Do you like thrill rides? Do you like tech? Well, you're in luck. Six Flags has partnered up with Samsung to bring park patrons the next level in thrill rides, which combines the two: VR-powered roller coasters.
"This will blow people away," predicts Brett Petit, senior VP, marketing and sales for Six Flags.
Park-goers will strap on a pair of Samsung Gear VR headsets at nine different Six Flags locations to accentuate the adrenaline rush of a roller coaster's whipping turns, steep drops and inverted loops with an immersive 360-degree virtual reality environment. Six Flags have already put this into practice with the New Revolution, which has riders assume the role of the co-pilot in a fighter jet as he or she maneuvers at up to 60 mph to battle aliens.
Six Flags has provided a video that gives a brief glimpse into the workings of the New Revolution, which is slated to appear at parks in Arlington, Texas; Atlanta, Ga., ; Los Angeles, Calif.; and St. Louis, Miss., as well as The Great Escape park in Lake George, N.Y. and La Ronde in Montreal, Quebec.
The park has also teased a Superman VR-themed rollercoaster, which it promised will fully-immerse riders "in the 360-degree comic-book world of Metropolis."
"On the new Superman Virtual Reality Roller Coaster experience, you'll be immersed in the comic-book world of Metropolis," Six Flags describes on its website. "You'll strap in for a sky tour of the city and soon encounter Lex Luthor after you take off from the station. This villain and his army of Lexbots use an anti-gravity gun to create chaos through the city. Superman comes along to destroy the anti-gravity gun, causing all the floating objects to suddenly fall - just as you're falling down the first giant drop on the coaster. As you twist, turn, loop, and dive along the coaster's track, you'll be soaring alongside Superman as he battles the Lexbots."
Just like with the New Revolution, the Superman-themed ride will roll out to Six Flags theme parks across the country, namely parks in San Antonio, Texas; Agawam, Mass.; and Upper Marlboro, Md.
Six Flags President and CEO John Duffey said in a statement that VR is "a definite game-changer for theme park rides." Samsung's Chief Marketing Officer Marc Mathieu mirrored that sentiment.
"Bringing a VR coaster to life is certainly a new and thrilling proposition," he said. "Now, people can be immersed into a totally new universe while riding a roller coaster. This transforms the modern roller coaster into a totally new, one of a kind sensorial experience - powered by technology."
While revolutionary, the introduction of VR into roller coasters brings with it a unique set of problems. One such problem is that the technology makes wearers feel nausea at times, due to eye activity making the brain believe that the body is moving when it isn't. The second is how secure the headsets would be on people going at 60 mph, especially when considering that the headsets will see continued use.
These problems are sure to work themselves out as Six Flags and Samsung collect user data. In the meantime, things look bright for the theme park. With a plethora of superhero-themed rides, it might not be long before we see VR implemented on more rides based on the data from its first two VR-roller coasters.
