Nintendo Coming to Universal Parks

[Mike S]

:ack:

Yea, I'm sorry, I'm just not seeing how the masses would sign up for something like this. Especially considering actual Pokémon battles have large gaps between moves. It'd be about as interesting as watching a car break down every few seconds. I could maybe see some sort of Creature Tech show where puppets battle, but not something where the GP watches random kids play with their Switches.

Again, I think Pokémon should show up. But it has severe limitations for adapting it to theme park use to the point that making it the centerpiece of Park 3 would be folly. Replacing KidZone with it makes more sense, as it can just be a dark ride and some flats without needing to do the heavy lifting of the park.

So you’re just shooting down every cool idea then. They could easily have a time limit for picking your next move.

 

[JungleSkip]

So you’re just shooting down every cool idea then.

No, I'm shooting down ideas that make no logistical sense for a major theme park that will admit 50,000+ people every day.

They could easily have a time limit for picking your next move.

Okay, but again...I would in no way, shape or form want to sit in a theater and watch a kid stare at a switch screen as a timer counts down to the limit to pick the next move. They select the move, the projection does its thing, the action then comes to a screeching halt while the other kid stares at his screen to pick his next movie.

You're seriously not seeing how this would not be entertaining at all for the people in the stands?

 

[Joshua Porter]

I can understand scepticism as far as this goes. It would take some serious thinking to get this to be a stellar attraction but I do think the ground work is there in terms of a solid IP that will have some concept that works within the source material. As mentioned before I just think it will be a missed opportunity if they don't bring a larger presence than just Pokemon showing up in the park. There's an attraction there somewhere.

 

[Mike S]

No, I'm shooting down ideas that make no logistical sense for a major theme park that will admit 50,000+ people every day.



Okay, but again...I would in no way, shape or form want to sit in a theater and watch a kid stare at a switch screen as a timer counts down to the limit to pick the next movie. They select the move, the projection does its thing, the action then comes to a screeching halt while the other kid stares at his screen to pick his next movie.

You're seriously not seeing how this would not be entertaining at all for the people in the stands?

The moves are all done at the same time like the games with speed deciding who goes first. Give like 15 seconds for picking moves and there you go. If you want it to be faster make it that you can’t switch out Pokémon and make them double battles.

 

[JungleSkip]

I can understand scepticism as far as this goes. It would take some serious thinking to get this to be a stellar attraction but I do think the ground work is there in terms of a solid IP that will have some concept that works within the source material. As mentioned before I just think it will be a missed opportunity if they don't bring a larger presence than just Pokemon showing up in the park. There's an attraction there somewhere.

I think there is a nice, family dark ride in Pokémon somewhere. I don't think there's the potential for the property to be an anchor for a third park.

The moves are all done at the same time like the games with speed deciding who goes first. Give like 15 seconds for picking moves and there you go. If you want it to be faster make it that you can’t switch out Pokémon and make them double battles.

I'll agree to disagree. I think you're seriously overestimating how interested the GP would be in watching people play a turnbased RPG in real life.

 

[Mike S]

I think there is a nice, family dark ride in Pokémon somewhere. I don't think there's the potential for the property to be an anchor for a third park.

I’ll agree to disagree with you on that.

I'll agree to disagree. I think you're seriously overestimating how interested the GP would be in watching people play a turnbased RPG in real life.

Well that’s how you incorporate battles. There could also be a live MC for more entertainment. The Safari Zone would be the “nice family dark ride” that’s the lands main attraction.

 

[Andysol]

While I do agree that SNW would be the best anchor- Universal could easily anchor park 3 with a number of other attractions.

Pokemon, LoTR, Dreamworks, Minions land- the list is really endless. Or even something that isn't even an IP!

Heck, VB was a raging success without an IP to be had- all because of that Giant Volcano. Give us something on the level of Mount Prometheus at Disney Sea and people will flock.

This isn't 1999. Something that is Instagramable can be a huge draw all by itself.

 

[Mike S]

While I do agree that SNW would be the best anchor- Universal could easily anchor park 3 with a number of other attractions.

Pokemon, LoTR, Dreamworks, Minions land- the list is really endless. Or even something that isn't even an IP!

