NightHawkFur
Roller Poster
Looopings.nl has leaked the ride will be turned into VR.
Crazy Bats VR Coaster - Phantasialand
- Thread starter CSLKennyNI
- Start date
JoshC.
Strata Poster
And a double post from me... [EDIT: ooo, not a double post after all - lucky me!]
https://www.looopings.nl/weblog/11833/Phantasialand-krijgt-virtualreality-achtbaan.html
Looopings are reporting that Temple of the Nighthawk IS getting Virtual Reality headsets this year. I know Looopings aren't the greatest, but they're right in their rumours...
Would be an incredible u-turn from the park, and very odd given the VR fad seems to be dying..
https://www.looopings.nl/weblog/11833/Phantasialand-krijgt-virtualreality-achtbaan.html
Looopings are reporting that Temple of the Nighthawk IS getting Virtual Reality headsets this year. I know Looopings aren't the greatest, but they're right in their rumours...
Would be an incredible u-turn from the park, and very odd given the VR fad seems to be dying..
Ethan
Strata Poster
Tried to click the link but to see the page they want you to disable your ad-blocker, however I shall not be doing this as I don't want to support Loopings. Does the above link actually provide any "information"? I just don't see TotNH getting VR, doesn't seem very on-brand for the park.
JoshC.
Strata Poster
I'll take one for the team:
So there's no information, but Looopings do have sources and I've rarely seen them be wrong. Just as an example, they were the first to report that Phantasialand would be introducing a Vekoma launched flyer coaster. As much as I'm not keen on them, they usually are in the know.
CSLKennyNI
Giga Poster
I'd be extremely surprised and very disappointed.
The creative team have always said they've no interest in VR; creating unique real experiences with theming is their goal. The whole announcement video for F.L.Y. revolved around the "unique attractions" concept with Europa and Bobbejaanland being nearby its hardly unique. Also they are very careful with how they spend money, everything is done with a long term plan in mind. Investing in this fad just while it dies everywhere else would be insane.
Plus if they were to put a significant amount of money into a "new experience", as other parks have done with VR, wouldn't it be marketed as such? If you're banking on new visitors from this why hasn't there been any advertising if it already opens on 1st April? Would be odd.
Although I did hear this rumour myself a week ago; but all the "proof" I was shown was an email to someone from VR Coaster GMBH/Mack Media where they asked about Temple and the response was pretty much "we cannot talk about future projects unless they are made public by the perspective park". Their "evidence" being they didn't deny it; personally I thought it was nothing more than a copy and paste response. Potentially this has just also has just been sent to Looopings and their running with it, rather than having actual insider the knowledge but who knows... They have leaked a number of things correctly in the past but have also been wrong a number of times too (not that they'd admit it as they go back and edit or remove those articles).
Nervously awaiting the start of the new season now...
The creative team have always said they've no interest in VR; creating unique real experiences with theming is their goal. The whole announcement video for F.L.Y. revolved around the "unique attractions" concept with Europa and Bobbejaanland being nearby its hardly unique. Also they are very careful with how they spend money, everything is done with a long term plan in mind. Investing in this fad just while it dies everywhere else would be insane.
Plus if they were to put a significant amount of money into a "new experience", as other parks have done with VR, wouldn't it be marketed as such? If you're banking on new visitors from this why hasn't there been any advertising if it already opens on 1st April? Would be odd.
Although I did hear this rumour myself a week ago; but all the "proof" I was shown was an email to someone from VR Coaster GMBH/Mack Media where they asked about Temple and the response was pretty much "we cannot talk about future projects unless they are made public by the perspective park". Their "evidence" being they didn't deny it; personally I thought it was nothing more than a copy and paste response. Potentially this has just also has just been sent to Looopings and their running with it, rather than having actual insider the knowledge but who knows... They have leaked a number of things correctly in the past but have also been wrong a number of times too (not that they'd admit it as they go back and edit or remove those articles).
Nervously awaiting the start of the new season now...
