Secret Weapons - the end

[RyanY]

B&M are not the only company that can make world class rides, Intamin, Mack, Gerstlauer and even Vekoma make rides that can be just as good.

[Blaze]

SWs have ALWAYS, since Oblivion, been used as an exciting marketing ploy. As soon as it was reused away from the SW1/SW2/Nemesis project, it became the stock codename for all large coasters. That's all it is.

Rita wasn't because it didn't 'qualify'. It was just a coaster, it was unthemed, and didn't bring any major change to the park. DIC-Tussauds had no interest in building SWs, so Rita was just a coaster. Same for Sonic.

[Rollermad]

I'm really interested about the poll results, I thought that there may be more on Sw13 ??? As its unlucky

[Charlee]

Rita will always be more of a SW that Thirteen to me, Rita does what it Alton said it would, thrills. And now with the Dark Forest re theme its has decent themeing. Thirteen'a themeing looks incomplete and it doesn't so what Alton said.

[CoasterCrazyChris]

SWs have ALWAYS, since Oblivion, been used as an exciting marketing ploy. As soon as it was reused away from the SW1/SW2/Nemesis project, it became the stock codename for all large coasters. That's all it is.

Rita wasn't because it didn't 'qualify'. It was just a coaster, it was unthemed, and didn't bring any major change to the park. DIC-Tussauds had no interest in building SWs, so Rita was just a coaster. Same for Sonic.

The Secret Weapon codename, in my opinion, is a tired and outdated concept.

The reality is that it was dead after they built Oblivion. It worked for Nemesis and Oblivion, and to an extent Air, but after that I feel the SW "series" came to its natural conclusion.

The idea of the "secret weapon" showed to be nothing more than a fat gimmick with Th13teen. Heck, even more so than the world's first element itself. Remember that tacky bit of PR they did when the "element" was delivered on lorry with SECRET WEAPON plastered over it? Exactly my point.

If you think about it, if Th13teen had not been given the label, we would not have expected so much from the finished product. Even if they had still marketed it as the best thing since sliced bread, like they did, without the SW status we would have just accepted it for what it was, a family coaster. The Secret Weapon status places too high an expectation on new attractions which they are no longer capable of producing.

It only ever truly worked for Oblivion. Why? Because it was actually meant to be a "secret weapon" given its theme which the ride originally planned for the Nemesis site was going to have. With Nemesis, I don't think anyone outside of the top management even knew it was codenamed SW3. It was just an internal thing relating to the plans.

[Blaze]

Secret Weapon is just a name. It's not a 'series', it's not a long running project, it's just a more interesting way of codenaming big rides. It's been a gimmick since Oblivion really, especially as there was nothing secret about Air.

[Stelios7]

I doubt SW's will be getting any better unless it's a Mack or a B&M, Gertlauser was a risk that I hope will pay off. Twinned with great theming SW7 will be a success and SW8 will probably happen, which is probably the Air Car Park ride.

[smudge.]

I cant see how SW7 would not be a 'true' SW... It will cost more that ANY of the others, surely that counts as a large investment? 

Not only that but it will probably be more popular with the GP than many others *cough*AIR*cough*.

A Eurofighter for all its merits does not deserve the title of 'Secret Weapon' and as for Th13teen, need I go into that?

Since when did ride hardware come into it. I'd say 8 inversions minimum, an interlocking/duelling layout and the longest coaster to be built in the country for ages is more than worthy, let alone the huge theming pieces and the large station. Once again, all a SW is is a large scale, themed coaster that in some way is unique and innovative.

If it's like SAW (or even Speed tbh), regardless of inversions, it is not worthy of SW status. They just feel too cheap and rough, and are far too common.

I agree with Blaze here, at the end of the day, a Dive Machine is hardly an amazing peice of hardware, but continues to be arguably  the best on the park.

Any investment with a price tag such as this should and probably would be called a SW.

And don't take 'secret' too literary, it could be a 'secret weapon' against other parks, people use the term of phrase a lot.

Lastly - how on earth can you say it will be cheap rough & common? yes, SORE is rough, but other eurofighters are not? and there are more B&M (inverts alone) than eurofighters? and as previously pointed out, this costs MORE than anything else on the park.

Plus we are hoping for new cars so the throughput isn't dire.

[Nightfall]

Now that I come to think about it this whole SW business is very bizarre. All rides have a code name simply due to the fact that a concept is always developed before you can find a fitting name. But in the case of the SW’s this is the only time (as far as I’m aware) that a code name has become a PR term.

