Marketing Gimmicks

[AirFAN]

Do you think the need for Alton Towers to create an exceptionally good ride has taken a back seat to how well a ride can be marketed? I feel as though we will never see a ride like Nemesis again as everything the park needs to build has to have some sort of gimmick in order to ensure it is marketable? This often results in rides which - for me - are lacklustre. I don't know if it's just because I've gotten older and I some how perceive Nemesis, Oblivion etc to be better rides because of the emotional attachment I have to them as an awe inspired child.

I just want a ride to scare the absolute sh*t out of me to be honest, and nothing at Alton Towers does this except perhaps Oblivion and Nemesis (ok, so maybe not anymore). Nemesis roars for Christ sake. The Smiler IMO is just a confusing mess.

It appears Alton Towers/Merlin in some way are trying to enhance their rides with more immersive themes/stories/gimmicks, something that costs money and has the potential to detract from the overall quality of the ride. Let's be honest, they're never going to be as immersive as Disney or Universal, so why bother? (Nemesis Sub Terra is an example of this, it would be a much better ride for one if the staff didn't f*ck about by trying to unnecessarily scare you by making you jump when the lift door opens for instance - even then I think the Towers could have better used the money elsewhere).

Am I being too harsh? I'd be interested to hear others thoughts.

(Apologised for mistakes, creating a thread on an iPhone is tres difficult).

 

[Jonathan]

It's certainly an interesting point, and I agree with pretty much all you've said. I think the problem is that the marketability of an attraction seems to have taken centre stage, which I do understand to an extent, but the best marketing campaign in the world doesn't necessarily mean that the attraction itself is going to be the best in the world. Just look at Thirteen. Marketed as 'the ultimate coaster' etc., it turned out to be a disappointment on those terms, even though it's actually a decent ride.

 

[Dave]

The only thing against that argument is when Nemesis was built it was a gimmick. What has changed between the days of Nemesis and Oblivion is that instead of having a single visionary coordinating the ride development (John Wardley) you have rides built by committee.

There is nothing wrong with Gimmicks on rides so long as the rest of the ride is good (as with Nemesis). If Th13teen had a great coaster attached to it, or Smiler wasn't trying to break itself apart then i think they would be as loved as the older rides despite the gimmick.

As for the theming i don't think Towers go far enough, never mind pulling back from it because of the cost. Theming can make a mediocre ride amazing.

 

[delta79]

I agree with Dave. a Gimmick are great on ride as long as they works seamlessly with the rest of the ride, the only way to do this is to have a single visionary coordinating development.

Look at a ride that had a single visionary backed by everyone, oblivion. the gimmick (the hole) adds to the ride. something has gone wrong with seamlessly blending a great gimmick with a great ride. and it is sad to see.

 

[Rob]

I've not read the posts here in great detail or with tonnes of thought but just wanted to mention one thing. Gimmick is being mentioned in regards to certain rides, I don't feel that all things 'different' or 'unique' are gimmicks. Nemesis was certainly no gimmick. Innovation is a far more suiting word.

 

[Cheese]

Agreed. Innovation is coming up with something new that's worthwhile. Gimmicks are changes for change's sake.

 

[Dave]

I've not read the posts here in great detail or with tonnes of thought but just wanted to mention one thing. Gimmick is being mentioned in regards to certain rides, I don't feel that all things 'different' or 'unique' are gimmicks. Nemesis was certainly no gimmick. Innovation is a far more suiting word.

Is there any gimmick in the theme park world then? Trick track is becoming a common sight in the industry for a start.

We can't make the definition based on whether we liked the ride or not surely?

That pretty much only leaves Smiler as having a Gimmick, which has been the best recieved SW since Oblivion based on its Mitch Hawker rating, and if it didn't have the roughness issues it seems to be developing would probably be loved a lot more by most.

