ASI Show Blows Into the Windy City
CHICAGO, IL – From the Grand Ballroom to the “Big Bar,” the Hyatt Regency, Chicago rocked from morning until midnight during March’s Amusement Showcase International. ASI, last held at the Hyatt in Chicago in 1990, brought with it a leaner, meaner coin-op industry compared to 15 years ago. But plenty of new product, fresh, new faces, plus the before, during and after-hours networking that a self-contained show offers, made for plenty of happy customers on both sides of the aisles.
ASI, now in its 21st year, is the annual spring trade show for the coin-operated amusement industry. It is solely owned and operated by the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA), the international trade association for manufacturers and distributors of coin-operated equipment, located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.
AT THE SHOW
Fans of the old Spacewarp roller coaster model kit will enjoy OK Manufacturing’s new redemption game Gravity Hill 2. The company’s prototype made its way to ASI, along with the original Gravity Hill game. In the popular Gravity Hill game, players rock a tiered wave-like playing field back and forth, trying to move the ball from one level to the next without having the ball fall off the sides. In Gravity Hill 2, the playing field has turned into a three-dimentional cone-shaped roller coaster. As the metal ball bearing enters at the bottom of the track, players must rock and shake the track structure to advance the ball along and up the track, including through a 360o loop. Players who get the ball to the top win a medium prize, and if the player successfully uses the mirror mounted above the game to navigate the ball into a hole on the top platform, a large prize will be their reward. Fun, a little addictive, and not as easy as it looks, Gravity Hill 2 is expected to be available in May.
Also of intrigue at the show was newcomer Cecropia. The Lexington, MA company announced a preview of “The Act”, the world’s first FilmGame interactive media experience. “The Act” is a comedy about relationships, deception, and the pursuit of romance. “The Act” gives players the unique experience of playing a game that feels more like a movie. Players control the characters’ emotions while they experience the interactive story. The characters’ feelings are apparent through highly skilled personality-centric animation, being developed by Cecropia’s animators, many of whom are alumni of Disney Feature Film Animation Studios. Though the game is still far from completion, the first “scene” involves window-washer Edgar, who daydreams he’s in a lounge trying to woo the beautiful Sylvia. By moving the single paddle control, players try to encourage Edgar to successfully flirt with Sylvia. Too much too quickly and she’s scared away. Move too slow, and she gets bored. With a virtually unlimited amount of possible outcomes, Cecropia’s “The Act” will be an interesting game to follow and explore.
Did You Know? ASI is scheduled to return to Chicago in 2006. Planned for March 16- 18, attendees will be able to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Chicago-style.
2005 Halloween, Costume & Party Show Frightens the Masses
ROSEMONT, IL – The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, was once again possessed this past March as the corporeal of TransWorld’s annual Halloween, Costume & Party show. The considerable assortment of mischievous merchants provided a frighteningly large maze of booths and displays to navigate during the five-day show. Particular genres within the show were more segmented than in previous years, with comparable companies grouped together into “themed” areas.
Of particular note to those in the amusement industry was the Haunted Attractions element of the show called “The Dark Zone”, a full escalator ride away from the rest of the show floor. Inside The Dark Zone, the creepy-crawlies kept close company with their creative caretakers. Elsewhere on the floor, the latest gadgets to scare and surprise guests (not to mention show attendees) lurked around every corner.
ScareFactory
By far the largest presence in the Dark Zone, ScareFactory showcased a wide array of animated props and scenery. Most impressive of these was a giant demon character that coordinated with several other props to create a seemingly interactive scene. Breaking through cemetery gates, the demon pushes aside hanging body bags and uses his hand-held saw to slice through several helpless victims before retreating behind the gates for the next sequence. Gruesome? Probably. Impressive? Definitely!
Midnight Syndicate
This venerated musical company presented a sample track from their new album “The 13th Hour.” Already a staple at many Halloween attractions, Midnight Syndicate’s new CD musically tells the haunting tale of a decrepit old mansion where fear and fright abound and a good night’s sleep is highly unlikely. As of this printing, “The 13th Hour” is scheduled for release on June 7th.
Black Sheep Designs
Headed by young artist Derick Foster, Black Sheep Designs is an up-and-coming company offering custom design work and special effects products. Already, the company has done a variety of work for industry veterans Distortions Unlimited, and is currently working on designs for the 2005 Orlando World’s Fair for Kids. Eager to please, and with the skills to back it up, Black Sheep Designs is a company to keep a disembodied eye on.
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Did You Know? Among the trade show attendees was Dustin Diamond, most notably recognized for his portrayal of Screech on television’s “Saved By The Bell.”
