Will Universal ever bring back in-park HHN games?

[HHN Maddux]

Title.

For those unaware, in 2014 and 2015, there was a Legendary Truth game in the final weekends that would have guests going around the park collecting data from scareactors, decrypting clues that led to certain locations to find objects, and really a bunch of experimental yet fun misadventures that allowed you to be fully immersed in the story and universe, with both years ending in a secret experience that to this day we still know very little about (from what little we do know, they were seemingly smaller-scale interactive experiences similar to The Repository).

As a major HHN lore buff, this sounded very fun, and I'm just curious if we think we could ever see it make any return. What do y'all think?

 

[Wesker69]

That was "trash" compared to the superior 2005/2008 "in park"/online interaction (RIP flash sites). 2012 was the other good interactive in-park/online year with the RFID cards we scanned after each house or showed up in designated meeting spots to unlock another "achievement badge" online.

***me "trying" to tap my RFID card on the Potter lion head because I couldn't resist.

But no. It'll never happen again in any format due to the event being as popular/big as it is. Also, without the old school websites, it makes it difficult to cater to the very SMALL group of "Uber fans". The GP outnumber our fanbase, therefore to the Universal higher-ups, there is no point in investing in something like that unless they can charge $$$$ for it.

The original 2005 clue hunt gimmick & whatnot was all paid out of A&D's own pocket, NOT Universal. And you aren't going to get that kind of dedication (aka THANK YOU) from the current team behind the event.

Come on, just look at how quickly the merch team slapped a price tag on Lil Boo once that hit their radar.

 

[Legacy]

Could we? Sure. Could implies possibility and anything is possible.

Will we? I wouldn’t hold my breath.

A&D is too busy, the event is too crowded, and Marketing too formulaic for it to occur with a drastic change in both Universal’s structure and the way people engages with corporations.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Could we? Sure. Could implies possibility and anything is possible.

Will we? I wouldn’t hold my breath.

A&D is too busy, the event is too crowded, and Marketing too formulaic for it to occur with a drastic change in both Universal’s structure and the way people engages with corporations.

Is there any desire to do it or even the staff to push for one?

 

[Legacy]

Is there any desire to do it or even the staff to push for one?

The last time they tried anything like an ARG, it was outsourced and barely advertised. So, that implies there is some desire, but not manpower. But it also highlights how there are much higher priorities.

I think an in-park ARG is counter to the direction of the event now. If a guest is playing the game, they’re clogging the park but not buying food. There’s no ROI in it, which is the priority. If the last attempt was successful (in increasing spend), it would still be happening (and expanding).

 

[Parkscope Joe]

The last time they tried anything like an ARG, it was outsourced and barely advertised. So, that implies there is some desire, but not manpower. But it also highlights how there are much higher priorities.

I think an in-park ARG is counter to the direction of the event now. If a guest is playing the game, they’re clogging the park but not buying food. There’s no ROI in it, which is the priority. If the last attempt was successful (in increasing spend), it would still be happening (and expanding).

I don’t think recent games have aimed for an ROI beyond “make guests happier in waiting in the queue”. But I do agree that “game to keep people in the park” just isn’t needed anymore for all sorts of reasons.

 

[Legacy]

I don’t think recent games have aimed for an ROI beyond “make guests happier in waiting in the queue”. But I do agree that “game to keep people in the park” just isn’t needed anymore for all sorts of reasons.

I’m referring to the QR codes that were hidden in store windows and such (the ones from 2021/2022. Those had nothing to do with the queues.

 

[Jerroddragon]

I'd love even just trivia where your team or you got points in line

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I’m referring to the QR codes that were hidden in store windows and such (the ones from 2021/2022. Those had nothing to do with the queues.

Ah yes. Probably a little bit of "priorities of the event" and a little bit of "priorities of the creatives".

 

[Clive]

Didn't we literally have one of these during HHN30 that everyone just kinda ignored? Speaks for itself, really.

EDIT: Skimmed earlier posts and missed that Legacy addressed it. You guys had one a few years ago and no one played it!

 

[HHN Maddux]

Didn't we literally have one of these during HHN30 that everyone just kinda ignored? Speaks for itself, really.

EDIT: Skimmed earlier posts and missed that Legacy addressed it. You guys had one a few years ago and no one played it!

Maybe because 2021 I didn't go as much, but quite frankly I wasn't even aware it existed, which unfortunately is rather telling.

 

[Speed]

To be fair I don’t think Universal even advertised the HHN30 game once. I remember during the season the only I heard about it was from the graphic designers and developers of the game on Twitter

 

[Legacy]

To be fair I don’t think Universal even advertised the HHN30 game once. I remember during the season the only I heard about it was from the graphic designers and developers of the game on Twitter

Maybe because 2021 I didn't go as much, but quite frankly I wasn't even aware it existed, which unfortunately is rather telling.

Which… yeah… demonstrates why it’s incredibly unlikely to happen in the future…

 

[Rhian]

The closest thing I saw this year were QR codes in the tribute store which lead to pages you could read on instagram. I think this is what Legacy was referring to about 2021/22?

This is one from this year:

I'd love even just trivia where your team or you got points in line

Have you seen this? As I was writing about putting this in the official app to get more exposure since it already lists scare houses, shows, and food I noticed something new? I don't know if I actually never swiped that far until now or if it was recently added.



Swipe all the way to the right under the Horror Nights section there's a mini game things that leads either trivia or leads to a choose your own adventure-type story game. Doesn't track scores but you get 3 tries before you lose.

Spoiler: Here's an example