Heck, VB was a raging success without an IP to be had- all because of that Giant Volcano. Give us something on the level of Mount Prometheus at Disney Sea and people will flock.

This isn't 1999. Something that is Instagramable can be a huge draw all by itself.

Like a live meet and greet with an AA Pikachu. People would go nuts.

 

[Magic-Man]

While I do agree that SNW would be the best anchor- Universal could easily anchor park 3 with a number of other attractions.

Pokemon, LoTR, Dreamworks, Minions land- the list is really endless. Or even something that isn't even an IP!

Heck, VB was a raging success without an IP to be had- all because of that Giant Volcano. Give us something on the level of Mount Prometheus at Disney Sea and people will flock.

This isn't 1999. Something that is Instagramable can be a huge draw all by itself.

Exactly! A theme park doesn’t need an anchor IP at all. Just give people a reason to go to a park and they’ll come.

If SNW hasn’t changed much, there was no reason to move it. We should get another D-Ticket to come with the land.

 

[Disneyhead]

This is just me spitballing, but I predict there will be a Pokemon Center in each park where you create/log in to your Universal's Pokemon Park App for your Smartphone or rent a handheld VR device. Then roam the parks looking for Pokemon to capture (with the camera in the app. It will identify and calculate score). If you're quick enough you can do a selfie before it runs off. They can be in any of the parks or CityWalk. You can't see them with the naked eye, but through the Pokemon filter in the app you can see them. They would be animated and active. It'd be like an elaborate VR Pokemon Go. And all 800 Pokemon can be there.

 

[Magic-Man]

This is just me spitballing, but I predict there will be a Pokemon Center in each park where you create/log in to your Universal's Pokemon Park App for your Smartphone or rent a handheld VR device. Then roam the parks looking for Pokemon to capture (with the camera in the app). If you're quick enough you can do a selfie before it runs off. They can be in any of the parks or CityWalk. You can't see then with the naked eye, but through the Pokemon filter in the app you can see them. They would be animated and active. It'd be like an elaborate VR Pokemon Go. And all 800 Pokemon can be there.

Just imagine finding a rare Pokémon while riding Popeye, but your camera gets soaked and breaks before you can get a picture

 

[Mike S]

This is just me spitballing, but I predict there will be a Pokemon Center in each park where you create/log in to your Universal's Pokemon Park App for your Smartphone or rent a handheld VR device. Then roam the parks looking for Pokemon to capture (with the camera in the app. It will identify and calculate score). If you're quick enough you can do a selfie before it runs off. They can be in any of the parks or CityWalk. You can't see them with the naked eye, but through the Pokemon filter in the app you can see them. They would be animated and active. It'd be like an elaborate VR Pokemon Go. And all 800 Pokemon can be there.

What a freaking let down that would be.

 

[Imperius]

What a freaking let down that would be.

Yeah no thanks on that.

 

[Imperius]

Just leave Pokémon out if you’re just going to do something that’s been done before.

 

[jrn14]

At least an easy solution could be a small world type ride where you go through different environments such as a jungle, desert, artic, forest, caves, under the sea, and then possibly outer space and there are a combination of animatronic and possibly some pokemon on screenz. You could have "cameras" or some sort of pokeball cannon that shoots pokeballs at the pokes and you get more points for catching them or getting pics of them. Maybe you could even make the pokes do different actions with your cameras or pokeball cannon... Shoot or snap at squirttle and it spits a jet of water at you, shoot a metapod and it evolves into a butterfree ... I mean I know this would be a huge undertaking and involve a lot of moving parts, but it could be done... Kind of the next generation version of MIB, (no i don't want this to replace MIB)

 

[Alicia]

This is just me spitballing, but I predict there will be a Pokemon Center in each park where you create/log in to your Universal's Pokemon Park App for your Smartphone or rent a handheld VR device. Then roam the parks looking for Pokemon to capture (with the camera in the app. It will identify and calculate score). If you're quick enough you can do a selfie before it runs off. They can be in any of the parks or CityWalk. You can't see them with the naked eye, but through the Pokemon filter in the app you can see them. They would be animated and active. It'd be like an elaborate VR Pokemon Go. And all 800 Pokemon can be there.

This device? Retails for $50 at all UO gift shops!

