Super Nintendo World (Osaka)

[Scott W.]

They have been marketing it... in Japan. They put out an official press release with the new concept art late last year and local news outlets have been covering it. The buses on property have the wraps on them so people see those driving team members back and forth. And I bet billboard-type ads will likely show up around the area over the next few months.

It's not like we're going to see commercials in the states for it, or a blog post on the Universal Orlando site.

Yup, people in the US see Nintendo and Universal in the same advert and they book a vacation to Orlando thinking that's where it is.

Great for Universal that they get a sale but incredibly bad when they have the headache or idiots showing up because they didn't read the whole thing.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Yup, people in the US see Nintendo and Universal in the same advert and they book a vacation to Orlando thinking that's where it is.

Great for Universal that they get a sale but incredibly bad when they have the headache or idiots showing up because they didn't read the whole thing.

Especially when Universal now tends to market both coasts with the same commercials and marketing media.

 

[Jamesh22]

If I know Universal the way I think I do, I'd venture about a week before opening.

Nonsense - far too soon

I'm curious if we will get an interactive website like Hogsmeade got before it opened.

I suspect we will because, like Hoggsmead, they will want to show off every buying opportunity in the land - the Japanese love a souvenir like no one else.

 

[Scott W.]

Actually thinking about this, an international marketing push probably isn’t a crazy idea because of the olympics. They’ll want to make sure that every international visitor needs to make a trip to Osaka to ride this.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Actually thinking about this, an international marketing push probably isn’t a crazy idea because of the olympics. They’ll want to make sure that every international visitor needs to make a trip to Osaka to ride this.

If the Today Show is out there for the Olympics at all I could see a segment on it briefly. Or at least an official announcement for Hollywood? I can see it. This is the biggest theme park land opening for the foreseeable future anywhere really now that Star Wars is open so I don't think its thaaaat out of the realm of possibility. I also just want this but in general for Universal, I can see a Hollywood announcement happening potentially. Might be thinking to naive, though.

 

[Jamesh22]

I could see the sense in them marketing it at major airports eg Tokyo and Osaka (Think similar to what Disney has done with GE in Orlando airport) but not sure they will do anything properly international.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Again, could be naive thinking, but if Mario Kart gets reviews like Rise is getting, aka Best Ride in the world type praise, why wouldn't they use the Olympics as a platform to show off their work?

 

[Alicia]

Speaking of Mario Kart and tech... Have heard from an anonymous source that Augmented Reality is still in the mix for the ride—but it is not cooperating.

Not a confirmed source, but this is still one of the biggest maybes I am curious about for Mario Kart. It's been in the plans since the beginning, but its role seemed to be lessened with each iteration.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Speaking of Mario Kart and tech... Have heard from an anonymous source that Augmented Reality is still in the mix for the ride—but it is not cooperating.

Not a confirmed source, but this is still one of the biggest maybes I am curious about for Mario Kart. It's been in the plans since the beginning, but its role seemed to be lessened with each iteration.

Has always been my fear that this tech may not be ready. Hopefully it doesn't deteriorate from the attraction too much.

I do wonder, if they develop his tech more and more over the years they can implement it more/better in Hollywood/Orlando/Singapore? Then bring the updates to Japan. Can advertise it almost as a "new" experience for the Mario Kart ride. Hoping for the best here though. Even if its just for ? boxes, that'd be fun.

 

[Scott W.]

I could see the sense in them marketing it at major airports eg Tokyo and Osaka (Think similar to what Disney has done with GE in Orlando airport) but not sure they will do anything properly international.

I can see that but how much free time are people going to have to travel to Osaka from Tokyo during the Olympics?

Speaking of Mario Kart and tech... Have heard from an anonymous source that Augmented Reality is still in the mix for the ride—but it is not cooperating.

Not a confirmed source, but this is still one of the biggest maybes I am curious about for Mario Kart. It's been in the plans since the beginning, but its role seemed to be lessened with each iteration.

Do you think the lack of AR will result in more physical components?

 

[Jamesh22]

I can see that but how much free time are people going to have to travel to Osaka from Tokyo during the Olympics?

No idea :shrug:

I'm of the belief that the Olympics do not actually bring additional visitors into local theme parks - but I think they can be useful for advertising your brand while on the World stage.

Osaka is only 2.5 hours from Tokyo and most of the people I know that have visitied Japan have done both cities at the very least.

I guess I'm just not sure either way!

 

[Alicia]

Do you think the lack of AR will result in more physical components?

I have no idea, but the sets are already going to be fully fleshed out in this version. In earlier versions AR was supplementing sets by adding additional elements that could've been done physically. As I understand it, the current AR is only for interactive elements. But I could be mistaken.

In any case, I've always said, the final version seems to me like an immersive and impressive dark ride on its own, even before any AR layer.

 

[Scott W.]

I have no idea, but the sets are already going to be fully fleshed out in this version. In earlier versions AR was supplementing sets by adding additional elements that could've been done physically. As I understand it, the current AR is only for interactive elements. But I could be mistaken.

In any case, I've always said, the final version seems to me like an immersive and impressive dark ride on its own, even before any AR layer.

That’s good to know. It sounds like bad AR could actually harm the ride and it’s always something that can be added later when the tech is ready and also gives an extra element to the clones if the tech is ready by then.

 

[Disneyhead]

Speaking of Mario Kart and tech... Have heard from an anonymous source that Augmented Reality is still in the mix for the ride—but it is not cooperating.

Not a confirmed source, but this is still one of the biggest maybes I am curious about for Mario Kart. It's been in the plans since the beginning, but its role seemed to be lessened with each iteration.

I hear the AR is working, but glitchy

 

[Alicia]

I hear the AR is working, but glitchy

This is better news. Glitchy sounds better than not cooperating lol.

 

[Disneyhead]

This is better news. Glitchy sounds better than not cooperating lol.

Described to as visually working but not triggering the effects properly. It doesn't play well with the rest of the system.

Still worrisome 6 months out.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Video games glitch all the time, this would really be like being inside a video game!

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Described to as visually working but not triggering the effects properly. It doesn't play well with the rest of the system.

Still worrisome 6 months out.

Hypothetically speaking (and pray if I'm an idiot), would Nintendo have any legal merit to force Universal to push back the opening of Super Nintendo World in Osaka to Post-Olympics, to allow them to tune out the bugs?

 

[Alicia]

Video games glitch all the time, this would really be like being inside a video game!

Just needs a patch after release is all!

 

[Disneyhead]

Hypothetically speaking (and pray if I'm an idiot), would Nintendo have any legal merit to force Universal to push back the opening of Super Nintendo World in Osaka to Post-Olympics, to allow them to tune out the bugs?

They would probably open the land without MK like Disney did SW:GE. Not ideal, but better than not opening it.

I would rather they do that than what Universal did with Jurassic World: The Ride and open a subpar ride.