bla. Especially with impressionable children, growing an individual imagination is important for people to learn to think for themselves. I love when theme parks, film & music can provoke that curiosity and passion, not just a way to create a consumer group to buy endless Peppa Pig merchandise until you grow out of it and wonder what the fuss was about!

However, at the end of the day, it's the public who need to appreciate they will actually get more surprises, fun and value, in the long run, by not just flocking to the same formula that's easiest to advertise and that they already follow.

By the way I'm not saying we need more esoteric backstories or self indulgence in theme parks either, can always stick to classic, simpler hooks like fairytales, haunted houses, etc as long as you put a creative edge on it. Just inventive, good solid fun. :)
 
100% agreed!
What ever happened to things just being fun - there’s really no need for all the baloney that comes with it all is there...

The Swarm for instance IS a good ride - it does what it does very well I think - not every ride has to be the best ride in the world, that doesn’t make it a failure.

Having said that... Wickerman should be a fun, fairly simple ride.. they’re not over hyping it with too much nonsense.
Hopefully things will work out and be a success, and people will come and ride it for what it is.
 
This is probebly a discussion for another topic but The Swarm is pretty much the only reason I still visit Thorpe Park. Most of their other coasters don’t do anything for me. The Swarm however tries to be more than just a bog standard ride, and by that merit I’d say it’s a good example of what Merlin are capable of.
 
Inferno said:
The Swarm for instance IS a good ride - it does what it does very well I think - not every ride has to be the best ride in the world, that doesn’t make it a failure.

Having said that... Wickerman should be a fun, fairly simple ride.. they’re not over hyping it with too much nonsense.
Click to expand...
Personally I feel The Swarm is very forgettable, dragging and grey. What was meant to be an iconic concept/feature just kind of never comes and isn't as much a visual hook as Saw's drop (I know Saw's drop is kind of forgettable to actually ride, but from a public appeal perspective it's much better), and is followed by a car park coaster with a bit of pond. I enjoy Inferno a lot more to be honest, if others enjoy it that's good, I just think I sympathise with why the public didn't respond so well to it.

If The Swarm would have done better with an IP, that's probably true, but only because it would have covered up the fact that it's a surprisingly bland ride with some bits N bobs plonked around.

But yeah Wickerman really looks to have a more interesting, fun 'hook' and presence with the public, without an IP, so that's great.

With an IP (in the UK), you seemingly don't need to build something of any substance, you just need to satisfy the branding of the sponsor and then watch people roll in! No wonder they are now saying "IPs are the future of theme parks" :p
 
Last edited:
aEQL51O.jpg
 
electricBill said:
Personally I feel The Swarm is very forgettable, dragging and grey. What was meant to be an iconic concept/feature just kind of never comes and isn't as much a visual hook as Saw's drop (I know Saw's drop is kind of forgettable to actually ride, but from a public appeal perspective it's much better), and is followed by a car park coaster with a bit of pond. I enjoy Inferno a lot more to be honest, if others enjoy it that's good, I just think I sympathise with why the public didn't respond so well to it.

If The Swarm would have done better with an IP, that's probably true, but only because it would have covered up the fact that it's a surprisingly bland ride with some bits N bobs plonked around.

But yeah Wickerman really looks to have a more interesting, fun 'hook' and presence with the public, without an IP, so that's great.

With an IP (in the UK), you seemingly don't need to build something of any substance, you just need to satisfy the branding of the sponsor and then watch people roll in! No wonder they are now saying "IPs are the future of theme parks" :p
Click to expand...
I personally think that The Swarm is very well-themed, and that it is UK Merlin's best thematic work (now possibly beaten by Wicker Man). Pair that with the great ride that The Swarm is and they had themselves a winner, in theory. But unfortunately, park attendance went down in 2012. I don't personally think this is due to The Swarm itself, though. 2012 was not the greatest of years for European theme parks in general, so Thorpe may just have been effected by the myriad of external factors.
 
Matt N said:
I personally think that The Swarm is very well-themed, and that it is UK Merlin's best thematic work (now possibly beaten by Wicker Man). Pair that with the great ride that The Swarm is and they had themselves a winner, in theory.
Click to expand...
I think with a slightly different budget approach and had a few simple different decisions been made, it could have been a radically better ride - same theme, same layout, same everything that enthusiasts like it for currently, but just a better experience all round and a hit with the public.

I agree there were a lot of factors affecting Thorpe in 2012. To use Swarm's underpeformance as a black and white comparison of how IPs perform vs original concepts is kinda disingenuous of them.
 
PeteA said:
Six Flags back in 2010 went through a period where they removed most of the Intellectual Properties they deemed they didn't need (ie Terminator Salvation at Magic Mountain) to save money. They then ultimately installed rides and coasters which made financial sense. Fast forward to Merlin and they throw vast amounts of money at Derren Browns ghost train when really did they need to?
Click to expand...
That's true in part but it's not an apples to apples comparison. Six Flags went bankrupt during the period where it was controlled by Red Zone who introduced a mind boggling number of IPs (Wiggles, Thomas, Evel K, Tony Hawk etc). When they through bankruptcy they removed all the new IPs and kept the rest (that they still use to this day).
 
electricBill said:
I think with a slightly different budget approach and had a few simple different decisions been made, it could have been a radically better ride - same theme, same layout, same everything that enthusiasts like it for currently, but just a better experience all round and a hit with the public.
Click to expand...

Tbf with a slightly different budget approach it could have had a layout that didn't end so jarringly too. Like even five seconds more would have made so much difference.
 
I couldn't give two hoots about The Swarm. The only redeeming factor about it is that it's a B&M coaster. Otherwise there's nothing remotely interesting about it.

Saw on the other hand is a great ride, and I couldn't give two hoots about the IP either. Don't even like the films. They could rename it "Slaughter House Coaster" for all I care and it would still be a great experience without any of the Saw property.

Point being - a great ride makes for a great ride. An IP does not.

Think everyone here know's that.

Merlin don't.
 
The thing about swarm is yes it' not the best coaster....not even close....but the theming is some of the best seen in recent years from Merlin....would be perfect if it didn't have loads of old shipping containers everywhere
 
Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
Top