 

[Slugjc]

Back in the day when nemesis was built, the ride had to do the talking since the only way off actually experiencing the ride was going to Alton and getting on the ride. They could only hype it by, a fence around the construction site. Wardley being interviewed by the tele and all form of advertising. The gimmick was the USP and they sold it. It was new exciting and lived up to all the hype.

Since the rise of internet and sites like this, I think this has pushed people to try and be too clever , and most of the shock has now gone. We knew everything about the smiler as it opened. and the thrill was lost straight away. From the moment the first screw came out of the blackhole tent and the planning application appeared, the hype over the smiler exploded.

sub terra is ok in my eyes and as has been said, spoilt by people jumping at you for no reason at all. they made it hard for themselves by trying to put a sequel

 

[Dave]

Except before the scare maze was added everyone thought Sub-Terra was naff.

It's interesting how opinions change as time moves on.

 

[jon81uk]

Nemesis, Air & Oblivion were all either world or UK firsts. That was the gimmick, Europe's first SLC, World first flying coaster, world first dive machine.
Although the number of unique worlds first elements is getting smaller, there just isn't much left that can be done with rollercoaster tech, so AT need to start thinking of themes to market stuff with!

The whole point of Sub-Terra is the people jumping out at you, it is a scare maze with a ride attached. I didn't visit in the first few months of opening, but I remember everyone complaining it was boring, before they upped the actor-lead scares.

 

[Rob]

Is there any gimmick in the theme park world then? Trick track is becoming a common sight in the industry for a start.

We can't make the definition based on whether we liked the ride or not surely?

That pretty much only leaves Smiler as having a Gimmick, which has been the best recieved SW since Oblivion based on its Mitch Hawker rating, and if it didn't have the roughness issues it seems to be developing would probably be loved a lot more by most.

I suppose it is time that tells if something was a gimmick or an innovation. An innovation will improve the industry, it will set new standards and one day become the norm. B&M with their inverted coasters is a prime example having built 31 of them now. There is nothing really gimmicky about the concept, I don't think it was done purely to gain attention.

You could however argue that B&M's winged coasters are gimmicks. They don't really push boundaries and they aren't seen as a must have in the industry. I don't think they've brought us anything new and exciting that is pushing forward development. However if B&M are able to develop their much rumoured 4D concept that would be a big innovation.

The Smiler is neither a gimmick or an innovation. It is merely a standard looping coaster with two lift hills. There is nothing really ground breaking about it, at least not from a technological point of view. Yes it fits a lot of track and inversions in a small space but that's just good design.

The whole point of Sub-Terra is the people jumping out at you, it is a scare maze with a ride attached. I didn't visit in the first few months of opening, but I remember everyone complaining it was boring, before they upped the actor-lead scares.

Sub-Terra is not a scare maze with a ride attached, where have you got that idea from? It is a dark ride experience with a scare maze bolted on to the end. The whole point of the ride is far from people jumping out at you. It is meant to be a ride where visitors are being let into a controlled environment to view the eggs of the Nemesis monster. People don't usually jump out at you when visiting high security environments. The actor led scare being added is not what improved the ride after its poor opening. It was changes they made to ensure it all flowed better and ensuring the main show scene worked as intended.

 

[jon81uk]

Sub-Terra is not a scare maze with a ride attached, where have you got that idea from? It is a dark ride experience with a scare maze bolted on to the end. The whole point of the ride is far from people jumping out at you. It is meant to be a ride where visitors are being let into a controlled environment to view the eggs of the Nemesis monster. People don't usually jump out at you when visiting high security environments. The actor led scare being added is not what improved the ride after its poor opening. It was changes they made to ensure it all flowed better and ensuring the main show scene worked as intended.

I just mean that with leg ticklers, back pokers, loud bangs, confined spaces etc, Sub-Terra is about the scares, not the drop. In fact the drop is the least scary part, most people seem to have a bigger fear of the confined space in the lift while the siren is going off on the exit. Compare it to the Tower of Terror where it is the drop that is the focus (I know AT can't build that high) and any scares and jumps are a bonus.