Insanity – The Ride Opens to Breezy Reviews
LAS VEGAS, NV- On a windy evening in March, The Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower launched Insanity – The Ride for its inaugural spin. Well, sort of…. Excessive winds allowed only a select few the privilege of riding the Interactive Rides creation, the fourth thrill ride atop the 1,149 foot tower.
The new ride holds ten passengers in “escape proof” seats as it spins at 45 m.p.h. The key to the ride is that thrill seekers experience a centrifugal force of three “G’s” while being spun out 64 feet past the edge of the Stratosphere Tower, overlooking the City of Las Vegas more than 900 feet below.
Did You Know? Insanity – The Ride is accessible to people with disabilities and can accommodate an individual up to 300 lbs.
StarBart™- Safety with a Splash
HOUSTON, TX- StarBart™, the latest addition to Frost Products’ water ballast test dummies, is the first of its kind ever presented to the amusement park industry. It is a full body articulating dummy that enables amusement parks to test new and existing rides in a more economical and effective manner.
StarBart™ is ideal since it allows for proper weight distribution and body mass during the test cycle. StarBart™, created to simulate the average male: 5’-10”, 175 lbs., is usable on most ride designs including those that carry riders standing, sitting or lying down.
StarBart™ is already in use at Kennywood and at HERSHEYPARK.
Did You Know? StarBart won the Best new Product Award at the IAAPA trade show last November.
ETF Ride Systems Offers Rides Interactive Control In Exchange For Teamwork
NEDERWEERT, HOLLAND – Focusing on a high level of both entertainment and interactivity for all of its passengers, ETF Ride Systems has designed a ride that requires teamwork, timing, and a little daring in order to gain the full experience.
Riders on the ETF Pedal Splash have lots of options to chose from along their ride, beginning with where to sit when they board their vehicle. Choose the front seats, which are equipped with pedals, and riders are in charge of propelling the car along the track and determining the speed of the ride. Backseat drivers, oh the other hand, are given water cannons for spraying at the local scenery, other riders, and even spectators outside the ride. Although the back seats may sound like more fun (especially for younger riders), the water cannons will only work if the drivers in the front seat are doing their jobs right.
Along certain points of the track, cars pass refilling stations, where water streams down intended for the car’s water tank. If the drivers are pedaling too fast, the car could zip past the opportunity to top off the water level, and the water blasters will run dry. A well-timed arrival means more splashing throughout the rest of the ride. Also, there are up to seventeen other vehicles on the track, each with their own supply of water. Drivers who pedal too slow may put their vehicle in danger of being splashed by other riders. Drivers traveling too quickly will soon find themselves face to face with the backseat cannon-wielding riders of the car in front of them. If that’s not enough, spectators along the outside of the track may be aiming with water cannons of their own, which means more friendly spray to avoid.
Did You Know? The ETF Pedal Splash has multiple other options available, including shelters from the flying streams of water, stationary targets to aim for, and water cannons for both the front and back of the cars.
Abraham Lincoln Museum Opens in Springfield, Illinois
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Quite rare is the occasion when a museum actively seeks to engage its visitors in the educational and discovery process. But, then again, the new Lincoln Museum is itself a rare gem. Officially opened and dedicated in April, the brand new museum has been in the works for many years, under the design of respected industry powerhouse BRC Imagination Arts.
Visitors enter the central rotunda and are faced with a facade of the White House, two theater entrances, a recreation of Lincoln’s boyhood home, a children’s play area, and a few other gems scattered about. Both the White House and Lincoln’s boyhood home are portals into extensive walk-through exhibits that take you through Lincoln’s life before and during his presidency. Realistic figures crafted by LifeFormations populate the exhibits, while specially commissioned music sets the mood.
In one of the most creative scenes, visitors enter a modern-day television control room. The monitors play a looping video showcasing political advertisements for Lincoln and his opponents for the White House, cleverly encapsulating the candidate’s positions in an easy to understand (and sometimes humorous) format.
The White House walk-through is easily the longer of the two main exhibits, and contains enough information and artifacts to keep even the most reticent history buff busy all day. By far, the most emotional scene is the final room in the tour, which recreates Lincoln’s lying in state after his assassination. Even rambunctious children and disorderly teenagers will stop dead in their tracks as the powerfulness of the scene hits them.
Other parts of the tour veer blatantly to the educational. “The Civil War in 4 Minutes” shows the progression of the war on a giant screen of the United States indicating through color coded graphics which side is winning, and highlights key battles.
The Union Theater plays home to “Lincoln’s Eyes.” The 17 minute presentation focuses on an artist working on a portrait of Lincoln, and through studying other pictures of Honest Abe, is able to understand more about his life and experiences. The show expands to three screens and takes advantage of a variety of sets, scenery, and special effects. The final result is an experience that is engrossing, at times startling and uncomfortable. There’s so much to see and experience, however, that a second viewing is almost mandatory.