NightHawkFur
Roller Poster
VR for Phantasialand might be odd, but then again this might be just a "filler" before rookburgh opens. Yes, vr is expensive, but a fad nonetheless. it will certainly secure the ride for another 2-3 years imo, but then ? the question is if anything else has been done, especially to that god awfull queueline bunker and for the non-vr riders.
I had heard about this rumor before as well.
I had heard about this rumor before as well.
CSLKennyNI
Giga Poster
It's completely unnecessary and out of character. Temple doesn't need anything to secure it; it already is secured by Fantissima existing in the same building. It still pulls a decent crowd in, up to 40 mins of a queue on extremely busy days last year. If they wanted to refurbish it in normal PHL spirit like Black Mamba and River Quest I would have expected a phased/spread out over a number of years gradual addition of new theming.
The only reason for this would be to make a quick buck with a simple to deliver "new attraction" but that brings me back to my point of then why is there no marketing? This is just bizarre if true.
The only reason for this would be to make a quick buck with a simple to deliver "new attraction" but that brings me back to my point of then why is there no marketing? This is just bizarre if true.
NightHawkFur
Roller Poster
Maybe they wanted to be like "SUPRISE SUPRISE" on 1st of April but now Loopings messed that up.
I'd rather have real theming then some goggles as well, but maybe as ive said, the ride has a final planned "use by" date in the next couple of years and they want to please fans for a last short time before it goes down. Who knows. People will be very split on this I can imagine.
I'd rather have real theming then some goggles as well, but maybe as ive said, the ride has a final planned "use by" date in the next couple of years and they want to please fans for a last short time before it goes down. Who knows. People will be very split on this I can imagine.
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VikingsAf
Mega Poster
I bet they will be able to make it work. I believe they can make some good story around it, theme the goggles to look like helmets the Winja's would wear... Remove one of the lifthills
NightHawkFur
Roller Poster
The issue is the lack of a focus point during the ride. It was mostly fine until the old Bird-Laser projection broke for good. Now, temple is (no joke) the ride were most people throw up. each visit, no matter how slow of a day it is, at least once they have to get the industrial vacuum and paper towels...
Yes, VR is ****, but also without it you don't need to demolish the ride to fix that perticular issue. Sadly, Phantasialand doesn't seem to care.
zazobo
Hyper Poster
Yah- agree entirely. Makes me think that they’re lining it up for the chopping block. Fingers crossed!!
Ethan
Strata Poster
Wouldn't VR make just as many people sick? You hear of people getting ill from Galactica and Kraken Unleashed etc, why would this be any different? I imagine a focus point would need to be something physical for it to counteract disorientation.
VikingsAf
Mega Poster
Funny enough I did my thesis on this
(Virtual Sound and Orientation with Virtual Sound, I saw a bit on visualisation only)Sound and visualisation are indeed important to keep your balance (and therefore don't get motion sick). This just means that your sound perception and visual perception should be the same as the movements you're making to not **** up your brain. Ofcourse the balance organs in our ears can work okay without those 2 parameters, as long as the movement isn't too extreme
So as long as the VR is super well synced with the ride, there shouldn't be a problem. (But differences in the ranges of milliseconds are enough the make you lose your balance)
Luckily TotNH isn't inverting and doesn't realy have any insane transitions, which won't make you as sick as any of the more extreme coasters with VR
Matt N
CF Legend
Hmmm, not too sure on this. I'm generally not a fan of the way that VR has been implemented on the roller coasters it has been put onto, and it also seems like Phantasialand are a little bit late to the party, as many parks are now removing VR from their VR coasters (e.g. Alton Towers, SeaWorld Orlando).
However, from what I've heard about it, Temple of the Night Hawk is the sort of ride that could actually be enhanced by VR; it is apparently not that good of a ride and has little to no physical theming, so VR could really transform it into something quite immersive and enveloping if the quality is good!
However, from what I've heard about it, Temple of the Night Hawk is the sort of ride that could actually be enhanced by VR; it is apparently not that good of a ride and has little to no physical theming, so VR could really transform it into something quite immersive and enveloping if the quality is good!