As most of you know the name comes from the first Secret Weapon which was actually supposed to look like a Secret Weapon straight out of a James Bond Film. So why did Nemesis carry on the SW title? I think it was because they had already called the rides second version SW2 and when they first approached B&M they probably still planned to use the SW theme.

But I think it’s because of Oblivion that the name stuck. Oblivion was codenamed SW4 because it is a Secret Weapon, that’s the whole idea behind the ride. During this time the parks marketing department (lead by the current head of Merlin) were on top form and someone cleverly decided to slip the SW4 title onto several of the buildings around Oblivion. From then on the public became aware of the term.

It helps of course that Nemesis and Oblivion where leagues ahead of the competition at the time. So as the one thing that linked these rides together the codename has stuck because it is the easiest way to tell fans that something big is coming. Alton are very lucky in that regard as they only have to mention the words Secret Weapon and we do half their marketing for them.

As for how long it will last I suspect they’ll keep using it until the point when calling a ride a SW no longer means anything. There’s no doubt that in recent years the name has taken a battering but it’s still as much of a buzz word as it used to be. If Rita had been a SW then I believe the name would already be on the point of dying as there really is nothing special about the ride (regardless of your personal opinions of it). I personally really like Thirteen and think it does live up to the name just for being something only Alton would do. As of yet I am undecided about SW7. Nothing has jumped out at me to suggest anything more than a standard (but very good) ride. However I don’t know what is planned to be special about it so can’t judge until I do.

[.Will]

The name has only been made something though because Nemesis, Oblivion and possibly Air. The SW title has become a brand one that promotes high thrills, world's firsts etc when the coasters branded with the SW title and they don't live up to it people are instantly disappointed.

If Th13teen hadn't been a SW how would people's reaction change?

SW7 however does however reinforce what SW really stands for.

If they do drop it and change it it can't just be a replacement for SW it needs to be something different, as I said it has now become more of a brand.

[NastyPasty]

So... people doubt that SW7 (a multi-inverting, duelling thrill machine with the longest ride-time for a coaster on park) will not deserve the same title as a 10-second dive machine?
In no way am I disrespecting Oblivion; it a sensational ride, though on paper this is how it looks. And unfortunately, seen as SW7 is not yet built, all we have are plans, or rather, paper.

[Blaze]

If Th13teen hadn't been a SW how would people's reaction change?

I'd like to think no different, but I'd probably be wrong.

A ride should be evaluated on what it does, not what it shared a codename with.

If Hex had been codenamed ATR2000, N:ST aka ATR2012 would still have got the same reaction.

[ChocolateOrange]

What a depressing topic, I cannot see the end of SW's anytime soon, it's just a codename. Low, Medium and High investments will be around for a long time.

[thefatone]

Doesn't Secret Weapon just stand for any big project which'll bring in volumes of guests and therefore keep towers ahead of the competition?

I'd imagine SW will stay until management change their tactic, or decide that they cba to stay ahead of competition.

[Stelios7]

The hype of a Secret Weapon is really received well by the GP. If they hear a new worlds first ride, they would want to go on it. Using this theory, I don't think this would happen unless another park emulates the success of Alton's Secret Weapons.

[Rollermad]

Interesting poll results.
Sw12 ? Who ever did that explain why if you can
I thought that maybe Sw13 may have a few more as there already 13 ... Still it's your decision 8)

[.Will]

Why does the poll have no order to it what so ever?

[Rollermad]

Not sure 

[LukeJ]

I still can't really see why this is a depressing topic..
It is as if some people think that as soon as they stop with the SW's Alton will not build any new roller coasters at all. It is only a codename.
They have proved with SW6 that a SW can be anything, it is just a codename. It doesn't guarantee the next level thrill machine but still people expect it to be ground breaking B&M etc etc. (granted, SW7 looks very good).
I think they should stop with them now, it seems to have been dragged on quite a bit. I'm sure people will automatically call the next one SW8 regardless.
Was SW6 or this, ever officially called that, or is it what people have tagged onto it. I think someone may have mentioned it once but that doesn't mean SW is its official title.
To most people they wouldn't know what a SW is. I would say they are building a new roller coaster so I don't agree with the point about people knowing SW are new thrill machines because from when I have asked people they have no idea what a SW is.
They might as well give names to each project and make it individual, after all SW came from the first theme.
When numbers start getting big it gets a bit silly, can you imagine SW32...

[Blaze]

Thirteen was officially SW6. It even had SW6 on the boxes the track came in.

And they also said the big 2013/14 coaster would be the next SW.