As an added feature for the facility, the main stage in the theater is equipped to be used for other purposes as well. Separate lighting and projection systems allow the Museum to use the facility for presentations, seminars and special events without disrupting the show equipment. “The Ghosts of the Library” can be found in the facility’s other theater and is presented in BRC’s trademark Holavision. Similar to installations in Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios Japan, the technology is both engrossing and fascinating. After a pre-show greeting from Richard Norton Smith, the Museum’s director, guests are ushered into the theater and view what appears to be a scene from the adjacent library.
For those unfamiliar with the Holavision concept, a live actor seamlessly interacts with spirits and other apparitions. In Ghosts, we meet a library employee who helps us answer the question “Why do we bother keeping all this old stuff?” Ghosts of the past begin to materialize, and in the special-effects laden ending, we realize that things are not always as they seem. Similar to “Lincoln’s Eyes”, a second viewing of this captivating show is definitely not out of the question.
Rounding out the experience are several other minor exhibits, including Mrs. Lincoln’s Attic, a family play area complete with period clothing for children to try on, a dollhouse replica of Lincoln’s home (the real version can be found a short distance away from the Museum), and a play table full of Lincoln Logs.
The Abraham Lincoln Public Library and Museum is a fascinating experience a short drive from both Chicago and St. Louis. Amusement industry professionals will be entertained by the exhibits and also learn how education and history can be brought to life. Watch the Fall EXPERIENCE issue of InPark Magazine for a detailed report from the Museum and more behind the scenes information.
Did You Know? Abe’s family is on display in the central rotunda (thanks to LifeFormations), and are the only figures guests are encouraged to take flash photographs of.
What Kind of Attraction Do You Want on Your Tombstone?
TOMBSTONE, AZ – Dark Ride Productions (aka Halloween Productions, Inc.) of Saint Louis, Missouri, recently completed the installation of Tombstone’s Ghosts and Legends Tour in Tombstone, Arizona. Tombstone’s Ghosts and Legends Tour is an interactive walk-through attraction that combines history, special effects, computer animation and animations. Customers walk through rooms filled with special effects and a computer generated ghost of Doc Holiday who teaches guests about the history of Tombstone.
Larry Kirchner, President of HPI, said “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like this. This attraction is a combination of a history tour mixed with the interaction of special effects that make the customers scream for more.” HPI also created a sophisticated pre-show using live staged action and computer generated effects. The attraction is located right in the heart of the historic town of Tombstone, site of the famous OK Corral shoot out. Tombstone is now one of the biggest tourist draws in the state of Arizona. Dale Turner contracted HPI to design, construct and install the attraction inside one of his authentic historic buildings. The attraction is now open daily to crowds of thrill seekers.
Did You Know? The building the attraction is in is three doors down from the bar where Morgan Earp was shot and killed.
Sally Debuts Tall Tales in San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO, TX – Sally Corporation’s newest dark ride attraction, Davy Crockett’s Tall Tales Ride and Interactive Outpost, recently opened to long lines of visitors in San Antonio, Texas.
There are two sides to the legend of the great American hero and frontiersman, explains Sally CEO John Wood: “…the true, bona-fide patriot Davy, whose exploits are chronicled in the history books, and the Davy who was the hero of his own and others’ imaginative, whimsical ‘tall tale’ adventures.” It is these mostly-fictitious adventures that come to life in this one-of-a-kind trip back through time.
The real Davy’s heroism is forever recorded at The Alamo, and now his make-believe adventures are delighting visitors in another building in San Antonio’s Alamo Plaza, where “ev’ry word is true, except the ones that ain’t.”
Throughout the ride, the tales are narrated by Davy’s best buddy, a huge black bear named Death Hug (the one bear Davy couldn’t out-wrassle). Music underscores the action as tales unfold in colorful scenes with highly stylized animatronic characters, video animation, myriad special visual and sound effects and Disney-like sets.
After the ride, visitors enter the Interactive Outpost with its artifacts and exhibits relating to Davy Crockett, as well as numerous interactive games and surprises.
“What happened at the Alamo is best told by the historians at the site,” says Davis Phillips, General Manager of Phillips Entertainment, which operates the new ride together with its sister attractions, Ripley’s Haunted Adventure and The Guinness World Records Museum. “We wanted something that families could enjoy and would tie in with San Antonio. It’s important to note that these stories that Davy Crockett told about himself, helped build his legend.”
Did You Know? The entire Davy Crockett attraction spans two floors and over 12,000 square feet.
