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Is it time to rethink the SW series?

It's a shame because 'Secret Weapon' still sounds cool but I don't think it means much anymore. It feels like the endless sequels to horror films that eventually results in a reboot. Give it 10 years and then have 'The Secret Weapon' as an actual ride, I say.
 
PeteB said:
No no, they really don't have the right at all. Not in the slightest. It's disrepectful, distasteful, dishonourable, but totally in-line with the arrogant and shady attitude of the parks parent company.
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I really must express my distaste at your statement. In your opinion there is disrespect, distaste and dishonour in the approach to the SW legacy at present, and you feel that the parent company have an arrogant and shady attitude.

I am not at all a Merlin apologist but I find your points grating.

Project names are used the world over to generate interest and discussion on new developments, to nobody's detriment. Even if not advertised, SW8 would be SW8 regardless in project title.

If there was ever a wish for the SW series name to be discontinued do you not feel this would be voiced explicitly by the creator and honoured by the teams involved? There is clearly no such issue!
 
There is no evidence to suggest Wardley is in any way upset or angry at Towers for carrying on the SW codename without him. They were his ride designs yes, but the rides themselves belong to Alton Towers. They have every right to carry on the series for as long as the park exists.
 
CoasterCrazyChris said:
Oblivion was basically the real 'The Secret Weapon'.

The theme and nature of the ride and the construction shrouded in secrecy as well as the first time they used the codename outside of the name on the coaster plans.
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Yeah, that's true. Still, if it were more sci-fi than dystopian it could maybe work. More bond-villain than Big Brother but I can see where there'd be too much overlap to make it viable
 
Actually, given that the original Secret Weapons were developed by Wardley in close collaboration with then-Marketing Director Nick Varney, I think even the top of Merlin's executive structure could still stake a claim to using the SW label :)
 
To be honest, they could call it Rideymcrideface in the project stage and it really wouldnt bother me.

What does bother me however is when parks consistently overpromise and under-deliver with new attractions; one of the few things Merlin are very good at.

John Wardleys legacy is being undone physically by the removal of theming and attractions he helped to develop, this, to me, is much more concerning.
 
Absolutely! I don't have any problem with Th13teen being part of the SW series because it DID deliver something brand new, innovative and worlds first to the park.

I DO have a problem with the marketing angle it was given. "The Ultimate Rollercoaster" "Psycoaster" blah blah blah. Yes the marketing did exactly what it should in terms of bringing guests in, but it was incredibly oversold and hyped beyond what was delivered.

I would argue that lessons were learned and such hype wasn't given to The Smiler... 14 inversions is just that! There was no gimmicky tag, just a solid "most inversions in the world".
 
I remember Morwenna saying on national tv that Thirteen was 'every rollercoaster you could ever imagine rolled into one', and I just face-palmed.

It's a great ride, but by making comments such as that it's very difficult for people not to be dissapointed.
 
Morwenna did many good things but her team's ridiculously over hyped and frankly false marketing of Th13teen is what sticks out the most (well, that and the ludicrous publicity stunts). The ride could have been marketed very well as a family attraction, so it was all so unnecessary.
 
The SW marketing is really neat. I think the marketing is pretty good for the building of new rides, if your a first time visitor to towers [Like me, when air was being built and marketed] my family decided to return back next year to try it. Since then, we been every year at least once. This is the same as how alot of businesses create a loyal customer base and returning back, and towers does it very very well. Even if the ride is disappointing, they still have not failed to create a coaster which is a total let down. Th13teen was close because of how it was marketed, but its still a decent and fun ride. Same with air/galactica, pretty meh ride to most, but its a popular ride before and since VR, and people enjoy it. It was built for that purpose.

With SW8, I hope they do put something new on it because wooden coasters havnt really had anything amazing put on them, there is so much they can do to make it amazing, my idea is a tilt track in one of the holes, tipping around 30-45 degrees. With theming, this could be amazing, although I do doubt that will be the SW part of it.

PeteB said:
I think this is ultimately the reason she no longer works there.

Apparently she didn't even like rides. How can you market a product you dont enjoy, therefore don't understand?
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I may be wrong, but doesnt the guys at B&M not like coasters? I know one of the main manufacturers say that they ride each of there coasters once and never again, I just forget which one
 
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Yes Thirteen was overhyped but boy did the guests come flooding in that year. Did it harm future years? Maybe. Although the lack of a decent follow up attraction in 2011 was more damaging in that regard.

:)
 
Might not actually be the right place to post this but wasn’t sure where to post.

As secret weapon 1 and 2 were never built, but we have the plans.

Has anybody recreated them in no limits or planet coaster. Just curious to see what forbidden valley could have looked like.
 
Rob said:
Yes Thirteen was overhyped but boy did the guests come flooding in that year. Did it harm future years? Maybe. Although the lack of a decent follow up attraction in 2011 was more damaging in that regard.

:)
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Nail on head. They never capitalised on it’s success.

I have a different view on the marketing. You have to look at it from a non ethicists perspective. Morwenna and her teams job was to sell a product to as many people as possible and my god did they do that well. The biggest issue is with the lack of follow up to keep people interested.

I understand the major investment every four years policy. The third year the ride is being built anyway giving you free marketing.

They let themselves down with cuts and poor medium investments. Look at 1992 and1994 as examples of how to invest
 
The SW tag line is what brings new guests and theme parks fans around the world to the park. Just look at the queues theses rides have generated in its 1st year of operation. I will never forget queuing over 3 hrs for Nemesis in 1994.
 
I don't think the SW name ought to mean anything to anyone, except fans.

It isn't really a series or a 'programme', they're going to call the next new coaster "SW" no matter what happens. It never had any meaning after Nemesis was finished, it's always been just a 'cool' promotional tagline to get people talking before the real name is announced. It certainly isn't connected to John Wardley, who shouldnt really get sole credit for what he did on the previous coasters anyway.

Nothing wrong with a bit of tradition, apart from when it's made out to be some kind of certification of world class innovation. From who? The Secret Weapon Board of Excellence, obvs!
 
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