 

[ChristopherSE]

Rides are my favorite part of the parks, but I'd love to see non-ride attractions have more of a presence, particularly at UOR. A Pokemon Hunt along the lines of A Pirate's Adventures in Adventureland could be really amazing if done right. Hide special effects and Pokemon AAs across all three parks and let guests go on, say, a dozen different scavenger hunts of ranging difficulty. Maybe there's a battle-like element to some of the hunts like Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. There are obviously still some feasibility issues, like capacity, but I think it could be exciting, particularly if they up the ante and really invest in great storylines, puzzles, and tech. People love exploring and accomplishing things, and the interactive wands in WWoHP show that Uni is somewhat interested in and very capable of this type of attraction.

And then also build a pokemon safari ride lol.

 

[Frogki]

Pokemon is tricky because you have multiple generations with a lot of differing expectations, and a pent up demand for Pokemon in real life. Pokemon Go is a fun little jaunt and for it's first summer, everyone, casual or hardcore fan, was playing. But hardcore fans want something more which is why I've always put out ideas that make Pokemon more real and less virtual. Having a more elaborate version of Go is not what the majority of people would want, and that includes casual fans. I can already go to the park and use my smartphone to play Go and get the same effects we're describing without Universal investing in the experience. It wouldn't make me any more likely to buy merch because again, it's virtual.
I think you need a dark ride attraction and some AAs spread throughout the land. The Pokedex could certainly be marketed as an exclusive extension of Go, although Go kind of acts as it's own Pokedex already.
I have always been a huge proponent of an Ollivander's style Pokemon partner show with Pokemon being brought to life in the vein of Banshee puppets 2.0, and I think you need to incorporate Pokeballs somewhere in the land somehow that aren't simple plush figures. If they could somehow utilize the new Pokeball Plus joycons in an exclusive way (ie trigger effects or register and capture the limited Pokemon AAs) that would be fairly ideal but I'm not sure it's possible or practical.
I don't have all the answers and I understand that we're talking about a real world theme park here. But I can tell you right now, I'm a Potterhead, and if I hadn't been able to enter Diagon Alley through a wall, I might not have been as interested in going. And if my wand hadn't chosen me live, I probably wouldn't have bought it twice (before the interactive switch and after). I'm very casual when it comes to Pokemon games, and I would probably be happy with something small. But I have already heard friends talk about the possibilities for theme parks with Pokemon, and if it isn't done right, you'll lose a lot of potential revenue. That's my view anyway. It doesn't necessarily have to be complex but it has to invoke a sense of wonder for the Pokemon that inhabit it and it has to give us the feeling that we are seeing real deal Pokemon rather than dealing in the same virtual world we've had since the 90s.

 

[ThreePack Shagur]

I think there is a nice, family dark ride in Pokémon somewhere.

Pokémon Snap, man. It’s practically made for an on-rails shooter with user control like Buzz Lightyear. Make it so you can purchase the photos you took afterwards. Some musion screen integration for throwing out candy or bait to trigger Pokémon, encouraging re-rideability and giving the rider a sense of challenge and completion. Put all of these together and baby, you got a stew goin’.

 

[quinnmac000]

Yeah,

For Pokémon, I think all options could be on the table. Instead of actual big battles for everyone, I can see them doing live action battle shows using special effects which would emulate more like the anime where the battles are big huge things while using the balloon AAs. Then I can see them doing smaller scale projection mapping/AR/Musion pokemon battles for the guests. Then also add the villians battle where you can team up to fight AA Team Rocket/Skull/Magma/etc

I don't think they would do an in-park Pokémon Go like game because why spend money on something I can do for free. I also thinking for catching Pokémon they will evolve the Harry Potter Wand technology and sell a pokeball/pokedex combo park where they have hidden pokemon AAs that hide and come out at random times on rides and in the land where you can go and collect by pointing your pokeball at them waiting for it to appear on the Pokedex and then timing it properly where you press the button on the pokeball in an attempt to catch.

Add in Pokémon Kilmanjaro Safari Ride/Walkthrough, Professor Lab, Pokémon Snap ride, and lastly a Pokémon Center. I think you hit on everything for a full fledge land that hits on catching, battling, and merch sales.