robbalvey Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 (edited) If you would like to cover a media event at SFOG for TPR *TOMORROW* please contact me ASAP! My email is: robbalvey@themeparkreview.com You must be: - At least 18 years old. - Able to take decent, clear photos & video (no crappy photos with people's heads in the shot, vertical video, etc) - You don't need to be a professional photographer with expensive equipment, you just need to be able to take decent photos/video with your phone. - Able to text me photos and maybe video so we can post to our Twitter - Be willing to write up a trip report on the forums. - Send us the photos/video take via dropbox or any other icloud service. Email me ASAP if you are interested. Edited March 9, 2016 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rollercoaster Rider Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 They look like Premier's version of Vekoma's Trains on Cobra at Powerland or the Kumbak Trains on Python at Efteling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superbatboy Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Are those trains real? Wickedcoasters removed the photo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindexCyanide13 Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Are those trains real? Wickedcoasters removed the photo? No, if you read a few posts above, you can see that I confirmed them fake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superbatboy Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Are those trains real? Wickedcoasters removed the photo? No, if you read a few posts above, you can see that I confirmed them fake. Touché? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFOGdude25 Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Here's an illustrated picture of the new trains/restraints. Lol, that post was a prank, he DMd me and told me that. Then he deleted the post. LOL I was gonna say. Those trains would've been awful on Ninja, not that it's a super great ride to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krakenmaniac Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 (edited) VR Coaster!! New Revolution on Dare Devil Dive Media Day!!! By: Drew Baker So today I went to the media day for the new virtual reality enhancement to Dare Devil Dive at SFOG. It was a really chill day; weather was beautiful. Me and my friend got to park literally at the gate to the park which was awesome, and then we got on a golf cart to get to the ride area. It was SOOO cool seeing the park on the off season with literally no-one there. They were doing maintinace all around the park. Once we got to the ride we got right on to shoot the POV and then we kept riding it when we could. I was shocked by the VR!! (but more on that for the review). I go to meet some really cool people at Sixflags. I had a really nice chat with the VP of Design, Sam about the tech and the ride. It was really cool. And to answer some questions about the system and stuff; they will have around 200 headsets for SFOG for the ride. There is a huge cleaning facility in the station, and after every use they will be cleaned. Loading shouldn't take *that* much longer because they will ask if the rider wants to use the headset in the station well before they get to ride, and if they don't, they proceed as normal, but if they do they will be taken to like a "staging area" where they will tell everyone how to use the gear, and give them to the rider. After that they will tell everyone to face forward to calibrate and then they are off!! REVIEW: To start, I had very low expectations for the VR... But I was BLOWN AWAY!! Everything just seemed like it fit together perfectly. You start in a fighter jet hangar and you get lifted up to get ready for battle. As you rise (Vertically) you "train" by shooting your gun at targets in the hangar. Then as you reach the top this whole city getting attacked by aliens is revealed. I'm serious hen I say this virtual reality felt huge. The scale in which the headsets create is freaking un-real. I'm telling you this was absolutely insane. there is so much to look at and you see more stuff the more times you ride. After the drop its just total chaos induced by alien robots and planes which is awesome!!! This truly knocked my socks off. You feel like you have traveled across an entire city when you have really only traversed the relatively small coaster. To all the nay-sayers out there just try it before you say anything because this is legit and an incredible enhancement to the ride. In the end this is a super cool way to ride a coaster, but I do think that there is a specific spot for this in the industry. I don't think it will take over all coasters, but will enhance the experience of many. It really was an amazing enhancement to this ride and a nice change. Now onto pictures from the day! The crew getting the video set up. They were awesome! You kinda look like stupid with them on but I promise it is worth it! At this moment on the screens, it told you how to shoot . (You just touch the side of the Vr gear) The interactivity on the lift was super cool! At this moment an alien shoots off your gun and you are off into Chaos!!! The VR really did make a ride that was skippable( if the line was long) into..... ...into alien insanity. Seriously the virtual reality was INSANE. This I thought was the coolest. As you roll into the MCBR you hit a building and go through it. It was a perfect way to keep you in the universe! The VR was really synced up perfectly. And now I will end with a few pictures of me being amazed by this tech. Again the look is worth it! Amazing day for an amazing enhancement to a ride! Edited September 5, 2016 by krakenmaniac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixFlagsAstroworld Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 Sounds like it is awesome! Can't wait to ride the VR Ninja at my local park Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFOG1991 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 This review has me excited to try this Saturday! I still think the people wanting to do this will clog up the line unless they dedicate all the station switchbacks to VR so there is plenty of room for non-VR riders to bypass. People get confused and can be really slow so I don't think the prep part will keep up with operations. Still super excited to try after reading this review! