Is VR a threat to theme parks in the long-term?
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2019 6:43 pm
Hi everyone! Here's a worrying thought: what if in the future, days out at a theme park cease to exist?
Within the next few years, VR visuals will be indistinguishable from real life. Then there's motion simulators, which when paired with VR could perfectly recreate a real rollercoaster (minus the forces of the likes of The Smiler, and other people sitting beside you). Could it be that with sharper tech and some Ready Player One-style avatars in place of friends, we will soon get our thrills with no track at all, in a warehouse or further down the line, at home?
Looking further into the future, there's the possibility of tech that can directly talk to the brain to convince us we're moving in ways we're not, feeling things we're not. Although it's hard to imagine, it's something that's being worked on now. It would certainly be cheaper for companies to deliver thrills like this, and I have read of experts who are convinced theme parks are promoting the very VR that will eventually put them out of business.
So my question is, will we be happy with an equally as immersive (or more so) ride experience, but with no journey to the park, no walking around it and taking in the views, not seeing friends/family in the flesh, no lunch at a restaurant, no staff, and none of the Alton Towers magic as we know it today?
I think this future would be a tragedy. Mainly because if you imagine Galactica with perfected visuals, would you fear being raised above that bottomless pit that opens up at the start as much as being atop say, The Big One? I wouldn't. Because realistic as it is, I'd remember strapping a box to my face a few moments earlier, and knowing it's an illusion takes away the risk-factor, particularly if you know you're on a stationary simulator and not even a track.
But, people are lazy and companies want whatever's cheaper, so the complete rollercoaster experience in you're living room doesn't seem too hard to imagine in several decades. So many people rave about a VR future, but I find the idea of sitting alone in a room with a mask on when there's a whole world outside a bit sad. After all, The Matrix wasn't meant to be a happy story!
Interesting as it is in the video game industry, I hope VR rides are a fad, like 3D films, and future generations won't choose an albeit realistic but fake substitute for a real day out. But hey, what do I know?
Within the next few years, VR visuals will be indistinguishable from real life. Then there's motion simulators, which when paired with VR could perfectly recreate a real rollercoaster (minus the forces of the likes of The Smiler, and other people sitting beside you). Could it be that with sharper tech and some Ready Player One-style avatars in place of friends, we will soon get our thrills with no track at all, in a warehouse or further down the line, at home?
Looking further into the future, there's the possibility of tech that can directly talk to the brain to convince us we're moving in ways we're not, feeling things we're not. Although it's hard to imagine, it's something that's being worked on now. It would certainly be cheaper for companies to deliver thrills like this, and I have read of experts who are convinced theme parks are promoting the very VR that will eventually put them out of business.
So my question is, will we be happy with an equally as immersive (or more so) ride experience, but with no journey to the park, no walking around it and taking in the views, not seeing friends/family in the flesh, no lunch at a restaurant, no staff, and none of the Alton Towers magic as we know it today?
I think this future would be a tragedy. Mainly because if you imagine Galactica with perfected visuals, would you fear being raised above that bottomless pit that opens up at the start as much as being atop say, The Big One? I wouldn't. Because realistic as it is, I'd remember strapping a box to my face a few moments earlier, and knowing it's an illusion takes away the risk-factor, particularly if you know you're on a stationary simulator and not even a track.
But, people are lazy and companies want whatever's cheaper, so the complete rollercoaster experience in you're living room doesn't seem too hard to imagine in several decades. So many people rave about a VR future, but I find the idea of sitting alone in a room with a mask on when there's a whole world outside a bit sad. After all, The Matrix wasn't meant to be a happy story!
Interesting as it is in the video game industry, I hope VR rides are a fad, like 3D films, and future generations won't choose an albeit realistic but fake substitute for a real day out. But hey, what do I know?