• 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.

Thorpe Park 2017: DBGT: Rise of The Demon

Leah said:
Didn't experience the maze, but I can't see why not
a post a couple of pages ago:
Click to expand...
That will just be part of the marketing for WC16. I'm 99.9% sure that Big Top will have diddly squat to do with the new 2016 Derren Brown attraction.
 
I did the maze, it was awful generic clown crap. This is a concept developed by Derren Brown which has nothing to do with clowns. They simply aren't linked!

:)
 
Tom.B said:
That will just be part of the marketing for WC16. I'm 99.9% sure that Big Top will have diddly squat to do with the new 2016 Derren Brown attraction.
Click to expand...
That's the point I was originally trying to make. I didn't mean it would be a part of the ride, but just marketing the theme :)
 
Dar said:
The question on everybody's lips has to be: Did this get Air's left over VR headsets or vice versa?
Click to expand...
I would hope to Wardley that even Merlin would not be dumb enough to have you wear VR headsets on an "Imersive tunnel" ride! :p

nickhutson said:
Well it's the same illusion designer as Carnesky's....
Click to expand...
Interesting. I never got round to doing Carnesky's, (my evening priorities in Blackpool have always been the beer and Breakdance) but I've heard nothing but praise for it, and had hoped to get round to it at some point.
 
Interesting. It never even occurred to me that Ghost would use such effects. It almost makes me want to go see it.

Almost.
I assume it's just
a huge pepper's ghost effet covering the whole stage?
 
Nope. Much, much more complicated than that. There's one illusion Paul did for the show that was too big to tour - it's when they made the lead character dissolve on stage - using Pepper's ghost, but on a much grander scale.
 
The name was always going to be a tough one to get right with this I think, but to be honest I'm happy enough with what they (seem to!) have gone with.

The thing is, when you've essentially got a person as the IP for a ride, their name pretty much has to go into the name of the attraction. Couple that with Derren wanting to maintain the mystery factor of the ride as with his shows, it makes sense simply to call it "ghost train".

As with Galactica, the usage of VR is sure to create a great deal of mass market appeal with it having such a high level of attention in the tech world at the moment. The amount of coverage on VR at CES was insane, and Alton's announcement was allover last week (although a shame bigger outlets seemed to concentrate on off peak closures and the accident!). With Derren Brown on board for this and after seeing the buzz from the initial announcement last year, I'm expecting to see a lot of attention on this tomorrow!
 
DiogoJ42 said:
I would hope to Wardley that even Merlin would not be dumb enough to have you wear VR headsets on an "Imersive tunnel" ride! :p
Click to expand...

I assume you didn't read all of the article I quoted? :p

Moreton revealed that virtual reality would be one of the elements used to create the illusions, using an HTC Vive headset within the train. He was keen to stress however that the attraction is not a VR experience.

It’s not the same as our launch of Glactica at Alton Towers last week,” he said. “We’re using that to enhance the experience but crucially it’s just one element of several which are all equally as important as each other.”
Click to expand...
 
The only relevance to big top was the actors standing in a line to form the shape of the ride logo . Roll on derren Browns ghost train
 
To add to the speculation in the press release posted a page or two back, they specifically stated that they are going to be using a HTC Vive and that makes all the difference and kind of states why its not going to be a VR experience.

For those unaware:

htc-vive-1-1000x644.jpg


This is the HTC Vive... Why is that important. Here's why:

Front camera is smart addition
The Vive headset's biggest improvement is the front-facing camera, which works in tandem with the Chaperone feature. Now, in addition to being able to tell once you're getting close to a wall (thanks to HTC's room-scaling technology), you'll see objects like chairs or people in front of you. All you need to do is double tab on one of the controllers to toggle to the live view. However, you won't see a truly life-like picture but more like rough sketches of objects. I kind of felt like I was in an A-ha video.
Click to expand...

Something tells me we are going to get the Vive, the controller and it down to the user experience to tab in and out of real view and VR view meaning you can have some interesting elements like having a real world view and a VR view.

However not very much is known about the Vive still as it was pushed back to a April 2016 release window for public release so no one is really sure how this front camera works.

Also in the facts on the website it lists the train being suspended 3 metres above ground (9.5 feet) and it lists the train as having 60 seats, seems a bit odd to me to list a theming item in the facts list... Better still list the theming item as a train and then say it has 60 seats when you meant the actual train... Just seems, odd!
 
I wouldn't say the name is breathtakingly amazing, but on the other hand I'm confused by how much hate it's getting :confused1:. Anyway, stepping away from endless name debates, that first video Nick posted has some cool glimpses of the theming that's taking shape.

I know it's easy to draw comparisons with Galactica, but this really looks like something unique. Whereas the current implementation of VR has seen it overlaid onto existing rides (Air and Alpen Express at EP), it'll be interesting to see how this weaves into a full scale immersive attraction built from the ground up with VR in mind. I know we knock Merlin, and lord knows they deserve it at times - but the scale of this thing looks genuinely unique, intriguing and exciting.
 
I think the Ghost Train is a perfectly adequate name. It plays on the format we know and shows us exactly what we're going to get.

If you have seen Derren's shows - you know what a stickler for detail he is; he knows how the mind works, how misdirection works and what the brain is capable of doing. We DO bash Merlin - but they do theme well and the building looks quite impressive from the video.

Just remember - and I can't state this clearly enough - the "ride" and the VR elements are a tiny bit of the whole 13 minute experience. So don't get bogged down... you will NOT be sat in a chair with goggles on your face for 13 minutes whilst water spray at you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top