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Just added the POV video to the report... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillseeker4552 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 I originally didn't think VR is my cup of tea, but after watching that video it looks quite cool! I'm excited for the one on TNR at SFMM. As long as it is operated well and executed properly, I will definitely do the VR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithPlus1 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Yeah, I'm not gonna judge until I give it a chance and this report makes me a little more optimistic! Thanks for sharing with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nannerdw Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Will there be an upcharge to use the VR headset? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillseeker4552 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Will there be an upcharge to use the VR headset? No. Six Flags has confirmed that it is free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneyislandchris Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Watched the video, and I am thoroughly impressed. This looks REALLY cool. Here's hoping the roll-out goes super smooth for all the different parks! Also now that I have an idea of what the "New Revolution" VR experience is like, I can't wait to see what the "Superman" one will be like as well! Thanks for the awesome report and video! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanTPM Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 ^I'm also really impressed with this, it looks great. Can't wait to ride Galactica at Alton Towers in April and find out how VR actually is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 So, a shooting-dark-ride-VR coaster? Interesting concept. Any problems with the VR headgear causing motion sickness? That's been my one issue with VR in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PVA62 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Wow that looks more interesting than I thought it might. Wasn't a huge fan of the concept but I'm a little more intrigued now. Got a nice little chuckle with what they did with the MCBR, going through the building I thought that was clever. Looks fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Farmer Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 I'm not opposed to something like this if they put it on rides that don't really have much to offer, like Dare Devil Dive. I'm much more likely to give it a shot in that case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPGemini08 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 So, now that we get to see how it works, I have a tech question, particularly in regards to hardware and software 1. Do we know if these are the Innovator or Consumer editions of the Gear Vr? Not that it'd make a difference, but the build quality (fans, lenses) are far different 2. Is this still running through an Oculus Home app? This is how it is done as a consumer product for Gear VR 3. That said, the Gear VR has a notable issue in regards to orientation and the screen door affect. I've tried it in a vehicle several times playing games, and you constantly have to "re-align" your forward facing orientation. It's what keeps things a more one-to-one relationship. How is this done as a continuation say through an hours time of dispatch? Is the app reset each time a new load takes place? Or is it a loop? 4. The Gears are notorious for overheating. Granted the internal fans of the Innovator edition really helped, but a prolonged gameplay, the phone will actually give you an "overheating" notification, and often times shut down the software. If that's the case, and this app is constantly running, do we know how that will affect the overall experience? Anyone with any idea on any of these I've got to hear! I love my Rift and Gear VR, but I know the limitations hardware wise it has and it'll be interesting to see how it translates to prolonged use Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFOG1991 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 ^I can't really help with most of those questions (in fact I'm totally lost on a few of them haha) but I assume the park has 200 sets so they can cycle them to avoid overheating issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoCo Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Fantastic report, and that video, wow. Can't wait to see how this all works at Magic Mountain. Three cheers to Six Flags for really pushing the VR envelope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philrad71 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 It certainly looks interesting and something that I would give a whirl. I'm with Chuck and some of the others regarding the concern for the motion sickness thing though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toughmudder Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Looks pretty cool... The riders appear to be having a blast. One thing I'm wondering - will it be a bit jarring at times when you are unable to adjust your body to certain elements when you can't see what's ahead of you? I know it would be akin to riding in darkness, which we all love... but even then you have a sense of upcoming elements and know how to hold your body appropriately. For those that ride a certain coaster many times and know when to expect certain elements, it shouldn't be an issue... but for novices, you might get thrown around more than expected. Example is what happens at dispatch to the rider on the LH side of the screen at 0:44 (and that's with the train at a crawl...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFOG1991 Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 ^Dare Devil Dive has some pretty strong positive Gs going into both of the first 2 inversions, and even in a few dips, where it is hard to keep your body straight. I imagine some people will be caught off guard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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